New bike laws, bus services, Westconnex and movie ratings

Only the NSW RMS could come up with such an unworkable road rule.

Cyclists regularly ride in large packs taking up an entire lane, especially on weekends. 

The typical width of a lane is 2.7m. A typical truck is 2.4m wide. 

On a road with a median strip such as The Grand Parade Monterey south of President Avenue it is physically impossible for a truck to pass such cyclists in the adjoining lane without breaking the law.

If drivers comply with the new law it will reduce traffic across Sydney to a crawl every weekend.     

Peter Olsen, Brighton-Le-Sands 

Re ‘‘Fares a threat to society’’ (Your View, February 24).

Agree with DR of Hurstville Grove regarding the Opal Card with all the fanfare the government put up forcing seniors to get the Opal Card and how much they would save on short trips. Removing the availability of paper tickets has made the whole thing a laughing stock. When will we get some politicians to stand up for those who have worked for the betterment of our society only to be stamped upon.

JG, Oatley

I refer to the proposed development, DA 2016/276 4 Innesdale Road, Wolli Creek which Rockdale Council advised that the development will be approved by the Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) because the proposed boarding house value exceeds $20 million.

Keeping in mind it’s six storey’s on one block, other projects in Innesdale Road of substantially larger dimensions (86 unit complex corner Innesdale Road, Roberts Lane and Gertrude Street) did not go before the JRPP – nor did another development proposal adjoining the Innesdale complex.

Somebody in the council is trying to ‘‘pull the wool over the eyes’’ of Wolli Creek residents.

Council has to explain how they have derived at this $20 million figure!

There are also other issues about this development which do not comply to the DCP for this area.

Uwe Clasen, Wolli Creek

Recently I spoke with dozens of local parents and students in Lugarno about the need for a direct bus route from Lugarno and Peakhurst to Menai schools. 

The community has made it clear that we need this bus service. 

Many local families send their children to schools just across the river and a direct bus service would be a great benefit to parents and students, providing a safe and efficient form of school transport.

I wanted to let residents know that I have personally met with and written to the Minister for Transport on this issue, and provided him with a copy of the petition from local residents.

 If you support a direct school bus route from Lugarno and Peakhurst to Menai please let my office know, so that I can continue to lobby the minister and the department on this important matter.

I can be contacted on 9580 9349 or Oatley@parliament.nsw.gov.au.

Mark Coure, Oatley MP

Recently I attended the screening of Dead Pool at Beverly Hills Cinema. 

This is a MA15+ film with a lot of gratuitous sex and violence. 

Imagine my surprise when a father with his kids and their friends sat in the seats behind us. 

These children looked about 12 to 13-years-old.  

The manager came up and spoke to them but the father dismissed her, after she left he said to the kids “just close your eyes if you don’t like something’’.

I would bet that the other parents of these children had no idea that their kids were going to see a film like this. 

It’s very disappointing when parents are not responsible. 

Rebecca Baker

WestConnex will be the ruin of our southern suburbs.  The WestConnex traffic estimates show that 50,000 cars per day will avoid the expensive M5 tolls, which means our local roads will be at gridlock. 

Worse, is the increase in pollution, which is dangerous for our health. 

Children at Regina Coeli, McCallums Hill Primary, and Arncliffe Primary are particularly impacted with the spike in vehicle exhaust from the unfiltered stacks.

What sort of government puts the health of children at stake with locating unfiltered poison stacks near their schools, day care centres, homes and retirement villages?

For a toll road project that causes more congestion. 

We are seeing so many examples where the Baird Government is pushing their own agenda to the benefit of developers and financiers, at an awful loss to the communities impacted.

Your silence is what this Government wants. Please make sure that you lodge an objection via the M5 East EIS submissions.

You can access information via the WestConnex Action Group FB and website.

Bronte English,  Beverly Hills 

I could not believe the letter from WG Oatley (Your View, March 9) regarding the new lifts at Oatley station. 

How many years have the locals been demanding a lift? Now that we have almost got one (thanks to Mark Coure) there are complaints against it!

Certainly it is not the ’grandest’ of edifices but could WG have constructed something better? 

The Mulgoa Road entry has height against it for a start and I cannot see how any other construction could have been built — it is far too high to be connected by stairs.

Am I to believe WG will not use the lifts and continue to use the stairs? If he/she will make use of the lifts don’t complain!

Rex, Oatley 

I totally agree with WG, Oatley (Your View, March 9) the new station is an ugly monstrosity Oatley residents didn’t deserve. A tunnel with a single elevator was all that was needed. One wonders how much cheaper that would have been?

Hans Kasper, Oatley