Wollongong MP Paul Scully is ready to drop everything to meet the Premier at the bottom of the 72 stairs at Unanderra Station so she can see with her own eyes the need to install lifts.
The Premier, Gladys Berejiklian MP, will be driving straight past the Unanderra Station as she heads down to Berry to officially open the $70 million over-budget Berry Bypass tomorrow.
Mr Scully wrote to the Premier by email this morning (see attached) inviting her to meet him at the foot of the 72 stairs the elderly, parents with prams, and people with a disability are forced to struggle with every day they want to catch a train at the Unanderra Station.
Previously secret information released under Freedom of Information (FoI) laws reveals that:
- In the October 2016 ranking of the Inter City network, when compared to the Leura and Glenbrook stations, Unanderra station:
- Ranked higher at 11 than Leura (14) and Glenbrook (16)
- Had the highest overall assessment score
- Scored highest on expected patronage growth
- Had a higher average number of weekend services
- Scored higher on centre and education demand growth generators
- Scored higher on demographic measures including mobility permits, people with a disability young than 60 years of age and children under the age of 5
- In the “Easy Access Update Prioritisation”, when compared to Como, Glenbrook and Leura stations, Unanderra station:
- Scored highest on the overall ranking
- Was furthest from the nearest accessible station – up to double that of the other stations
- Is the only station more than 5km from the nearest accessible station
- Had a distance score double that of the other stations
- Ranked equal to or higher than other stations on demographic measures including medical access, disability, aged over 70 years and children under 5 years of age
The Government has confirmed that concept design work for the installation of lifts at Unanderra Station was completed in July 2011.
Comments attributable to Paul Scully MP:
“The Premier’s visit to Berry tomorrow is a perfect opportunity for her to personally eyeball the 72 stair struggle that the elderly, parents with prams and people with a disability are forced to deal with every day they want to catch a train from Unanderra Station.
“I’ll meet her anytime tomorrow while she is in the Illawarra.
“Her visit shouldn’t just be focused on giving her Government a pat on the back, but she should also take the time to inspect projects her Government has ignored.”
