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Jacob Salwalk Sydney Morning Herald
Oxford Street's rainbow crossing, designed to mark 35 years of Sydney's Mardi Gras, has been ripped up by the state government following a stand-off with the city council.
The crossing was removed late on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
The City of Sydney Council was responsible for removing the crossing, but Lord Mayor Clover Moore, wrote to Roads Minister Duncan Gay late on Friday demanding he explain why he thought it necessary to rip the crossing up.
Instead of replying, Mr Gay instructed his department Roads and Maritime Services to bypass the council and rip the crossing up on Wednesday night.
Mr Gay said the crossing needed to be removed because of safety concerns cited by an audit commissioned by the City of Sydney. That audit documented people getting drunk and laying on the crossing.
But the audit also said any safety risk at the crossing could be managed by a night-time police or council warden presence.
The City of Sydney won approval for the crossing as a one-month trial, which has ended, but wanted to make it permanent due to it's popularity and the $30,000 cost of removing it.
In a release, Mr Gay said: "The crossing was not removed as planned leaving me with no option but to act in the interests of pedestrian and road safety and direct RMS to carry out the removal."
“I want to make this very clear, this trial crossing was a goodwill gesture extended to Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Community to honour the 35th anniversary of Mardi Gras," he said.
“This is a matter of road and pedestrian safety which has no association whatsoever with my respect for the history and community of Oxford Street."
Independent MP for Sydney Alex Greenwich said one of the workers had told him that they had been told the project was an "emergency" and that they had been diverted from other roadworks in Ultimo.
"I think the Premier needs to apologise to the gay and lesbian community," Mr Greenwich said.
Michael Prosser, drinking at a nearby bar, said he was saddened by the move. "It keeps a bit of gay on Oxford Street," he said.
Images @ Melonpopzdropz Flickr Rainbow in the Sky.
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