Politics is all about creating an image that may have absolutely no relation to reality. Such is the outcome of the transfer of car imports from Glebe Island in Sydney to Port Kembla in Wollongong.
From the start the reason was shrouded in obscurity. Wollongong people were told it was to stimulate growth in their region - and create more jobs - jobs - jobs !
Sydney people were told that removal of commercial activity from Port Jackson would stimulate the tourist trade, Sydney would become a world Mecca and residents would prosper from the coming spending boom.
The last car transport has now discharged at Glebe Island - and the smoke and mirrors have faded to reveal - reality !
The real winner has been the transport industry. When the first of the 235,000 imported cars roll off the ships in Port Kembla they are put on car transports - and trucked right back to the car storage and distribution facility at White Bay - in Sydney !
The vast portion of those cars - between 70% and 80% - are destined for car showrooms in Sydney and adjacent areas. As a result, car movement amounts to about 110,000 truck movement trips annually.
The only winner has been the state government. Land formerly used for commercial shipping activities has been freed up for redevelopment - and most of that is in the high priced foreshore areas where high rise will bring a king's ransom.
Sydney will have lost the jobs of those who formerly worked serving commercial shipping. Wollongong will suffer a crippling increase in truck movements that will overload it's existing struggling road system - with no improvements either planned or projected - and all this extra transporting will surely leach into the delivery price of imported cars.
It will all be sheeted home to that magic word " progress ".
But don't tell that to the commuters on their daily grind getting to or from work on the dangerously congested F-6 and Picton roads !
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