Newsletter 27 – Open Letter to Our State Member – Saving Bradfield Park and the street of Kirribilli

6 June 2021

Ms F Wilson, MP

Member for North Shore

Dear Ms Wilson,

Re: Sydney Harbour Bridge Cycleway access and Bike route to Mosman

The community was advised yesterday that Transport for NSW will place on public exhibition this Monday two schemes for a bike ramp in Milsons Point. As our state MP, the community has an urgent need to learn of your attitude to the proposals.

Cyclists wishing to cross the harbour need, like pedestrians, to go up 55 steps – as they have done for the last 59 years. For those few cyclists challenged by a few steps the solution is the installation of a lift (as has been done for pedestrians wanting to access the eastern side of the Bridge.

Bradfield Park

Over time, the State Government has developed at least 7 options to replace the staircase with ramps.

• 5 of the options would not impact Bradfield Park.
• 2 options occupy a large proportion of Bradfield Park resulting in a loss of open green space.

Your State Government has:

• elected to develop, for community consultation, the 2 options that have the worst possible effect on Bradfield Park and
• put those 2 options out to community consultation over a 3-week period – an incredibly short period.

There is a sudden and inexplicable sense of urgency. Why?

Broughton Road Kirribilli and Alfred Street

Your State Government has offered to fund the cost of a cycleway from the Bridge to the edge of Mosman, requiring the dedication of a lane on Broughton Road through Kirribilli  as wll as a 4 metre wide strip along Alfred Street to be dedicated as a cycleway.

Parks and Streets – a limited resource.

The streets and parks of North Sydney were set aside and laid out at times when most people walked to train stations, bus stops and ferry wharves – many of the streets are narrow and the ratio of parklands to population is now one of the worst in Sydney.

We can’t afford to squander them to meet the perceived needs of small groups.

The loss of parks and narrowing of streets that will result from the State Government’s imposition of cycleways is a huge cost that people of North Sydney will be called upon to pay.

Our State Representative’s position

Felicity, as you are our representative, the community needs to know:

• Do you support either or both the Bradfield Park cycle ramp proposals which are now the subject of community consultation?
• Do you support the dedication of one lane on Broughton Road as a cycleway?

I will share your response with our community.

Yours sincerely