Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway Connection

I will have two sons at St Cecilia's Catholic Primary School for the planned duration of the project.
Reasons for objection are:

- The extra dust and pollution that will penetrate the school during the construction period. School students need to be able to play outside during the day without concerns of air quality. St Cecilia's is also within range of the exhaust stacks post construction.
- Extra traffic on roads surrounding the school due to road works on Sydney road where people will try and avoid the main road. The streets surrounding the school are already very busy rat runs and will be even busier. This raises concern for safety for school students at drop off and pick up times as well as additional pollution from cars driving past their playground on White Street.
- Balgowlah oval is currently used several times a week as extra space for the year 3-6 students to play at lunchtime and for PE. This will no longer be suitable as the construction site is right next to Balgowlah oval meaning noise and air pollution will make it unsuitable for regular use. The school grounds are already small for the almost 300 school children so this gives the students who are left at the school more room to play, however this will no longer be possible.
- Seaforth roundabout will be even busier than it currently is with all the trucks leaving to dump spoil and return. This roundabout is already extremely busy at peak times.
Thank you for your consideration.

I object to this proposed development for several reasons, namely water pollution, loss of important flora and fauna, destruction of bushland, ecosystems and recreational trails for the community.
I am very concerned about the loss of water quality in Manly Dam due to sources of pollutants. These being the water from the Wastewater Treatment Plant at Seaforth and dirty run-off from the construction site being channelled through the pond at Wakehurst Golf Course, likely to overflow regularly into Manly Dam.
There will also be a flow of polluted water from the widened Wakehurst Parkway during heavy rain causing polluted water into Manly Dam. The beautiful water which we currently swim in during the summertime, not to mention the amazing biodiversity of Manly Dam will be under extreme threat. We need guarantees from TfNSW that our waterways will be correctly managed so that water pollution is avoided, and we don’t lose valuable flora and fauna. There is also the very real risk of Burnt Bridge Creek drying up due to the reduction of groundwater flows once the project is complete losing a beautiful walking and biking trail, again with a variety of biodiversity.
I also object to the destruction of huge swathes of bushland being destroyed to widen the Wakehurst Parkway and the clearing of the area at Sydney Water site (Bantry Bay Reservoirs) at Kirkwood Avenue. The proposal for an industrial grade work site will severely impact the bush, home to many birds and animals - including the threatened Eastern Pygmy Possum and Eastern Bent-wing Bat referenced in the A Total Earth Care Biodiversity Study commissioned by Sydney Water in 2018. The reason for not allowing development on this site in 2015 is still exactly the same and it’s extremely disappointing that TfNSW is proposing to decimate this area as you cannot replace the lost flora and fauna at a convenient time once the project has been completed.
We need a proposal for the work site that does not have an extreme environmental impact over such a large area.

Hi
I am a Seaforth resident and I object to the proposed Beaches Link Tunnel furthermore I ask that the EIS to be reissued for public consultation..
My concerns are as follows:
1. Contamination of middle harbour and clontarf - my family frequent this area on a weekly basis, the kids use their kayaks and swim at Clontarf. from what I have read I believe this area will unsafe for many years.
2. Biodiversity - living in Seaforth gives us access to one of the best walking/ bike tracks around. We use the pathway along the Burnt Bridge Creek track to get to Manly and Balgowlah. The kids loves spotting the water dragons along the way. We've also been lucky enough to see an echidna along the track. This area is home to so many birds, reptiles and insects. it needs to be protected.
3.Health Impacts - the Noise from the drilling / trucks and construction. The Air quality with ventilation stacks situated right next to a high school. The loss of green space and safety with the hundred of trucks on the road.

This whole project seems to be very rushed, with COVID many peoples lives and commuting habits have dramatically changed. I think the entire project needs to be put on hold and revaluated. Do we really need a tunnel ??? when historically more tunnels equates to more cars on the road and more pollution. The environment will be changed forever. In the words of the great man David Attenborough we need to re wild the wild. The Northern Beaches is a place of beauty and this tunnel will destroy part of its beauty for forever, there is no undoing.

I am concerned for the future health of Burnt Bridge Creek as a result of Beaches Link.

Burnt Bridge Creek supports a beautiful riparian environment enjoyed by hundreds of walkers, cyclists and children each day. There are eels in the creek and a plethora of water birds, including the royal spoon bill which I photographed a few days ago (see attached). The narrow band of forest that follows the creek is lush and supports all sorts birds including tawny frogmouths, yellow-tail black cockatoos, king parrots, lorrikeets and rosellas.

The EIS gives troubling predictions for the future of this rich public asset:

Appendix N p116
"The model indicates that baseflow reduction greater than five per cent has the potential to occur during operation to Flat Rock Creek (39 per cent), Quarry Creek (69 per cent) and Burnt Bridge Creek (96 per cent). While these reductions could be considered significant, in particular for Burnt Bridge Creek and Quarry Creek, they are unlikely to result in a complete loss of aquatic habitat. Pools would be retained and there would still be high flows within the waterways immediately after rainfall events. Between rainfall events there would still be some (low) flow along the waterways."
96% reduction of baseflow would be disastrous. That it is unlikely to result in "a complete loss" is hardly reassuring. Any loss would be noticeable in this remnant natural area and must be avoided.

Appendix O p44
"The current water quality of Burnt Bridge Creek could be considered poor and generally did not meet the required limits for protection of aquatic ecosystems for many indicators."
May be so, but common sense would indicate that protecting what remains is imperative

Please protect Burnt Bridge Creek and the surrounding environment. Take mitigating steps to ensure minimal baseflow is lost

I object to this project. There are a number of reasons I object:

- Covid-19 has forever changed the way we work - there will be less desire to funnel people into big central office towers
- A tunnel is a backward solution - a PUBLIC TRANSPORT solution should be implemented, which is a more sustainable and desirable mode of transport
- The environmental impacts of the proposed tunnel are significant, any in many instances has not been examined properly
- Pollution impacts from the works, and ongoing pollution from stacks. The distribution area of pollution from the stacks includes schools and well used parks in the Naremburn, Cammeray and Artarmon areas.

Against all of these concerns, the Business Case for the Northern Beaches Tunnel has never been released to the public. Please do not allow this backward thinking project proceed. There are so many negatives when alternatives (such as a public transport solution) have been ignored.

Apart from all the native wildlife, fauna and flora that will be severely affected from the proposed development, I am also deeply concerned with the effect it will have on my home and living in our home during the construction period.

I live at the top of Dudley St, and will be adjoining the construction site. I have had a close look, and it appears a tunnel to transport trucks and spoil will be built right alongside our property. I am deeply concerned about the noise, vibrations and dirt factors that will have a major impact on our everyday living. Most of our house aspect faces to the North which will be facing directly down on to the construction site.

It might seem insignificant but it is a concern to all the houses living in and around the construction site. We won't be able to hang out any washing, the noise will be horrendous, and the dirt will be dire. I won't be able to open any windows as it will bring the dirt inside. No fresh air!!!! I am also concerned that our building might suffer from all the vibrations and an access tunnel being built so close to our property and the effects it will have on our foundations.

My husband has suffered head and neck cancer in the last 5 years. I want a good and healthy life for him. The air pollution stacks are of great concern. We will be only a couple of 100m away from the Balgowlah stack. It is not only us that will suffer but the whole community. We as a community should not have to breathe in these noxious fumes and have to deal with the effects in later life. The community's children are our future and we need to look after them now!!!

How we are going to live some kind of "normal" for the next 7 years while the tunnel is being built?????

Concerned neighbour and member of the Balgowlah community.

Please find attached submission from Northern Sydney Public Health Unit (NSPHU) on Beaches Link (BL) project Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

I would like to object to the proposed development plan for the Beaches Link Tunnel for the following reasons:

1. I object to the fact there has been no proper risk assessment undertaken to ensure the safety of children, residents, sporting groups, commuters and workers.

2. I object to the proposed use of Flat Rock Gully as major dig site because of the high risk of contamination from toxic waste which has been confirmed as being buried under this site.

3. I object to the destruction of precious trees in a bushland corridor that is a very valuable natural asset for the many members of the Willoughby community, not to mention the animals that live there.

4. I object to the resulting noise, air and water pollution from on-going tunnelling that will operate six days a week for up to seven years.

5. I also object to the fact that no public transport options have been considered that would deliver a more efficient and environmentally friendly solution.

6. I would ask that all planned contamination testing be completed and a revised EIS released for comment so that we know what we are facing. I would also ask for the merits of alternative public transport options to be assessed as part of this revised EIS.

Good afternoon
I am writing as a representative of the P&C of Neutral Bay PS.
Our concerns are focused on potential environmental and day-to-day impacts of the Tunnel during its constructions and ongoing impact to residents in the area. It should be noted that we support infrastructure projects which are required to enhance the transport networks and reduce
out of area traffic Congestion.
The points we would raise for attention
And review are:

* The unfiltered exhaust stacks which less than 1km from the school - they emit unfiltered and untreated pollution. There are no other OECD countries in the world that are putting in unfiltered stacks for a tunnel as long as the Beaches Link.  Particulate Matter is already higher in Sydney than what is recommended or considered “safe” - PM2.5and PM10 levels are already above the guidelines for both the 24-hour average and the annual average (including the 2025 goal set by NEPC (2016). You can ask that exhaust stacks be filtered as the exhaust emitted from the stacks is concentrated as there are so few exhaust stacks as part of the Beaches Link, the exhaust is concentrated and unfiltered and at a minimum it should be filtered
*Could
We suggest the installation of Real time/Alert style air quality monitors installed at Cammeray oval and Willoughby Leisure Centre where many of our children play sport. There will be increased levels of dust in the air from carrying and storing tunnel spoil from these two locations where contaminants have been found. Playing fields near mining sites in the Hunter Valley have air quality monitors and we should ask for the same
* We request that contaminated soil not be stored or retained onsite at Flat Rock Gully, Willoughby Leisure Centre or Bicentennial oval. At present the EIS says that contaminated soil will be stored onsite
* That the bushland be restored at Flat Rock Gully (across the road from the Willoughby Leisure Centre), to rebuild the wildlife corridor that extends to Lane Cove. This will be disrupted during the tunnelling process as Flat Rock Gully will be the primary dive site to remove spoil from the tunnelling works. At the moment in the EIS, the restoration of the bushland is not guaranteed.

Thank you for your attention
Kind regards
Liz Henry
On Behalf of the NBPS P&C

I object to the fact that no business case for the proposed project has been disclosed and that recommendations are based on outdated data that does not take into account the impact COVID 19 has had on people’s working from home and commuting preferences.

I also object to the fact that no comparative public transport alternative has been considered.

I object to the project for the reasons listed below.
- Smoke stacks, resulting in both visual & air pollution in residential areas with a number of schools nearby;
- Effect on local traffic, i.e. extra traffic on local streets which will be used as a rat-run, the Condamine St & Kenneth Rd intersection is already nightmarish at the best of times, I believe this tunnel will only exacerbate existing traffic snarls and make local roads dangerous;
- Environmental damage to Wakehurst Parkway & Burnt Bridge Creek, including loss of trees & effect of loss of habitat on native animals;
- Environmental damage to Middle Harbour & marine life with contaminated sediment;
- Negative impact that tunnelling & 6+ years of construction will have on local residences & the community;
- No consideration appears to have been given to public transport options.
Thank you

To whom it may concern,

I object strongly to the Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway Connection Project.

I would like to draw attention to four of my main concerns:

1. Lack of transparency in the project
Details about the project and its impacts on local community are difficult to come by. The EIS is 12,000 words, which is very difficult to read, let alone evaluate the evidence and determine the key messages, and the business case for the project has not been publicly released despite many requests from the community. Further, many of the claims made to support the project, such as saving travel time, and that the link will be an aid to the Northern Beaches locals, have been falsified and community concerns have not been considered. This is highly troubling.

2. High risk of contamination and health problems for locals
The process of constructing such a large road system will inevitably cause large amounts of debris to be removed and pollute local ecosystems. Further, excavation will continue in regions with high-level contaminants and there have been no plans confirming how they will be dealt with. This is very important considering the livelihoods of individuals are at risk, alongside the potential for major blowouts and increased costs. Further, the presence of construction over the next five years alongside unfiltered pollution stacks next to residential areas will cause huge health problems for locals in the region with additional costs down the line. Surely there is a better alternative.

3. Huge environmental damage to essential local ecosystems
One of the best parts of living in the North Shore and Northern Beaches of Sydney (which Premier Berejiklian will be aware of) is the local parks and reserves where nature is allowed to flourish, and we exist alongside it. This project will result in massive destruction of some of the most important local wildlife corridors, and fails to consider the consequences for the wildlife that has frequented our areas for thousands of years particularly threatened species.

4. The project is against the needs of the city
NSW has a duty to set the tone for the rest of the nation. Sydney is the largest and most significant city in Australia, and needs to become increasingly modern to match the needs of its citizens. A movement to introduce a greater number of roads, toll-roads no less (that no residents have been asking for), is a step backwards. The city needs public transport connections to the Northern Beaches instead of roads that are so expensive that people will seek to avoid them instead of use them! I am confident that we will look back in 20 years time and say that we wished we'd been more progressive in our thinking.

I request that the EIS is reissued for public consultation with further analysis completed including:
1. A full Phase 2 Contamination Assessment
2. An assessment of the benefits and costs of alternative transport systems
3. A publicly available business case, including information on traffic flow, travel times and costs that have been fully scoped

Please consider these concerns and suggestions alongside those that others have registered.

With regards.

I object to the destruction of flat rock gully, and the health risks around middle harbour.

I object to the Beaches Link Project on the following bases.
1. There should have been a comprehensive analysis of all the possible alternative transport solutions for the northern beaches. The fact that the fast, reliable and frequent bus service provided by the BLine has markedly reduced traffic across the Spit Bridge indicates that improved public transport would be a better alternative to greater road development. The government proposal, just prior to the last election, to produce a similar service to Chatswood has yet to eventuate.
2. Building a tunnel will continue to destroy strip shopping in suburbs such as Manly Vale as these arterial roads will need to carry greater traffic that they currently do.
3. There has been a minimising of the air pollution consequences for the Balgowlah Basin of the unfiltered pollution stack. The diagram in the EIS makes it seem as if it is 2 storeys tall, and not the eye-sore of 6-8 storeys that it is expected to be. There also appears to be misleading information in the EIS about the direction of the prevailing winds at North Seaforth and in the Balgowlah Basin. The prevailing winds are in the direction that effects the least number of people.
4. The direct impact on my house from noise pollution for the period of the construction. I believe that my property has been identified for noise minimisation measures such as double glassing.
5. The reduction in water flow along Burnt Bridge Creek by its replacement with a concrete drain will have an enormous impact on the flora and fauna that is currently in this area.
6. The construction phase will impact traffic in Balgowlah , Seaforth and North Seaforth for 6 or more years. My understanding is that it will also impact residents with parking problems caused by construction workers cars being parked in nearby local streets.

I object to the Northern Beaches Link Tunnel for the following reasons:

As a pharmacist working in community pharmacy on the Northern Beaches and North Shore I am very concerned about the health impacts of this project.

A far better alternative to a road tunnel would be a combined public transport/active transport solution. With this option there are positive effects on both physical and mental wellbeing – opportunity for incidental exercise, quiet time on bus compared to stress of sitting in traffic, lower emissions resulting in improved air quality. I am very concerned about the loss of more than 12 hectares of green space and the impact that this has on the physical and mental wellbeing of our community. We need more green spaces, not more roads!
I understand the project is forecast to cost well over $10 billion. I would much rather see this money spent on improving public transport options for the Northern Beaches, as well as improving walking/cycling facilities.
When the modelling was conducted very few people were working from home. This of course has changed due to the COVID pandemic and many people tell me they will continue working from home more than they did before the pandemic. This means the potential benefits in terms of traffic congestion will be less than expected.
History has told us that more roads equal more congestion. Transport experts predict a return to current levels of congestion within 2 years of building the tunnel. Please build improved and integrated public transport, not more roads.
I am very concerned about the impact that this road will have on water quality in Burnt Bridge Creek and Manly Dam, especially during periods of heavy rain. I regularly use these spaces and want them to be available to future generations. The concept stated in the EIS “taxa (biodiversity) in these sections of the catchment are pollution tolerant” is arrogant and anthropocentric in the extreme. We need to live alongside other species and to nurture them, not push them to the limit of their tolerability to our pollution. Humans will not survive without a healthy, diverse environment.
The suggestion that Manly Dam might have to be closed to all forms of human water recreation too is also short sighted and arrogant. I strongly believe that we should be passing these wild places to our children, not destroying them so we can get to the city faster.
The disturbance of toxic sludge from the bottom of Middle Harbour is also of concern. It will have long term effect on the quality of water in Middle Harbour, including Clontarf Beach, a high use swimming and playing area for children and families. Heavy metal poisoning of children and adults has very real health effects and I am extremely worried about the impact of this on our future generations. In my opinion the risk of this is unacceptable.
The Beaches Link Tunnel will have a disastrous effect on the health and lifestyle of residents of the Northern Beaches. It is a short sighted and insensitive project which I strongly oppose.

Hi there,
I didn't previously object to the premise of the Northern Beaches Tunnel, however on learning more about this project I do object to the government spending billions of tax payers hard earned money on a project that is suggested to only improve traffic flow by 10%, temporarily. In addition, living in a household with 2 asthmatics, I am disappointed to hear that our government does not think it's important to filter the emissions stacks which will be close to not only our home, but schools as well. I am concerned about the level of fumes our area will be subjected to. It would appear the worlds best practise is to filter emissions from tunnels; other countries deem the air their citizens breathe important but it appears the Australia government does not - this is not acceptable. I also do not approve of the fact the project will stop the water flow to Burnt Bridge Creek and it will dry up for good, along with the issue of Manly Dam becoming polluted and the flow on affect to Manly Lagoon, among others. This is a pristine area and a key reason we chose to live here; we are going to spoil it at this rate. Currently I can't even take my dog down to Manly Dam because, but the government can destroy it over a 10% saving in traffic congestion. It makes no sense.
I respectfully request the government to reconsider these processes and make commit to resolving this issues before the project is signed off. Thank you

I am writing today to lodge my objection to the Northern Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway. The project does not take into account the impact on local communities over the lengthy construction period. There will be irreparable damage to Flat Rock Gully, one of the few pockets of green space remaining on the lower north shore housing countless native fauna & flora, not to mention the damage to Middle Harbour through dredging. Longer term, the project will deliver no benefit to Sydney residents, driving more cars onto our roads; it is likely that regular commuters would avoid a toll roads, resulting in no easing of traffic congestion. The proposal contemplates unfiltered pollution stacks close to schools, which is an unacceptable health risk. This project needs to go back to the drawing board, a proper assessment completed on the environmenal impacts and further consideration given to public transport options to connect the Northern Beaches.

Dear Sir/Madam,
I write on behalf of Balgowlah North Public-School P&C, to voice the concerns of our school community around the proposed Beaches Link Tunnel and its impacts on our school, the wider community, and the local environment.

We are under no illusion that the attached letter alone will necessarily stop the tunnel, what we are hoping for is to clearly document our concerns so you can consider if the tunnel is still appropriate in a post COVID world, and work with you to achieve an outcome beneficial for not only us, but future generations, our children.

We thank you for your time to consider our objection,

Regards,
Richard Wokes
BNPS P&C President

-Further review required to reduce the impact on vegetation, specifically the removal of mature trees along the warringah road corridor.
-Further review to take meaningful steps to improve the Burnt Bridge Creek and Manly Dam water quality would garner more support from the local community
-Further review required on the impact on the primary school students, teachers and parents at St. Cecilia's Catholic School Balgowlah. Careful consideration needs to be made of the traffic congestion, noise impact of the project as well on the longer term air quality impact due to the proposed locations of the stacks on the school.
-Consideration of the impact of covid on traffic volume to city which has resulted in more working from home residents in the Seaforth/ Balgowlah area should be included in the proposal as well as the future modes of transport which should be invested in today to ensure there are more environmentally friendly EV, EV ride share and EV autonomous transport options as part of the overall project thereby reducing emissions as well as traffic volumes.

During Construction
The burden placed on residents, school children and motorists in Northbridge, Willoughby, Artarmon, Crows Nest, Cammeray, Naremburn, the lower north shore during the estimated 5 years of the construction of the Beaches Link with the cumulative impact of the Western Harbour Tunnel and Warringah Freeway Upgrade extending construction time across the area for upwards of 8 years.
A large number of additional construction vehicle movements will be required across the project servicing multiple construction sites. These sites are in and around schools, sporting fields and school transport corridors which increases the safety risk. Heavy/ Light Construction Movements during the project are as follows:

From Table 5-3 Summary of activities proposed at Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway Connection construction support sites Daily vehicle movements

BL1 Cammeray Golf Course, Cammeray 305/ 275 = 580
BL2 Flat Rock Drive, Naremburn 355/545 = 900
BL3 Punch Street, Artarmon 580/370 = 900
BL4 Dickson Avenue, Artarmon 500/90 = 590
BL5 Barton Rd, Artarmon 120/35 = 155
BL6 Gore Hill Freeway median 100/10 = 110
Total Artarmon = 1755
BL7 Middle Harbour south cofferdam 60/4
BL8 Middle Harbour north cofferdam combined with above
BL9 Spit West Reserve 200/220 = 420 and vessels 8/16
BL10 Balgowlah Golf Course 1195/ 495= 1290

Total Additional Vehicle Movements Daily = 4950
Total Addition Vessel Movements Daily on Middle Harbour = 88
Note the Western Harbour and Warringah Freeway project which overlaps with this project between 2023 and 2026 requires another 6343 daily movements between Rozelle and Cammeray.

900 Additional vehicle movements will be required on Flat Rock Drive/ Brook St daily. This is a narrow local road which services the connection from Northbridge via Naremburn to the city. Dozens of schools on the Lower and Upper North Shore use this route as their school bus route. Brook St is also a significant active transport link from Willoughby to North Shore schools esp Cammeray due to zoning. Keeping kids safe along this corridor will be a challenge. Residents within the many dead end streets along this corridor exiting onto Brook St will also face a higher risk.
There is only vague assertions that the thousands of workers (employment of 15,000 has been quoted to service the Western Harbour Tunnel, Warringah Freeway and Beaches Link) will use public transport to access sites. Insufficient parking is provided onsite and not all sites are easily accessible by public transport. The Balgowlah site is a major launching platform for staff who will work at the sites and be bused down to the Spit via Spit Rd. Whilst buses are used from Balgowlah the thousands of workers need to get there and may need to use Military Rd to do so.
Marshalling areas will be needed for trucks across all sites but particularly at the Flat Rock site. Marshalling should not be permitted on local streets and particularly not in the Naremburn Conservation Area due to the increased vibration risk. Trucks should not be allowed to idle while marshalling and every load should be tested and inspected to ensure contaminants are fully contained.
Trucks accelerating up a steep hill from zero is likely to create a substantial amount of diesel pollution - the health impacts of this have not been fully assessed. An alert style monitor should be placed at bicentennial reserve to alert the community to high levels of pollutants.
The noise assessment claimed that the trucks on Flat Rock Drive would not create more noise however the assessment does not appear to account for braking on a very steep hill - the noise assessment should be redone.
Spoil will be taken out from the Cammeray site across the bridge to an unknown location. On return the trucks will need to turn around at an undisclosed point - this may add more trucks to roads around Willoughby than currently documented in the EIS.
Active transport routes across the route will be fragmented by the project and travel times will increase at Flat Rock, Cammeray and Artarmon.
Operation
The EIS confirms the Beaches Link is a Toll Road but there are no costings as yet. Costing and placement of toll gantries is essential to modelling traffic flows and predicting toll avoidance. Toll avoidance could become an issue as per the Inner West - tolling strategy yet to be confirmed however all other contracts have been 40-50 years with min. annual % increase in tolls.
A very low level of induced demand has been included in the modelling - research demonstrates that a higher level of induced demand is generally used for new expressways (up to 10%) which calls the modelling into question
The only local entry points for the Beaches Link are via Artarmon and Berry St North Sydney – no local time saved: 10mins to get to entry, 10 mins in tunnel, 10 mins to Dee Why or Manly = 30 min journey time.
The EIS makes it clear that this is not a local congestion solution – several local intersections fail or will experience a worse level of service both during and after construction as a result of the project. See the attached review for specific information
Does not achieve goals – only 10% reduction in short term on Military Rd based on FUTURE predicted traffic growth not today’s levels. The growth model is not made available in the EIS so teh travel time savings and congestion reductions are unable to be verified. Where a road is already at capacity it is self limiting ie) future growth cannot overreach the ceiling capacity of the road and therefore a travel time saving or reduction cannot be claimed on this basis.
Traffic differential modelling in the EIS shows increased traffic flows around the Warringah Freeway and on the Beaches exit roads. The project appears to transfer pinch points to alternate locations rather than solving congestion.
Confirmed as a capacity solution not a congestion solution – the EIS prioritises freight and through traffic as a goal of the project above local congestion
No dedicated bus lane in tunnel so is not a public transport solution – express buses aren’t express if they are going at the same speed as cars and don’t have their own lane
No ability to be converted to rail – the project team have confirmed that the gradients are too steep along this alignment for the project to be converted to a rail option
Prior to Covid TfNSW data shows that the daily average traffic across the Spit Bridge has been decreasing for the last 4 years, while during the same period the traffic on Mona Vale Road through to Macquarie Park has been increasing. The Beaches Link is addressing an ever decreasing problem as less people are travelling to and from the city from the Northern Beaches.
There has been no assessment of traffic implications when the tunnel is closed for maintenance which occurs roughly monthly?
There has been no assessment of the pollution impact on surrounding neighbourhoods in the event of an emergency involving smoke or gas release (or other toxin). As there is no filtration there is no ability to prevent dispersion over school and residential communities.
Build the tunnels and more people use them, it moves the traffic congestion further down the road. Increasing road reliance as the option given in this project is road.
The premise of these projects as we have seen demonstrated in the Westconnex is to see local roads return to local communities. Road tolling is a user paid system and some will spend money to save time, but in reality the continual use of expensive tolls become unavoidable to the vast majority of drivers, even though the state government offers rebates based on tolls and vehicle registration. That amount in tolls far outweighs the rego costs of a family car. There is likely to be an increase of traffic on our local streets as motorists avoid paying the tolls. This is currently the case in Leichhardt, Haberfield, Lilyfield, Ashfield.

I ask for the following:
Release the business case for the Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway connection that has never been made public. This will tell us whether the Beaches Link is the most efficient, cost effective infrastructure to reduce congestion to and from the Northern Beaches
A full reassessment of the traffic flows to and from the Northern Beaches needs to include data collected after 2016, data also needs to be collected on the number of Northern Beaches residents who work in the area and how many work from home.
A re-assessment of surface level traffic with all major local roads included in the operational modelling ie) Eastern Valley Way, the full span of Military Rd and Willoughby Rd was not included. The surface road traffic assessment should then inform the pollution impact of the project as the pollution contribution is not only limited to the stacks.
A reconsideration of a dive site along Flat Rock Drive due to the conflict between children and trucks and risks associated around safety, noise, dust, traffic etc If this is not reassessed ask for an overpass or underpass on Brook St to allow safe passage of children to school. Exclusion of trucks from the road during school bus times and pollution/ noise mitigation devices.
A comparative public transport options analysis to be published (via a reissuance of the EIS for public consultation) that compares the traffic implications both during and after construction of a mass transit solution.