the public subsidisation of a cartel of private
interests? Is this how the NSW Government
sees its role? If so, what a societal loss.
There are ways you can do this for much
less than the $735 million demolition of the
football stadium. And that’s only part of the
number, because they are knocking down a lot
of the buildings around the football stadium.
What we’re finding again is subsidisation of
Big Sport. There’s money for the Swans, there’s
the move of things into the old showground
halls, they’re building a new cricket ‘Centre of
Excellence’ at Sydney Olympic Park because
they’re knocking down the nets at the SCG –
that’s maybe $100 million on top of the $
million for the new stadium.A&D: While we’re in Sydney’s eastern suburbs,
what about the new light rail? Does it add
much to the transport capacity of the area?
Does it pre-empt a longer term transport
solution, like a metro under Anzac Parade out
to Maroubra and beyond?PT: Has Sydney ever made a worse decision
than scrapping its tram system in 1961? Sydney
had one of the biggest tram systems in the
world, much bigger than Melbourne. This
decision was an economic, environmental
and transport disaster but typical of the city’s
planning mistakes in the latter parts of the20th century. It’s great that trams and light
rail are being reintroduced, but there are major
questions about the Eastern Suburbs light
rail, the regrettable way it’s been delivered,
the questionable contracts, the disappointing
urban design, the physical degradation.
Compare that with some of the new systems
installed in Europe – which create the most
pedestrian-friendly, beautiful public domain.
Even compared to the Canberra light rail
and the Newcastle light rail, the way it’s been
implemented has been substandard, which
reflects poorly on the State Government’s
management. Also the length of the trams,
at 67 metres, some of the longest in the world;
only a few other cities such as Marrakesh
and Jerusalem run trams of that length, and
that’s because it’s their primary transport
mode. More Metros is clearly what we need,
and the biggest risk with this light rail line is
that it may not cope as transport. There is no
question that the Anzac Parade corridor needs
a Metro, which could then be supplemented by
light rail as an auxiliary mode of transport with
more stops, different route, etc. That’s the sort
of long-term planning that we need to get right
in Sydney. There is hope that the new Metro
being planned from Parramatta could extend
via Zetland to UNSW and Little Bay, perhaps
to Cronulla as well. That would be a great
project for Sydney.A&D: You’ve also criticised the sale of the
Sydney GPO building and the distinctive
sandstone state government buildings.
What would be the alternative?PT: I co-authored the award-winning book
Public Sydney; Drawing the City (with Peter
John Cantrill), so such issues are very close
to my heart.
The great sandstone buildings of Sydney
often occupy sites that have been used for public
purposes since 1788 – perhaps longer if you
account for the indigenous occupation of the
land. Over time these sites were rebuilt, with the
great sandstone public buildings dating from
1850 – 1915. Since then they’ve been repurposed,
modernised, swapped governmental use, added
civic uses. As the need arose over the years, a
succession of NSW Governments have exercised
what I call ‘public imagination’ to adapt and
renew such sites and buildings in the public
interest. Whereas this government, in the middle
of an unparalleled property boom, with money
coming from every corner through development,
stamp duty and the like, sees fit to rupture the
practice of 230 years of government, which held
a longer term or enlightened view of what the
public interest might be, and the value of keeping
such treasured public assets in public ownership.
Privatisation at any cost seems to have been
their mantra. This based on a bias that theAbove Image courtesy of dictionaryofsydney.orgArchItecture & desIgn /PeoPle/ jul-sep 201911ADQ3_010_012_Thalis_V2.indd 11 26/7/19 4:49 pm