Trains, movies set to enliven Green Square

THE hype over Green Square - a band of suburbs 4.5 kilometres south-west of Sydney that has been billed as Australia's biggest urban renewal project - may finally be realised.

A movie chain revealed yesterday it would build a cinema there and the state government announced the local train stations would be cheaper to use.

The City of Sydney has lodged a submission with the federal government agency Infrastructure Australia for $85 million so it can acquire land for a mass transit corridor to the suburbs, dominated by cars.

The City supports a light rail line from Central Station to Zetland, Alexandria, Beaconsfield and Waterloo. The line would run via Devonshire, Crown and Baptist streets, then parallel to South Dowling Street, through residential developments.

The Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, who estimates the project will cost $300 million, wants to reserve the land as quickly as possible.

She rejected the claim made by the Premier, Kristina Keneally, that fare reductions for commuters using the privately run Green Square and Mascot stations eliminated the need for light rail to a precinct expected to house 40,000 more people.

''To date the government has not said how so many extra people will come in and out of the area,'' Cr Moore said.

''I'm worried if the Premier thinks lowering rail fares alone will stop Green Square becoming a congestion mess.''

Cr Moore said planning for a light rail link should begin immediately and called for more buses to service Green Square and Mascot stations.

Professor Ed Blakeley, an urban planner at the University of Sydney, said the light rail line was critical to improving the urban amenity of a precinct where five major roads intersected.

''Right now, Green Square is a desperate tangle of cars,'' he said.

''Putting in light rail will get up to two-thirds of the cars out of there, slow down the remaining traffic and allow you to widen the footpaths to get better street life and retail.''

It is hoped an eight-screen cinema at Green Square will attract patrons living between Mascot and the city.

The Palace Cinemas development is in the early stages of design but will include 1060 seats, a bar, cafe and fully digital, high-definition screens.

It will span 2600 square metres and be built with sustainable materials.

The executive director of Palace Cinemas, Benjamin Zeccola, said the Green Square centre was suitable because it was a growth area for young professionals with higher incomes. ''It's at the centre of one of Sydney's most interesting and evolving residential areas, with great transport infrastructure and a sophisticated inner-urban community lifestyle.''

He hoped the removal of the surcharge for using Green Square and Mascot train stations would encourage people to the cinema when it opened it 2012.