Vivian said the high line was a “short-term thought” and would not be enough to seriously change the way Circular Quay was perceived by domestic and international visitors.
“Simply greening the Cahill Expressway, while making it more pleasant when viewed from expensive office towers, does nothing to improve the congested public domain around Circular Quay,” he said.
“It simply came to our notice then. If we spend public money to upgrade Circular Quay, we maximize profits for Sydney and the public. “
The future of Circular Quay is being debated at the highest levels of the state government ahead of the June budget, which is expected to contain an investment decision on the long-awaited dock renovation project.
Stokes, who was contacted for comment Monday, had previously urged his colleagues to “be brave” and commit to a major renovation of the site, which he described as “horrible” in its current state.
However, he noted that the government was already reviewing major infrastructure projects in light of budget constraints and labor shortages. “We can’t do everything,” he told the Herald in April.
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Stokes said it would be incredibly expensive to move the train line underground. “I think everyone would agree that the Cahill Expressway should never have been built the way it was, but now that it’s there, those design limitations create design opportunities,” he said.
Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet has been a high-end New York-style enthusiast and did a kind of test closing the road to cars in January for the six-day ELEVATE music festival.
But Moore and others believe that turning the highway into a permanent highway would only make it more difficult for a future government to tear down the structure.
Moore recently visited the site with Paul Keating, a longtime advocate for the removal of Cahill Highway who, as Prime Minister, in 1994 offered to pay the NSW government to demolish it.
It is widely agreed that Cahill will remain open to cars until the West Harbor Tunnel is built to link the Warringah Highway with the Rozelle Interchange. Construction is scheduled to begin this year and be completed in 2027.
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