Greens MP and Environment & Transport Spokesperson, Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC has slammed today’s reports that the Government is planning to build the F6 toll road either through the Royal National Park or straight through more than 400 homes. She has said this will be a disaster and the Government should be investing in improving the South Coast line.

Read the full Media Release here

Dr Faruqi said:

“I cannot believe that in 2017, even this Liberal-National NSW Government who has shown little care for our environment, is seriously considering building a dirty toll road right through Australia’s oldest National Park.

“The community love the Royal, it’s the second most visited National Park in NSW and they simply won’t accept this crazy plan just to satisfy this government’s insatiable appetite for toll roads.

“The Government is pitching a false dichotomy between building in a National Park and hundreds of people losing their homes. The reality is that the F6 will be a disaster either way. We know there is another way to improve people’s commute by upgrading the train line which is more effective, less destructive and cheaper.

“Under no circumstances can we allow the loss of our National Parks. If the Government dares bring this plan to revoke parts of the Royal National Park to Parliament the Greens will unequivocally oppose it in the strongest possible way.

“The Government has decided not to pursue the Royal National Park for World Heritage status and with this news it is becoming increasingly clear why.

“With the disastrous environmental impacts of this Government’s land clearing laws, we thought National Parks were the only places still protected from clearing, but even that’s not true anymore. It’ll be an environmental catastrophe if the Government starts clearing the Royal National Park.

“We knew that Transport for NSW was explicitly instructed by the Government to not look at rail options when considering the F6, and now we know what an environmental and community tragedy this motorway will be. These kinds of decisions really beg the question whose interests the Government has at heart, the community or the toll road lobby?” she concluded.