Gardens in Mosman and Cremorne spared the chop after Transport Minister Andrew Constance listens to B-Line feedback

THE State Government has made a further backdown on its B-Line bus plans, saving cherished gardens in Mosman and Cremorne.

Three properties on Spit and Military roads were earmarked to be sliced up for the new bus transport project.

But this week Transport Minister Andrew Constance announced that the compulsory purchase of the land would no longer go ahead.

Awaba St residents Blair Topen and Anthony Raymond.

“I’m delighted they have seen sense and taken us off the to-do list,” Mosman resident Anthony Raymond said.

There were tears and champagne cracked open at the unit block on the corner of Spit Rd and Awaba St when the news was broken.

Planners wanted to build a left hand turn bay, which would have seen the garden effectively sliced in half.

This sign on a B-Line work site at Mosman Junction was removed after getting its messaging wrong.

In Cremorne, two neighbouring properties were going to see their gardens cut up for a bus bay.

“While still waiting formal legal confirmation that our lovely garden is safe, the owners and residents of 221 and 223 Military Road are happy with today’s announcement,” No 221 resident Nick Hodge said.

“The timing of this press release, during a hotly contested by-election, seems to be heartless political pointscoring.

Changes for the The B-Line bus service have caused anger and confusion in Mosman and Neutral Bay.

“We feel the threat of bulldozing our lovely garden, 18 weeks of anxiety and partial compulsory acquisition, was totally unnecessary.”

The State Government is still committed to rolling out the B-Line project, which will shuttle commuters from the northern beaches to the city. There will be new bus stops at Spit Junction and Neutral Bay.

Minister Constance said that community consultation was the reason behind the decision to not go ahead with the partial property acquisitions.

NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance.

“It was clear through the submissions received during the B-Line’s Review of Environmental Factors that some of the initial road improvement designs did not meet community expectations,” he said.

“We have investigated a number of other solutions that would help to ease congestion and improve traffic flow in these areas, while also having less impact on the community.”