Newsletter 24 – High Line

Let’s talk about the HighLine

What is the HighLine?

The HighLine is a planned walking trail between (near) Waverton and Lavender Bay running along the harbour’s edge creating a mosaic of harbour fronting parks (Coal Loader, Waverton Oval,
Sawmillers Reserve and Lavender Bay parklands).

What’s holding construction up?

In February 2017 Minister Constance (then the Minister for Transport and responsible for Sydney
Trains) said

I can confirm that the Minister and Sydney Trains have agreed that work to create a walking path along the Lavender Bar Spur can commence on the side where tracks have been removed, before the active rail line is closed on the other side of the spur.

The Premier, in March 2017

• gave.. an iron clad guarantee that a NSW Liberals & Nationals Government will never sell off the land (railway corridor between Waverton (Berrys Bay) and Lavender Bay and ensure it remains a community asset in the event it is not needed for railway use,
• established a committee to investigate creating a scenic walking track along this unique stretch of railway land.
  •  a Committee of stakeholders – Waverton and Lavender Bay Precincts, Sydney Heritage
    Trains, Sydney Harbour High Line Association, North Sydney Council, Sydney Trains,
    Office of Environment and Heritage and Destination NSW along with State and Federal
    Members of Parliament

Taking us all by surprise, in June 2019 Minister Constance reversed his February 2017 position because there was need to keep the railway – odd, we thought, because the HighLine is to be on land adjacent to the operating rail line. The Minister flatly said there was no money for the HighLine Project.

• Why not stand back and let the community fund it?

Next North Sydney Council

• The HighLine delivers on two of the three key strategic themes for North Sydney – Connected Community and Living Heritage. It also captures all three of the destination’s primary experience pillars:
  • Urban nature and open space;
  • History and Heritage, and with ample opportunity to feature innovative events; and
  • Arts and Culture.

In December 2018 the Premier’s Committee reported on the benefits of the HighLine –

• providing 3.3 km pathway
• adding (almost 4.4 hectares) to green space –
  • at a time when the Government is taking more than 2 hectares of open space/parks from North Sydney to build its tunnels
• linking and making accessible the isolated harbour-side parks and attractions (Coal Loader, historic sites of Berrys Bay and Sawmillers Reserve) and the icons that are Luna Park, the Olympic Pool and Bridge.

The Premier is yet to respond!

Minister Constance has stopped the project.
Why?
Does the Government now have other plans the Lavender Bay harbour fronting land?