New South Wales Premier Kristina Keneally confirmed that the cabinet had approved the AUD 6bn (USD 5.98bn) Barangaroo Concept Plan, which featured an AUD 286M (USD 285.23M) investment in a new pedestrian tunnel.
The proposed nine-metre diameter tunnel will run for 200 metres linking the Barangaroo suburb of Sydney with Wynyard Station and was budgeted at AUD 1.4M (USD 1.41M) per metre. Chief executive of the Barangaroo Delivery Authority, John Tabart attributed the high cost to the necessity of property purchase and demolition works.
The pedestrian link was original part of the proposal for the metro network and included a station at Barangaroo. However, when the government cancelled the metro plans earlier in 2010, the pedestrian link was scrapped.
“The pedestrian tunnel will be funded as part of the AUD 50.2bn (USD 50.07bn) Metropolitan Transport Plan,” said Minister for Transport John Robertson.
The government considers Barangaroo a “once in 200-year opportunity for the city to grow.” Barangaroo will be one of the first carbon neutral, water positive and zero waste business districts in the world.
“Today’s announcement is a major step in our delivery of one of the biggest and most prestigious urban renewal projects in the world,” Ms. Keneally said, speaking on 16 December 2010.
