Residents for Access to Summer Hill
Disability Rights Unit
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
GPO Box 5218
Sydney NSW 1042
23rd September 1999
RE: Summer Hill Station - Equitable Access
Summer Hill residents have lobbied for nearly 60 years to have improved access to Summer Hill station. Since our group was formed we have phoned and written to politicians of all persuasions and have had the support of Ashfield Council and the local newspapers, as well as local residents. Many rallies have been held and hundreds of form letters sent to our Local Member of Parliament. It was interesting to note that at last week's Local Government election, all candidates featured the promise to fight for better access to Summer Hill station as part of their platforms.
Correspondence has been sustained over the past decade or so, between Ashfield Council, City Rail, politicians and residents. The following are significant milestones, in the fight to improve conditions for less able-bodied persons to have access to the facilities Summer Hill shopping centre offers, in addition to being able to use the train service
(Mrs) Paddy Davies Cr Julie Passes
Summer Hill
23rd September 1999
Contents
PAST HISTORY
RECENT HISTORY
CITY RAIL'S EASY ACCESS PROGRAM
AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS
SUMMARY
Summer Hill railway station was officially opened on the 15th September 1879, with a tunnel beneath the railway lines linking Grosvenor Crescent, North Summer Hill with Carlton Crescent, the shopping centre and the rest of Summer Hill where all the churches, schools, taxi rank and other amenities are located.
Residents of North Summer Hill, a large number of whom are elderly or mobility-impaired have to negotiate 76 steps to buy a ticket and catch a train. Parents with young children and strollers similarly experience difficulty.
Approximately 60 years ago a local resident took up a petition for improved access. No record is available as to any response to this request.
About 25 years ago, local residents attempted to persuade Ashfield Council and the S.R.A. to purchase a large vacant block of land opposite the railway station in Grosvenor Crescent in order to provide ramp access under the road. The authorities showed no interest in the proposal.
In 1987 a group of young mothers with small children held a rally and petitioned our Local State Member of Parliament, Paul Whelan to intercede with the Minister of Transport to obtain improved access.
16th February 1988
Ashfield Council passed a resolution to contribute 50% of the cost towards providing ramped access to Summer Hill railway station from the streets - total cost estimated by S.R.A to be $240,000.
18th February 1988
Mr Whelan wrote to the above petitioners as follows - "The State Rail Authority has agreed to construct ramps at Summer Hill Station".
Extracts of sundry correspondence:-
13th February 1990 City Rail to Ashfield Municipal Council (AMC)
Confirming that upgrading of S.H. station scheduled for 1990-91, that cost of ramps at both subway entrances was estimated at $171,000 and seeking confirmation that AMC had reserved $120,000 towards cost.
Investigations into possibility of providing ramps onto platforms showed that limited space precluded this.
24th August 1990 AMC to City Rail
Confirmed council resolution of 16/2/88 to contribute 50% of the cost of ramped access to the station from streets.
Requested an urgent update re costs, plans, etc, as Council was currently working on reconstruction of Grosvenor Crescent.
12th October 1990 AMC to City Rail
Seeking anticipated date construction would commence.
16th October 1990 City Rail to AMC
Advising cost estimates for the ramps currently being formulated - would advise when this information available.
17th January 1991 AMC to City Rail
Again requesting plans and costs for proposed ramps.
29th January 1991 City Rail to AMC
Enclosed sketch showing ramp proposals and advising a preliminary costing of $203,000.
Also stating no funds available in 1990/91 or 91/92 for design, documentation or construction of proposed pedestrian ramps, so SRA could not proceed. However, if Council was prepared to pay the lot they would be happy to assist.
18th March 1991 AMC to City Rail
Expressing disappointment that City Rail would not be proceeding due to lack of funding.
31st July 1991 AMC to Hon. Bruce Baird - Minister for Transport
Asking for firm date when funds would be provided so work could commence on ramps.
31st July 1991 AMC to Hon. Leo McLeay M.P. Federal Member for Grayndler
Requesting "he seek Federal infrastructure funding for the provision of ramps at Summer Hill railway station".
10th September 1991 Bob Brown, Federal Minister for Transport to Leo McLeay
Advising that $200 million would be made available for a 3 year programme by the SRA, however Summer Hill railway station was not included. Letter concluded:
"Should the NSW Government include a proposal for future Federal funding of access ramps at Summer Hill railway station, you may assure the Ashfield Municipal Council that I would give it careful consideration".
17th September 1991 Don Page M.P. Acting Minister for Transport to AMC
Informing that planning for the 1992/93 would be based on rehabilitation of rail system.
"Accordingly, the relative priority of improving ramped access from one side of the suburb to the other will have to be assessed in relation to other essential railway work".
30th October 1991 Hon. Bruce Baird, Min. for Transport to Ashfield Cr Paul Moroney
Stated as follows concerning provision of ramps at Summer Hill station:
"State Rail advises me that half the funds for the project will be made available this financial year and the remainder next financial year. This will allow a staged construction of the ramps".
July 1995
A resident made representation to Ashfield Council on behalf of other locals regarding access. Council forwarded her submission to City Rail who replied as follows:
"On receipt of your letter, our Station Upgrading Project re-visited the site to evaluate any possibility of installing ramps. We have been advised that there is insufficient space for ramps between the railway corridor and adjoining streets. Further to this, the gradient required for disabled and/or elderly people is 1:14 meters. This would result in the ramps being approximately 70 metres in length.
I regret that we could not be more favourable in our reply, but hope that this response clarifies our position."
November 1995 - January 1996
About 1000 signatures were collected on a petition to the Minister for Transport.
March 1996
A lobby group - "Residents for Access to Summer Hill" (R.A.S.H.) was formed.
1996
A sum of $328,000 was spent on Summer Hill station installing awnings, painting the tunnel and tiling the stairs leading from Grosvenor Crescent to the tunnel.
February 1997
In response to a query as to whether the above money was a result of correspondence dated 10th September 1991 between Bob Brown and Leo McLeay, Paul Whelan replied in part:
"In late 1992, the Federal Government offered the N.S.W. State Government $6.4 million from the Australian Land Transport Development Fund to be spent on rail projects nominated by the State. These works were to be administered under the Urban Public Transport Programme.
In February, 1993 the Federal Department of Transport suggested to the State Rail Authority that the focus of the projects be directed towards western line suburban stations and a programme was developed by the State Rail Authority which included Summer Hill.
The Sum of $328,000 spent by the State Rail Authority in upgrading Summer Hill Station was allocated for this project from Federal Government funds.
The works nominated for Summer Hill did not include the provision of lift access."
May 1997
A.M.C. passed resolution confirming its intention to contribute $120,000 towards lifts at Summer Hill station.
November 1998
State Opposition Leader, Peter Collins inspected the station and said, if elected, his Government would immediately allocate funds for disabled access.
January 1999
New State Opposition leader, Kerry Chikarovski visited Summer Hill and re-affirmed her Party's commitment to providing funds.
February 1999
Paul Whelan and Minister for Transport Carl Scully held a press conference at Summer Hill station to announce that their Government would immediately proceed to provide lifts and ramps at the station.
22nd February 1999
City Rail lodged plans for disabled access to the station with Ashfield Council. These plans have never been submitted to Council for approval and we have been advised by the S.R.A. that firstly, heritage impact assessments had been sought, then that new plans were being drafted and finally that there was no money available.
CITY RAIL'S EASY ACCESS PROGRAM
Initially our submissions to the S.R.A. were not acceded to on the grounds that Summer Hill station did not meet the criteria laid down for inclusion in City Rail's easy access program. We refute this on the following grounds:
1. Located in major suburban and regional locations.
(Because Summer Hill is not so located it is necessary for residents to travel to larger suburbs for shops and services).
2. Have interchange facilities with other transport services including buses and taxis.
(In Summer Hill buses and taxis are practically non-existence on the southern side of the station and not available on the northern side, making train travel the alternative.
3. Close to tourist destinations.
(We are only 5 stations from Homebush with all its new sporting and entertainment facilities. Summer Hill is a suburb ideally placed to offer accommodation for visitors to both the Olympics and the Paralympics in 2000. Nearly one third of our residents live in rental properties. It is, therefore, feasible that many landlords would be looking to rent to visitors during the Games. Additionally, there are 6 motels in the vicinity on Liverpool and Parramatta Roads.)
4. Located near important features such as hospitals.
(Grosvenor Hospital which offers residential care for adults and children with profound disabilities is situated only 100 metres from the station. Additionally, there are a number of nursing homes in the vicinity as well as several boarding houses for the disabled).
5. Handled a large number of passengers.
(Summer Hill has approximately 5,000 passengers per day. Additionally we have people needing access under the railway line to the shopping centre, schools and churches).
City Rail's easy access programme has proved to be exceedingly flexible as in addition to the official list the following stations have had lifts installed:- Fassifern, Metford, Milsons Point, Morriset, Warabrook and Waverton.
It would not be reasonable for City Rail to claim unjustifiable hardship in the spending of $2.6M on Summer Hill Station as money has not appeared to be a problem when other expenditure has been approved. For example:
* $50M to build the Homebush Olympic Station.
* Over $9M to upgrade Kogarah station in the seat of former Minister for Transport, Brian Langton.
* Between 1989-97 $50M spent on a control headquarters near Sydney's Central Station, before being scrapped in 1997 without ever having directed a train.
* Additionally there is a long history of waste and corruption as detailed in I.C.A.C Commissioner Barry O'Keefe's report in June 1998 revealing that this had cost ratepayers at least $8M.
While we are aware that legal changes in specifications made ramp access from Grosvenor Crescent impracticable, it was only after R.A.S.H. pursued the possibility of the installation of lifts, that City Rail acknowledged it was a practical solution.
The $328,000 spent on the so-called upgrade in 1996 has made the station even more unsafe than previously. With water dripping from the walkway, water seeping from the walls on the sides of the stairways, new stair tiles already stained and broken and slippery when wet, the general presentation is that of an uncared-for slum. We frequently hear of falls but many commuters appear to feel that it is a waste of time reporting these unless serious injury occurs.
City Rail and our politicians have made a farce of "The Year of the Disabled" and "The Year of the Older Persons" as well as failing in their duty of care towards these groups of people. This is in addition to the flagrant neglect to meet their legal obligations under Federal and State Laws.
One can only conclude that in a "safe" seat residents needs can be ignored by politicians while at the same time they deplore the conditions and make promises.
We trust that the information we have provided will enable you to reach a decision which will result in a satisfactory outcome after 60 years of lobbying for a fair conclusion.
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