Free party at The Morrison if the light rail makes its deadline

Drinks are on Fraser Short, owner of The Morrison Bar & Oyster Room, if the NSW government can pull the Sydney light rail over the line in time for Christmas. Four years and a multi-million dollar class action lawsuit since construction began on the troubled transport system, business-owners along the affected line are still suffering from the loss of clientele and financial pressures as a result.

Though NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the delayed deadline will be brought forward from March 2020 to December this year, Short is skeptical this will actually eventuate. So much so, he has promised to throw a free party at The Morrison (including free-flow booze, oysters, canapes and live entertainment) for Sydneysiders if the light rail pulls up to his establishment before Christmas.

The Morrison joined more than 110 businesses in filing a class action lawsuit seeking around $400 million in compensation over the disruption caused by the delayed light rail project. Prolonged road closures and construction noise and debris has resulted in a sharp loss of trade forcing some businesses, including the 30-year-old George Street café Vivo, to close permanently.

For The Morrison, the tram works have cost the bar millions of dollars in revenue, leading to a number of redundancies for staff. "The most challenging thing for us has been the displacement of our clientele," Short told Good Food. "Unfortunately, not only did the government divert all normal traffic out of the city, but they have also moved a lot of potential diners out of the city, too."

Transport NSW haven't committed to an exact date for the launch, but should the project make its 'early December' deadline running from Randwick to Circular Quay with a carriage full of passengers before Christmas, a party at The Morrison is on the cards in December or the new year. "We hope to host one hell of a party because this will mean that the government have kept their promise," says Short.

Stay in the know and RSVP here: themorrison.com.au/sydney-tram-party.