Pittwater Life November 2017 Issue

Residents demand better B-Line plan
Pittwater community groups
remain opposed to the
extension of the B-Line to Newport
despite assurances from
NSW government consultation
representatives that their fears
of disruption and destruction
of the beachside suburb’s village
lifestyle were unfounded.
Transport NSW met with
groups including the Newport
Residents Association
and CABPRA to present its
‘preferred option’ for the $500
million bus service last month.
It followed a letterbox drop
by Transport NSW revealing
their plan to construct a
roundabout on the corner of
Neptune Road and Barrenjoey
Road, with buses turning and
stopping at the existing bus
stop outside Newport Beach
Surf Life Saving Club.
No incursion into the surf
club was proposed in the government’s
preferred plan, nor
were any car parking spaces
corralled for B-Line users.
The preferred option for the
B-Line terminus was contingent
on the results of engineering
studies, the Transport
NSW representative said.
However, residents groups
rebuffed the consultation, with
the NRA proceeding with a
rally on October 22 that drew
a crowd of hundreds and
garnered more than 500 signatures
on a petition to withhold
support for the extension of
the service from Mona Vale to
Newport until a “fully developed
and researched plan” was
submitted for consideration.
NRA president Gavin Butler
said residents felt they were
being “blackmailed” by the
government to a degree.
“They are saying if you don’t
accept the B-Line in Newport
you will not share in the $500
million of the B-Line money
and you will end up with an
inferior bus service to the one
that you have today,” he said.
He added there were great
concerns as to whether a
roundabout could work at the
Neptune and Barrenjoey Road
intersection, “let alone create
another choke point for communities
north of Newport”.
Transport NSW also met
with the Newport Beach
Chamber of Commerce, who
queried whether the iconic
Norfolk Pines in the centre of
the road or other trees would
be removed; representatives
said some pruning would be
required in the village centre
but said it would be arboristled
and minimal.
Following the meeting the
Photo: Michael Mannington
Chamber was hopeful of gaining
several parking spaces for
shoppers on Barrenjoey Road,
currently designated ‘no parking’
due to the length of the
existing ‘bendy buses’.
Meanwhile CABPRA has
rejected the ‘Newport B-Line
solution’ out of hand, supporting
Mona Vale as the northern
terminus point, with feeder
and express services catering
for communities north of
Mona Vale.
It said the proposed turnaround
site was a “very dangerous
intersection”.
President David Owen added
the group had supplied the
B-Line project team with a
proposed service schedule
for residents north of Mona
Vale. This proposal was also
supported by the NRA, the
Palm Beach and Whale Beach
Association and the Avalon
Preservation Association.
Transport NSW is holding a
drop-in B-Line info session at
Newport Beach SLSC on Tuesday
October 31 from 4-7pm.
– Nigel Wall
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
NOVEMBER 2017 15