The Blue Mountains Gazette has reported on 22nd June 2020 that our local elected representatives from the NSW State Government, Trish Doyle MP, and the Blue Mountains City Council, Mayor Mark Greenhill and Ward 1 Councillor Don McGregor, have been excluded from community consultation meetings about the duplication of the Great Western Hwy in the upper mountains.
According to the Gazette, "The committee facilitator, Tricia Wunsch, in an emailed response, said the walk-through had been requested by the committee members to better understand all the options and it was effectively a BCC meeting."
"Only members of the BCC will be permitted to attend the inspections; if other people are present, TfNSW will cancel the inspections."
"Ms Wunsch continued: 'All members of the BCC, including you, have signed a code of conduct outlining your obligations and agreement to the BCC process.'"
"I'd particularly like to remind you of the following requirements, to ensure confidential matters handled by the committee, as indicated by the chair, are kept confidential, and not speak to the media on or off the record or through third parties about committee matters."
"Ms Doyle said: 'The fact that the NSW Government would rather completely shut down community consultation than have elected representatives attend says everything you need to know about this project.'"
In this episode we replay a discussion we had in December last year, before the formation of the committee, with Michael Paag of the Blackheath Highway Action Group about community concerns. Trish Doyle has circulated a petition regarding the highway upgrade. Email Trish Doyle's office to obtain a copy - [email protected]. NSW government rules mean that only original hard copy petitions are accepted.
This episode was first broadcast on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1FM on 13th December, 2019.
Disclaimer: We seek a range of perspectives but that means that views expressed in these podcasts are not necessarily endorsed by the Blue Mountains Unions Council Inc.

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