2024-25 member drive and activity report

Would you like to become a full member of the Friends of Erskineville? Annual memberships start on 1 July each year and the standard rate for individuals is $20.

If you are one of our email list subscribers or follow us on Facebook or X but haven’t yet become a member, we’d love to have your extra support.

All membership fees go toward our community building work, campaigns and advocacy, including printing flyers, hosting stalls and public meetings and website costs. Membership also entitles you to vote at meetings and nominate for the committee. Payment is via Paypal (which includes credit card) or by direct bank transfer into our account.

You can join or renew your membership here.

 

Friends of Erskineville – an update

It has been a busy time on all fronts for this first half of 2024. Since its election your new committee has been very active. This has included meeting each of the City of Sydney Councillors promoting and seeking support for those local campaigns sponsored by FoE.

We have also been speaking with local businesses about the issues important to them and we have actively participated in on-site meetings with Council on issues such as proposed traffic management measures, pedestrian access and safety, and public housing.

Here are some of the highlights:

Build a Bridge Campaign – https://actionnetwork.org/letters/build-a-bridge

Working with other community groups, REDWatch and ARAG, over 2,000 supporters signed the petition unanimously supported at City of Sydney Council meeting on 13 May. Subsequently it was raised in NSW Parliament by our local member Jenny Leong.

The community continues to call for this promised piece of infrastructure which must become priority especially following the announced housing planned for the North Eveleigh precinct Clothing Store.

Explorer Street Action Group (a FoE working group)

The working group advocates with and on behalf of our community members residing in public housing. The residents of Explorer Street deserve a better solution to the housing crisis than demolition of their less than 35-year-old homes. The working group includes representatives of the various public housing residences in our community and meets regularly at Erskineville Town Hall.

Intersection missing legs

FoE has long advocated for Transport of NSW to add the missing legs of pedestrian crossings across Erskineville and has seen the latest upgrades completed at the Copeland St/Mitchell Rd and Fountain Str/Mitchell Rd intersections.

Erskineville Train Station – Southern Entrance

The completed works of this much anticipated entrance do not reflect the concept design presented to the community. Missing key features are width of the entrance, bench seating and bike loops. FoE are advocating for answers as to why the design has not been fulfilled and how it will be remedied.

Digital Advertising – STOP PRESS!

We just recently had a win in stopping a large 18 square metre area digital advertising sign being erected on Sydney Park Rd. We worked with a local resident who set up an online petition, and residents used our template letter to send objections to the Planning Minister.

Erskineville Streets – Accessibility and Safety

We are calling on TfNSW to adhere to its own policies for accessibility and where applicable introduce 10kph shared zones.

Swanson Street Traffic Bridge and surrounds

Transport for NSW, Sydney Trains and City of Sydney continue to take a piecemeal approach to this important infrastructure. This area includes the parts of Burren St made temporarily accessible to Sydney Trains, the width of the bridge platform and the poorly resolved cycleway connecting Bridge, Burren and Railway Parade. FoE is advocating for residents to be involved in the 3 way consultations that are occurring to establish a permanent solution to this area.

Erskineville Train Services

Friends of Erskineville are advocating to retain our existing service levels now and after the Metro conversion program. Preferably we want to see a train stop at Erskineville every 10 mins – doesn’t matter which line as long as at least a couple of them provide direct access to the city circle. We want to see frequency and diversity maintained and available for our growing population.

Erskineville Traffic Bridge (between Angel and Linthorpe St) – footpath lighting

FoE is advocating for the installation of adequate lighting that illuminates footpaths on both sides of this bridge.

Mitchell Road Traffic Control

FoE supports the implementation of active transport links. We want the Council and Transport for NSW to look at novel solutions that enable equitable sharing of our transport links. This includes cycleways where needed, improved footpaths, speed limits of 30 kph on local roads, pedestrian and cycle friendly crossings.

With work on the Ashmore precinct once again in full swing it is proposed to install a signalised crossing to replace the roundabout at Mitchell Rd/Maddox St and the yet to be extended Macdonald St.

FoE are asking that rather than the standard signalised solution or roundabout with zebra crossings that a novel new model for intersections is applied that can be used equitably by all transport modes.

Erskineville Drinking Fountain

The Erskineville Drinking Fountain was gifted by Mr Molesworth to the people of Erskineville at a Council meeting on Monday November 22, 1897.

Its original site was at the old Five Ways, the intersection of Burren, Bridge, Swanson, Charles Streets and Erskineville Road. In 1936 this part of the footpath was taken up when the road was realigned, and tram tracks removed. It was at this time the fountain was relocated to the current site with the Camperdown Cemetery grounds.

The original location on Erskineville Road was returned as footpath and subsequently had a garden bed installed in the 1990’s when Erskineville Road was realigned once more.

FoE is advocating for the return of the Fountain to as close to its original location as is feasible.

Staying connected and keeping the community updated

We maintain memberships with the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, Shelter NSW and Better Planning Network. And we are keeping the community informed via regular updates on email, facebook and X.

We look forward to you joining or renewing your membership. If you have just recently renewed, thank you for your support. Together we can make a really positive contribution to Erskineville.

Kind Regards,

---