On February 17, several thousand people from more than 30 community groups and unions marched through Sydney to demand the NSW state government fix the public transport system.
Andew Chuter, one of the organisers, told 91自拍论坛 Weekly it was a 鈥渂ig achievement鈥 to unite so many groups across NSW around this important issue.
鈥淭hese sorts of campaigns tend to be quite localised, so getting people to see them as connected is quite significant. Some of those who took an active role in this rally had never been to a protest before.鈥
Chuter, a long-term campaigner against WestConnex, said the TV coverage of the event was a big plus and 鈥渟et us up well for growing bigger and gaining recognition of the issues鈥. He thinks the most important aspect is that 鈥渨e managed to make progress in the battle of ideas鈥.
鈥淔or example, the anti-toll road campaigns of WestCONnex, Western Harbour Tunnel/Beaches Link and the F6 extension have focused too much on exhaust filtration and not pushed the bigger argument that more roads don鈥檛 solve congestion and what is needed is more public and active transport.
鈥淥nce people understand that, they begin to ask questions and wonder why the government is deliberately ignoring more effective and environmentally sound solutions.鈥
Organising a rally like this brought a broad coalition of groups together and Chuter believes it shows clearly that the campaign to fix NSW transport is not a NIMBY 鈥 not-in-my-backyard 鈥 phenomenon.
鈥淧eople realise they are in the same basket regardless of which part of Sydney they live in. There is no 鈥榰s鈥 and 鈥榯hem鈥, and the community cannot be divided like [former NSW roads minister] Duncan Gay used to try to do.
鈥淭here is a cross-fertilisation that goes on and a sharing of skills too. Our campaign is reaching into Liberal marginal seats, which is hurting the government. We will continue to unite groups and extend further.鈥
Chuter noted that the involvement of trade unionists in the march gave the campaign 鈥渁 bigger profile and larger crowds鈥.
鈥淲e know that unions are stronger when they engage communities on wider social issues. The high water mark of union strength in recent memory was the Green Bans movement [a combination of community groups and militant building workers that saved much of Sydney鈥檚 heritage in the 1970s]. I hope that we can build community support for the train drivers鈥 strike and their claims, and that the Rail, Tram and Bus Union can place pressure on Labor to take stronger action on public transport and to stop the toll road scams.鈥
The Fix NSW Transport coalition plans to continue campaigning in the lead-up to the NSW election in March next year.
鈥淓ach affiliate group has been energised to go back to their communities, and hold public meetings and build in readiness for another big mobilisation. We are learning on the job and ironing out the logistical problems of holding big events like the February 17 rally.
鈥淲e plan to keep using the #fixnswtransport hashtag and the yellow and black designs to keep the conversation going. We would like to hold another event within six months with 3000 plus people and look to double again before the state election.
鈥淭he message to the [Gladys] Berejiklian government was clear, but it also had a message to the Labor opposition: it must offer a genuine alternative and articulate a clear policy to scrap the toll roads, to stop and reverse privatisation. It must also give ironclad commitments to new public and active transport projects,鈥 Chuter concluded.
[To stay in touch with the campaign visit .]
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