[Lasnetmail] Sydneysiders fenced in during APEC

[Lucho]

there's a link to the map from the website too.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/sydneysiders-fenced-in-during-apec/2007/08/16/1186857639127.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

Sydneysiders fenced in during APEC
Edmund Tadros
August 16, 2007 - 10:30AM

Complete coverage at smh.com.au/apec

- Long weekend road closures and fencing
- Fencing in place from September 5

A five-kilometre-long, 2.8 metre-high fence will be used to lock up
sections of Sydney's CBD during the Asia-Pacific Economic
Co-operation summit, the NSW Government says.

When revealing the measures Deputy Premier John Watkins
acknowledged it would be the greatest dislocation of Sydneysiders
since the 2000 Olympics.

Sydneysiders may also have to show identification to cross the
street in parts of the CBD during the summit.

In addition, the Cahill Expressway off-ramp will be closed from
Tuesday 4 September until Monday 10 September, adding to the
transport chaos that the APEC Leaders' Week will cause.

A public holiday has only been declared for Friday, September 7.
This means the restrictions will be in place during at least two
working days.

The security measures will be implemented early, during these
working days, due to the early arrival of US President George Bush
into Sydney, Mr Watkins said.

Mr Bush is expected to arrive on Tuesday, September 4, and leave
the Leaders' Week of the APEC summit early.

Mr Watkins admitted that the summit would cause as much disruption
as the 2000 Olympics.

"Of course this is going to lead to disruption in the northern part
of the city," he said.

Mr Watkins insisted that Sydney would remain open to business
despite sections of the city being fenced-in during the summit.

The fence is 2.8 meters high and will sit on concrete blocks 1.6
tonnes in weight each, Mr Watkins said.

The fence will be set up on the gutters of large parts of the
northern end of the city and have pedestrian crossing points manned
by police.

The fence explained

In this map of the fencing that will be active on the APEC long
weekend, the large red lines represent fencing. No cars will be
able to get access to these streets.

The fence will be set up in the gutters of the streets so
pedestrians will be still be able to walk in the areas. The blue
marks represent crossing points that will be manned by police.

The green lines represent fencing that will be open to vehicles
intermittently. There is also a map of the smaller footprint of
fencing that will be in place from Tuesday, September 5.

Identification to cross the road

The head of the Police APEC Command, superintendent Peter Lennon,
said that police might ask people for identification when they
crossed the streets at these points.

He said that police had decided the fence was required and that it
had not been requested by the APEC Secretariat.

There will be disruption in the city as the fencing is assembled on
September 1 and they will be pulled down as soon as possible, Mr
Watkins said.

The initial fencing footprint will cover Bridge Street and its
surrounds, and it will increase dramatically during the Leaders'
Week long weekend from September 7 to 9 to cover east from Philip
Street well into the Botanical Gardens.

Mr Watkins said people should "avoid driving to the city during
this [APEC] week."

"Leave extra time for travel, especially [if] you are going to the
airport or you are coming into the city."

Security checks for children

Mr Lennon also confirmed a report that members of the Sydney
Children's Choir as young as eight had to undergo security checks
for APEC.

The choir will perform at the Sydney Opera House during the summit.

Mr Lennon said that everyone had to go through the same accreditation 
process.

He said all the children had passed the background check and were
given accreditation.

Deputy Commissioner Andrew Scipione said the APEC summit has led to
the biggest security operation even seen in Australia.


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