Willing to compromise: Igor Palmer said residents want Showground Station, but not if it means Carrington Road is the main access road. He is with fellow Ashford Avenue resident Joe Gorman. Picture: Mike Sea
Castle Hill Residents Action Group has promised to march on The Hills Council and State Parliament over changes to the North West Rail Link plan.
Hills councillor Yvonne Keane submitted a petition to The Hills Council on the group's behalf last week. There were 103 signatures.
"I do encourage proactive discussion in regards to residents' concerns around the rail link," Ms Keane said.
The group demands the closure of Ashford Avenue, Castle Hill (from Carrington Road) and parking restrictions for non-residents on Ashford and Partridge Avenues.
"If 200 cars were parked on Ashford Avenue it would choke it; the street is too narrow to accommodate two passing vehicles," Mr Palmer said.
Ideally, North West Rail Link planners would revert to the original Environmental Impact Statement, "which didn't make Carrington Road a major access road".
The petition also calls for new roads to be built around Showground Road, to divert traffic from Carrington to Showground Road, and a double commuter car park to be built in the station precinct.
"Ninety-seven per cent of [the 74] households in Ashford and Partridge Avenues supported the petition," said Mr Palmer, who has lived in Ashford Avenue for 12 years.
The North West Rail Link project team said the station and construction site was moved south-east, further away from the Showground ring, in the second Environmental Impact Statement, to reduce impacts on the Showground.
"The Hills Centre would have been impacted during construction of the North West Rail Link under the previous plan," a spokesman said.
■ What do you think of the planned changes?