The decision was never really in doubt. The main reason is that only one option to address Kingston’s commuter woes has ever been developed and costed. The choice was; “Take the $42 million or nothing.”
Although not on the diabolical scale of the transport problems of Sydney’s north west, the Kingston Bypass decision leaves Kingborough with more roads and no rapid commuter transport to enable residents to go to work and school.
Furthermore, 5.65 ha of listed threatened species of Eucalypt and 2.32 ha black gum together with associated wild life is waiting for the bulldozers.
As Kingston fills out towards the new Kingston High School, the destruction of this woodland in Kingston has never been publicly discussed. Rather than bypassing Kingston, the bypass road actually cuts a swathe through woodland right in the heart of Kingston.
Dispite a growing voice around the world for urgent action to address climate change and on the eve of the most important summit on world affairs since World War II, climate hardly rated a mention during the debate.
No Councillor managed to weave the Kingborough Planning Scheme intent “ecologically sustainable development” into their speech. One Councillor for the new road even saw the ghost of John Howard as he remembered that the Kingston Bypass was a promise of in some forgotten campaign some decades ago.
The world has changed since the last State election campaign. Sadly, the change has not caught up Kingborough Council or the Government, which has failed to develop a sustainable transport alternative to the Kingston Bypass in 4 years since the last election.
