SYDNEY'S EXPANSION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 225, 16 June 1908, Page 11

SYDNEY'S EXPANSION.

SOME REMARKABLE FIGURES. ' BRIDGE ACROSS THE HARBOUR. The provision of better means of communication between Sydney and its suburbs on the northern shores of Port Jackson has ' been discussed for many years, and is now being investigated by a Royal Commission. Though the North Shore is separated from tho heart of tho city by a strip of sea less than' a mile across it can only b.3 readied overland ,by a slow and tedious journey around the headwaters of.-tho harbour with its many winding inlets stretching far inland. A bridge across tho harbour or a tunnel below it will becomo a necessity beforo long with the growth of population. Somo interesting evidence was given beforo tho Commission last, week. Horace Alex. Smith, Acting Chief Assistant ill the Bureau of Statistics, gavo' evidence as to the population and growth of the Northern Suburbs. . , He dealt with the phenomenal growth of population,'particularly in the northern suburbs during tho last 16 years. In some instances tho increaso had been as high a 5,600 ' per cent. Mosman showed an increase of 685 per cent, and in tho Kuringai shiro in six years, the advance was almost 560 per cent. Since 1901 '.it had been about 2} per cent., and the future growth would probably be about 2i or 3 per cent, yearly. Estimating the increaso at 3 per cent., the population of the city would probably be 775,000 in ten years, and over a million in 20 j%ars, and in 50 . years over 2} millions. Tho North Sydney increase for sis years was at a, rate pf 7 1-3 per cent. There was still ample room for further growth in the northern suburbs, and if the expansion moved at a, 6 per cent, rate it would be- over 200,UU0 in'ill years, as against 64,000 to-dav.' Witness was confident that j tho North Shore districts could carry a population of li millions, with a density of 44 an acre, as' compared with Paddington's 55: John R. Purvcs, auctioneer and land agent, said that for -nine years he was an aldemnn of the- Nortl> Sydney Council. In 1899 ho asked the Council to begin an agitation for a bridge, and to seek the co-operation of tho other councils concerned. Afterwards vari- . ous attempts'v.'oro inado to get the bridge built, ivithoilt success. Tho suburbs had since grown enormously. A Royal Commission was held in ISGO to consider various schemes

fpr bringing the railway into the city, and"extending it to tho suburbs. On that occasion,. ami others, when the question wan brdug'nt forward, ho had always contended that somo means pf connecting tho north and south sides of tho harbour tvero absolute!; - necessary. .. Sydney was tho biggest port in tho Southern Hemisphere, and .'was. growing'by leaps and bounds. A bridge would greatly enhance the valno of tlio Rocks area for business purposes. All. along tho main arteries of ' traffic business houses flourished. A bridge would greatly cnhanco the valufl of the Commissioners' extensive water frontages 'on. tlio northern side of tho harbour. Numbors of people from the northern,suburbs would come to town 'by motor cars if a bridge wero built. 11l tlio caso of a bi;* fire over tho water the firo engines could get to work quickly. An increased revenuo would pour into the coffers of the Government'. The Sydney Ferries Company had had a good innings, for out of the £20,000 they started with they had built s magnificent fleet of steamers, and obtained other valuable, assets. Compared with a tunnel and a ferry service the bridgo. scheme was. undoubtedly tho best, despite tho cost. '. Tunilcis might bo built later on os well, but a bridgo was an absolute necessity, now.' The? present increase in the population in the northern suburbs was- likely to bo maintained. Tho State used to .spend about • £250,000 per annum on assisted immigration. Had that policy been continued, it woidd havo been better for the State. He did not think tJiat tlio building of a bridgo would. be. a7flnanc.ial failure... • Mr."!E. Dii Faiir preferred ,a bridge to a tunnel., ;• An enormous increase in population was '-"inevitable. : He proposed an-in-terim scheme to obviate tho difficulties arin•ing from tho present (jongestiqn, and tho certainly greater congestion inevitable in the future. His scliemo was to have a spccial line of moro modern ferries exclusively fer railway passengers. 1 - He was or.o of tho oldest residents 011 the North Shore. Tho actual growth of tlio northern suburbs only began in earnest twelve years ago. His proposal was that tlio Lane' Covo ferry should-be removed from the Quav, itlie Neutral Bay boats should run from thir old Lane" Cove wharves, and . the new lino of ferries should run exclusively for tho use of train travellers. TJIO present railway station at_Mikon's Point. should bo removed to "a-point further along'tho shore towards Lavender Bay.