Community groups Alexandria Residents Action Group, REDWatch, and Friends of Erskineville have joined forces to propose a bridge that will connect North to South Eveleigh over the train tracks of the Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct.
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The petition, called “Build a Bridge” serves as the locals’ response to the NSW Government’s plans to transform the Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct, into a ‘great new place for Sydney.’
“For a long time a bridge has been proposed in planning for North Eveleigh to remedy this, and we believe that with Transport for NSW reviewing plans for this site the time has come to build it,” the petition reads.
The groups agreed that there’s a need for an active transport corridor to connect Waterloo Metro, Alexandria and South Eveleigh on one side, to Carriageworks, North Eveleigh, Darlington and Sydney University on the other.
“The number of people living and working in and around the rail corridor from Redfern to Erskineville is growing rapidly. Along with that goes more walking and cycling – healthy modes of transport we all want to encourage.”
“One problem though is the great length of the corridor, requiring very long journeys around the perimeter,” they said.
“We therefore call upon the Minister for Transport to approve the construction of this bridge as a matter of priority,” community groups wrote in their campaign.
A spokesperson from Friends of Erskineville said the bridge could turn a 20-minute commute into two minutes, highlighting the importance of connectin over the train tracks.
Plans for Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct
The 10-hectare Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct comprises three sub-precincts named after heritage buildings on the site:
- The Clothing Store Sub-Precinct – it will have a residential character that is integrated with community uses to create a vibrant inner-city place designed for living.
- The Carriageworks Sub-Precinct – there will be adaptive re-use of Carriageworks, and will form the cultural heart of the Precinct.
- The Paint Shop Sub-Precinct – adjacent to Redfern Station, it will connect to its surrounds through the new Southern Concourse. The iconic Paint Shop building will be reused and the sub-precinct will feature innovative office spaces, residential, retail and community uses, open urban spaces and parks.
Read: Major Redevelopment of Cathedral on Cleveland Street in Redfern Approved
This marks the first time that the government opened up the precinct to the general public in about 100 years.
The project is expected to create up to 6,200 new jobs in innovative, commercial, and creative sectors.