Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway Connection

I object to the project

I object to this stupid idea.The fact is that you know what your doing is totally wrong and not worth it.And the fact that you have the audacity to say that you are starting to focus about creating more green spaces in Sydney while destroying one that is of major value and importance to wildlife and to many peoples daily life is absolutely atrocious.As a student studying at a public high school you turn blind eyes to any mental health problems and destroying the only escape for me and many of my friends is sooo hypocritical.I see first hand how the government is corrupt and is steadily ruing my future with mining, global warming and solution and much more and now to see you go against all the valuable and reasonable advice from specialists and biologists is completely bullshit.I hate what your planning to do but what i don't like is that your putting a short term solution to a very short term problem. Studies show that the population will increase in the areas you are making the tunnels exit at and the traffic will be worse in 10 years.Try to be smart and sober and realise that destroying and wasting your money on another useless tunnel will not help and will ruin so many peoples life and hard work.
I object because your're publicly going against you acknolgence to country. You say that you acknowledge that the Aboriginals own the land that we are on but here you go going against the local aboriginals protests and ripping up the few areas that they have preserved and keep sacred.You are absolutely embarrassing and I hope that my generation will never be anything like you.We have had to live through all you corruption and poor desionions and we'll have to fix the world that you've stuffed up.Don't ruin more of our future and worl by destroying a buetiful place that will have no benifit to you in the future.I will never vote for you when i come of age because you don't care about anyones opinion and purposly try to hide the big problems that are very clear with this project.

Be reasonable and think straight.These tunnels will not help anyone in the long run.It will create more damage then not.And you'll just put yourself in a terrible light.

I object to the project as outlined in my submission. In summary:
• The Beaches Link Tunnel will not solve any traffic problems, but simply increase the number of cars on the road due to traffic funnelling and the need to the operator of the tunnel to get a return on investment.
• The modelling is based on flawed assumptions that should be challenged.
• The Beaches Link Tunnel will have a disastrous impact on the lifestyle of residents and during the construction phase and cause long term irreparable damage to our precious environment and green spaces.

As a former resident of Balgowlah and current resident of Manly I object to the Beaches link as I believe there has not been enough thought and consideration for the environment and impacts to the community and the benefits are minimal. Traffic will increase in the Balgowlah area for some small improvements on military road but will not overall improve commuting for northern beaches at such a high cost to the environment.

Key concerns :
Burnt bridge creek and the entire ecosystem will be impacted with no water source (once the creek is reduced to a trickle ) to support the abundant wildlife (water dragons, possums, flying foxes etc). Impacts to manly dam, Clontarf and middle harbour, and the wildlife corridor through wakehurst parkway.

Residents of the area will be subject to years of construction, noise and traffic chaos for little benefit and with increased traffic in the area once completed.

Estimations of travel time savings do not stack up. Further work should be done to look at public transport options and accurate estimates that factor in work from home scenarios and realistic numbers .

The government is rushing a decision without doing the proper due diligence and work required. Such a major project costing many billions should benefit the local residents. Instead residents of Balgowlah area will suffer for years through construction and operation , the environment will be damaged and we will see little benefit.

Please see the attached submission from the NBSC BALGOWLAH BOYS P&C ASSOCIATION, a community of around 1200 families and teachers directly affected by the proximty of the tunnel works in Balgowlah.

I strongly object to the proposed project and EIS assessment on the following grounds:

1. Environment – the damage to the environment has been poorly assessed and/or not given sufficient regard and weight. The expansion of the Wakehurst Parkway from North Seaforth to Warringah Road will result in the destruction of natural habitat for little or no benefit to motorists (refer SACTRA Report 1994 quoted later and extensive overseas studies on the building of roads and their failure to resolve congestion problems).

The diminished groundwater flows to the Burnt Bridge Creek will adversely affect flora and fauna as they will become dependent almost solely on rainwater. Destruction of over 120,000 square metres or 12 hectares of bushland is not acceptable. The mitigation of the risk of water pollution from run-off cannot be guaranteed and there are many critically endangered animals and plants in this area. So called “Offset” arrangements cannot be effective against the losses that will probably be incurred simply because there is no matching or equivalent bush. Bush environments are fragile and complex, and the linkages are not readily reproduced with even the best intentions.

The threat of polluted water to Manly Dam in the event of heavy rain occurring during the widening of the Wakehurst Parkway threatens the Gondwanan Climbing Galaxias fish of Curl Curl creek (or Manly Creek), with these being the only examples in Sydney. I understand that this population of fish to have existed for 60 million years. Northern Beaches Council has expressed that they have significant concerns about “any decrease to water quality in Manly Creek”. Thus, the possibility exists that Manly Dam may have to be closed for human recreation.

The absence of iron-clad guarantees that this project will not damage the Manly Dam environment almost constitutes wilful blindness in implying that recovery will occur after completion of the project.

2. Induced Demand - The Weak Evidence supporting the benefits of the Tunnel
To quote the former planning minister Rob Stokes “The problem, of course, with any new motorway is the problem of induced demand. Building more roads to relieve traffic is like buying bigger trousers to lose weight."

The UK government 1994 report “TRUNK ROADS AND THE GENERATION OF TRAFFIC The Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment (SACTRA)” concluded that “When a new road is built, new traffic will divert onto it. Many people may make new trips they would otherwise not make, and will travel longer distances just because of the presence of the new road. This well-known and long-established effect is known as ‘induced traffic”. The EIS itself states that traffic along Military Road will only fall by 11% once the tunnel is completed. This is hardly transformational and the so-called time savings to the CBD are simply false – saving 30 or more minutes to drive to the City when it only takes 35 minutes assumes exaggerated optimism. Tunnels fill-up just as roads do as any motorist travelling from the northern beaches to the airport knows too well. The SACTRA report noted that induced traffic means that projected congestion benefits of a new road are often largely lost altogether because traffic levels on bypassed roads can also increase more quickly than expected due to induced traffic. Hence the touted or wished for benefits of a new road can disappear very quickly. This phenomenon of induced traffic has been observed by transport professionals all over the world repeatedly since 1925.

Los Angeles is a prime example of induced traffic demand.

3. Public Transport is being ignored
The vehicle forecasts for 2037 have overlooked the additional bus services commenced after the report was developed including the B-Line and Dee Why to Chatswood Express. It is environmentally detrimental to encourage private motorists when the NSW government would be much better channelling the proposed funds into additional public transport.

4. Economics - Sydney is one of the most tolled cities in the world:
“Sydney University transport economist Professor David Hensher estimates Greater Sydney has more toll-road kilometres than any other urban area in the world.” (Sydney Morning Herald, Dec. 20 2020)

5. Effectively transferring control of public assets to private hands is not a policy that I support.

For the sake of brevity I have ignored the disruption to residents, the traffic congestion during construction, the potential overdevelopment as a consequence of the tunnel, the lack of community consultation, the rushed nature of the proposal and the rat runs that will surely come to pass as well as the poor modelling as well as other consequences.

I strongly urge that this proposal be rejected.

I support the plans as they currently stand, especially the ramp from Sydney Rd to the Burnt Bridge Rd tunnel junction. This is seen as the best option in consultation with local residents.
My concern is that I believe council is considering a submission to alter this route, perhaps by extension somehow thought the Balgowlah Golf Course. Any changes go against the wishes of local residents. It is important that there be no extension of the roads from Wanganella Street which end at the boundary of the present golf course.

I would like to highlight my objections to the EIS for the NOrthern Beaches Tunnel Link in the following areas:
1) Financial Viability - It is difficult to understand how this project stacks up financially,particularly now with the Pandemic influencing more of the community to work from home since 2020 and into the future.The traffic utilisation assumptions included in the EIS are purely based on pre-COVID 19 conditions.If this project is not financially viable which has and continues to be the general consensus,who is responsible for the short fall?

2) Environmental Impact During and Afetr Construction - Although referred to in the EIS full impact of the construction project appears to. Be significantly understated and the long term impact to the environment in relation to the green space and impact on the existing wildlife is a major concern.

3) Increasing Traffic and Parking Requirements on Arterial Roads,Beaches and Parks- This aspect of the EIS also appears to be significantly understated and the arterial roads which will be used for “rat running” will not cope with the increased traffic.The beaches and parks do not cope now with the current demand ,so increasing the access to these facilities to people living outside the Northern Beaches will create bottle necks,further parking issues and increase the risk of street closures which will restrict local residents from accessing and enjoying these amenities.

4) Impact on Health and Wellbeing During Construction ( 6-7 years) - The EIS has failed to clearly address the true impact on residents health and wellbeing during this phase of the project,especially where dust/air quality and noise levels are concerned.

I respectfully request that you consider and take my objection seriously

Greg Brown

I am writing to object to the proposed Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway Connection. In particular, I am concerned about the level of construction around Balgowlah and opposite Balgowlah Boys High School and the Preschool opposite . The anticipated levels of heavy vehicle traffic around Maritemo Street and Sydney Road is not only distruptive to learning, but also dangerous considering the amount of children walking into and out of school. The ongoing noise for the anticipated 7 years will be incredibly distracting to all students and may impact considerably on preparation for senior years. I am also concerned about the health impacts of the unfiltered stacks opposite the school.

My second objections relates to the environmental impact on Burnt Bridge Creek and Manly Dam. We are incredibly lucky to have such beautiful locations on our doorstep and to see these destroyed and the loss of wildlife will be heartbreaking. One of the reasons we love our suburb is the beautiful green spaces on our door step. The proposed plan will effectively destroy this.

I would rather see improved public transport options provided rather than encourage more traffic onto the roads

We have lived in Woolgoolga Street for 34 years and love it for its peace and tranquility, as well as being surrounded by pristine natural bush which attracts so much bird life. We had hoped to remain here for the rest of our lives but the prospect of six years of high impact construction noise combined with large trucks moving around our suburb, according to the EIS, one every 80 seconds, means we are now having to seriously consider moving away from our friends and the supportive local community. We are both in our 70s so this is particularly distressing and for no long term benefit to North Balgowlah or the Northern Beaches. More specifically:
1. The Cost/Benefit analysis in the EIS shows very little improvement to traffic flow along Military Road: +10% in the first 2 years then dropping to nil.
2. Burnt Bridge Creek in particular will dry up, thus affecting/destroying existing flora and fauna, including the protected flying fox colony on Balgowlah Road.
3. Air pollution from the unfiltered exhaust stacks will linger in and greatly affect our area, and are situated much too close to schools, particularly Seaforth Primary.
4. Toxic sludge at the bottom of Middle Harbour will be disturbed and pollute a huge area in Middle Harbour and around the Spit and Clontarf beach, where many people, especially children, love to swim, sail and fish. (see EIS).
Unless these issues can be resolved, we recommend NOT proceeding with the Beaches Link tunnel construction.
The NSW Government must look at other ways of alleviating traffic congestion and improving public transport. For example no parking on Spit Road at any time of the day and no right turns; incentivise people to use public transport and not individual cars; police the bus lane use.

We request that the following very basic and, we believe, beneficial for the project measures be established and harm to locals be minimised:

Build public transport, not more toll roads, that don’t support a long-term solution. This is a fundamental and basic flaw in the entire project. It is one of the world’s most expensive tunnels, planned to be built to support an area that for decades has said they don’t want public access to the rest of Sydney. So why build a toll road, other than to support property prices in Mosman? If it isn’t public transport, resolving traffic issues both within the beaches/Balgowlah and to and from - it shouldn’t be built.

In your vision for the Northern Beaches, it repeatedly claims planning that supports Climate change adaptation and resilience, lesser car dependence, which is at complete odds with putting in place a road that doesn’t support efficient public transport. (See here: https://shared-drupal-s3fs.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/master-test/fapub_pdf/Local+Strategic+Planning+Statements/LSPS+2020/Northern+Beaches+Council%2427s+LSPS+Towards+2040+v5+12+March+2020+-+low+res+%2428for+sharing%2429+-+uplodaded+27+March+2020_S-1026.pdf)

Limit truck movements to weekday working hours, 7am-6pm. Current advertising attempts to mislead people stating very specific ‘soil filled trucks’ will limit movements within work hours. This doesn’t tell the full story, which is that “There may be occasional deliveries and some movements outside of standard construction hours” (See: https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/projects/01documents/western-harbour-tunnel-beaches-link/whtbl-noise-and-vibration.pdf. ) Please define what ‘occasional’ means and the types of trucks involved and ensure that noise levels for those living on Brook Street and Sailors Bay or other Northbridge, Naremburn, Artarmon and Cammeray roads are measured and trucks are all limited to working hours. It is not fair to subject residents on Sailors Bay, Brook Street, Artarmon, Cammeray and other roads to 24 hr a day movements of frequent trucks on a road that does not normally carry this type of traffic - as RMS themselves have in community consultations confirmed.

Adequately, transparently and publicly monitor noise, vibration and pollution (including water and diesel in particular) before and during the works. This has not been done adequately in the area, because the negative outcome is expected. RMS members have also stated at council sessions that they know some of the biggest risks to health and safety will be diesel fumes from trucks. This is a risk to Cammeray, Naremburn, Northbridge and Artarmon residents as truck numbers increase to transport concrete, workers, equipment and remove tunnel fill.

Implement a 50 km/h zone on Flat Rock Drive and Brook Street before work starts and permanently and safety measures for all trucks travelling along Sailors Bay Road, Brook Street and in Cammeray, echoing both the safety being put in place for truck drivers and workers (40 km/h) and precedents on state roads Ernest Street and River Road.

The RMS Beaches Tunnel states the need for Truck drivers and workers on site to have traffic lights and 40 km/h zone on site for safety. There is no reason why truck drivers would need this level of safety, yet local school children and the local community do not. Many driveways onto Brook Street are very short and cars need to reverse in or out of their own driveways. The very few large trucks heading down or uphill at speed that are currently on the road have already caused numerous crashes or near misses (many not recorded on the RMS websites). There is precedent for State roads being lowered to 50km/h including Ernest Street and River Road, where locals have significantly more turning space and less safety issues currently on Flat Rock and Brook Street.

This also further supports use of the tunnel and is a basic, cost free safety measure that there is no excuse not to implement.

Install traffic lights across Slade Street and Grafton Avenue, to protect (i) residents and importantly (ii) the thousands of school children who live in the area and/or cross over Flat Rock in order to get to their appointed school in their catchment area. You are putting in place traffic lights for the truck drivers so that they can enter the work site. It is entirely illogical that truck drivers would require this safety measure, while local residents and school children leaving their home every single day do not.

Proper street-side noise abatement program to be put in place, for those around the site as well as those who are subject to significantly increased traffic noises due to truck movements, both during and outside of work hours. This is along Flat Rock Drive and Brook Street, the South facing streets of Northbridge and should include proper noise abatement walls (not just timber). Flat Rock Drive and Brook Street while ‘State roads’ on paper, were designed as temporary roads, through an existing federation home area and haven’t been made to accommodate high truck volumes.

Compensate local businesses and communities that are forced to shut down, move out of their home, are unable to rent their home, have damaged homes (e.g. due to vibrations or toxicity of water or air) or need to spend on their properties (e.g. window glazing and other noise treatments) in able to have a liveable, safe space or viable business due to tunnel impacts. No compensation is currently proposed, yet some residents may not be able to live in their homes for up to 8 years safely due to impacts.

Ensure trucks cannot use air brakes and receive fines for using them. Air brakes would significantly impact Naremburn and Northbridge communities and should not be allowed for use.

Implement safe roads and crossings for children and residents - offering residents the same safety measures that workers and truck drivers are being offered and need. Some key areas of concern include: the intersection between Rosalind Street and Miller Street, where significant numbers of primary children from Anzac Park Public School in an already dangerous area, with 6 directions of traffic and the threat of heavy vehicles, known to significantly increase the risk of accident and death; Sailors Bay Road toward the dive site; and on Brook Street where the road does not currently take the extent of heavy vehicles and has significant safety issues. The Cammeray Public and Anzac Park Catchment areas cross Brook Street and many children walk to school and are in danger.

This question was posted at an RMS community meeting and was ignored, instead focusing on truck driver inductions on site and worker safety.

Why would truck drivers require safety measures that school children walking to and from school do not? Slow the road down to 50 km/h, implement traffic lights and proper protocols so that accidents don’t occur. Loss of life has hamstrung Infrastructure projects in the past - why would the Government not put in these correct safety measures, when they have already made it clear they are needed, as truck drivers will be provided with them?


Install cameras to monitor the speed limits on Flat Rock and Brook Street. This both drives Government revenue and encourages use of the tunnels. Government Infrastructure projects often run overtime and over budget. Placing stress on contracting companies to rush work, placing greater danger on local (and what you call ‘state’ roads.


Publicly release the traffic impact on local streets in Naremburn, Northbridge, Cammeray and even Mosman for the 8+ years the project is going ahead. 1,000s of daily truck movements on Naremburn (1 a minute or more) - will create traffic chaos on Strathallen, Small Street, Willoughby Road and other areas.

Properly assess and define the business case and the longevity of the traffic flows. Traffic count is a known area of critical error and poor investment decisions in previous Sydney toll roads. Are the traffic flows permanent? Are they driven by temporary building construction in Western Sydney or the Beaches? Is cutting down the time from Mosman to the Fish Markets (as advertised on project flyers) really what $14bn should be spent on? The beaches are a known area where local residents have said they don’t want increased access from greater Sydney. Is this the area money should be spent on, when 3-4 other Infrastructure projects connecting greater Sydney (or even Sydney to Brisbane!) could or have been built for this same amount of money? The Pacific Highway from Sydney to Brisbane and entire NorthConnex cost a fraction of the Beaches tunnel.

Implement a bus lane and at a minimum, bus stop on Brook Street. There are buses that routinely are routed to go along Flat Rock. Implementing a bus lane would both support the use of the tunnel and reduce traffic further on the street. And build a responsible city.

Be transparent about Asbestos and tip refuse treatment and explain how this will be safely contained. Flat Rock Gully is known to contain asbestos that will be dug up. Current plans indicate it will be kept on site - what are the containment measures if held on site? While it is being dug up how will residents be protected? How are you measuring where asbestos fill ends? If anything is trucked out, how are you containing dust in general and measuring the toxicity? How are you measuring the air toxicity risk?

What is the risk of these to locals? What independent testing is being undertaken and who will the results be released to? How are you ensuring this risk doesn’t transfer to the southern slopes of Northbridge where homes are incredibly close to the dive site, to Basketball, Netball courts and other community areas?

I object to the Beaches Link Tunnel because I am a resident of Balgowlah and a member of the Balgowlah Golf Club. The proposed project does not achieve the government's stated goals and will adversely affect my amenity as a resident and my membership of the golf club for the following reasons:
1. Claims of travel time savings of approximately 30 minutes from Brookvale and Balgowlah to the CBD are fanciful when it is considered that current travel times from those suburbs is approximately 35 minutes;
2. The projections are based on forecast traffic flows out to 2037 and have not been seriously reconsidered as a result of COVID-19;
3. In addition to the effects of COVID-19 on projections, there appears to have been little, if any, consideration given to the rapid technological advances affecting both individual and public transport;
4. Further to (3) above, it is noted that the government specifically stated that public transport options were not to be considered when developing this project at the concept stage -why?
5. There was limited or no community consultation in the early days of the projects design, to the extent that the RMS imposed a Confidentially Agreement on the Northern Beaches Council to hide the fact that they (RMS) had decided to take over the Balgowlah Golf course and use it as a construction site. The sweetener for the Council was the proposal for the government to convert the construction site to sports grounds on completion (see also 12 below);
6. Where are the construction workers going to park their cars? The EIS indicates that the golf club car park is to be removed and that workers can park in Pickworth Avenue. As a local, I can assure you that Pickworth Avenue has timed parking and is regularly full. The same applies to all the local streets in the area. They are almost all narrow and fully utilised by local residents;
7. The justification for unfiltered ventilation stacks is beyond comprehension. Despite the fact that it is proposed to have a stack in close proximity to four schools in Balgowlah, Seaforth and Manly Vale, the EIS seems to say that the number of deaths from the increased air toxins does not justify the additional cost of filtration;
8. One of the claimed benefits of this project is the reduction of traffic congestion in Manly Vale and Balgowlah and less rat-running through local streets. This claim is completely rejected as evidenced by the submission to the EIS being made by the Northern Beaches Council;
9. The Beaches Link Tunnel is not necessary and not wanted by the local community, especially now that full details of the cost and disruption are being revealed. It was not requested, however, it has been progressed despite all the objections and the multitude of shortcomings being revealed. I wonder why!!
10. In the process of building this unnecessary infrastructure, a 95 year old golf club is being totally destroyed. The hundreds of golfing members and thousands of golfing public will loose their sporting and recreation facility which is presently used on 365 days of the year;
11. It is not as if these serious and recreational golfers have anywhere else to enjoy their sport. All other golf clubs on the Northern Beaches have either closed their memberships or are considering doing so, such has been the increased demand for their facilities since the start of COVID-19;
12. One of the boasts of Transport for NSW is that almost (note the word) 90% of open space used during construction will be returned to the community for everyone to enjoy. This is hardly progress when you consider that at least 10% of the open space will be lost and that the present sporting and recreational facility (the golf course) is already available for everyone to enjoy. It should be noted that, as a public golf course, the course and open space is open to the public;
13. The destruction of the Balgowlah Golf Club does not only result in the loss of a sporting facility. It also means the loss of an amenity used by members and the community as a social hub, meeting place and function facility.

As a resident of North Balgowlah, I have many concerns about the Beaches Link tunnel – these have not been allayed by the Environmental Impact Statement. Instead, the EIS for the Beaches Link project highlights numerous serious impacts for residents, school students, workers and the local environment but fails to set out details plans to mitigate these negative effects. I am very concerned about health risks and stresses on residents, students and local workers and irreversible damage to the natural environment. I do not support the tunnel and believe it is a very poor use of substantial public funds that will not improve traffic congestion over the long term. Some of these critical issues include:
1. Dewatering of Burnt Bridge Creek and its catchment with downstream impacts on ecosystems.
I regularly walk along Burnt Bridge Creek and love its cool environment and value its vegetation and role as a wildlife corridor that links Seaforth to Manly. The EIS says the water flow will be reduced by 79% while the tunnels are under construction and up to 96% after completion of the project. This means that the creek will effectively become a storm water drain. This will devastate its wonderful vegetation as well as many of the numerous species along the creek (and including the biodiversity of Baringa Bush Reserve) including the grey-headed flying fox colony, as well as properties bordering the creek as the water table falls. In addition, the quality of water that flows into Manly Lagoon and into the ocean at Queenscliff Beach will be affected – and will become more polluted when there is little rainfall to make up for the lost ground water. I agree with Northern Beaches Council’s draft EIS submission which says the impact of this massive loss of water must consider the downstream issues, including potential reductions in water quality affecting Manly’s beaches
The EIS fails to provide any evidence based plan to save this creek, catchment and the rich biodiversity that relies on it, or to prevent downstream impacts.
I am especially worried about our colony of nationally protected grey-headed flying foxes at Balgowlah as all their sources of water will be removed during the construction and operation of the tunnel. They will no longer have access to a permanent water source. They will also be affected by long terms construction noise and dust. The EIS states that when noisy roadworks occurs at night, the colony will be OK because most bats will be away from the colony foraging. This ignores the fact that juveniles are left behind while their mothers forage at night and will be exposed to this increased noise. An expert in the animals’ behaviours will be employed but there are few details to reassure us this will be regular and effective.

2. Air quality, health
The government has refused to include filtration in the ventilation stack that is so close to Bally Boys, St Cecilia’s and Seaforth Public Schools in Balgowlah, and Anzac Park Primary School in Cammeray amongst others. There are also many homes, including my own near to these stacks. In the EIS, there are thousands of pages of technical information that is supposed to justify their decision not to install filtration. I live within the footprint for the most concentrated emissions, based on the Chief Scientist’s model. Our local schools, homes, shops and businesses are also within the 200-1200m radius. The EIS data raises many concerns about the quality, or otherwise, of our air during construction (dust, construction vehicles etc) and the likely long term impacts of the unfiltered emissions stacks. It also demonstrates that Transport Minister Constance will break his very public promise to make sure no unfiltered stack were situated next to schools.
One key worry is that Volume 2F of the EIS (appendices I to K) page 35 states: "Three project specific monitoring stations for the WHTBL program of works were established for Transport NSW in 2017. One of these was at a background location and the other two were at locations near busy roads. Given the date of deployment, the time period covered was too short for these to be included in the development of background concentrations and model evaluation." These locations are near Wakehurst Parkway, Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation and possibly Cammeray (Figure 5-1 and 5-2 (pp36/7)). The data from these monitoring stations is vital to the question of air quality for this project. It is scientifically impossible to draw air quality conclusions for the Seaforth/North Balgowlah/Balgowlah/Balgowlah Heights areas based on data sets from other, more congested areas of Greater Sydney.

In Volume 2F, Annexure H, base data for nitrogen dioxide levels in Tables H5 (Gore Hill Freeway) and H7 (Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation) are exactly the same.

It is clear in this case the "data" being used for projections and modelling with the Burnt Bridge Deviation stack (in a relatively unpolluted suburban area) is actually the base data from the congested, polluted Gore Hill Freeway monitoring station. This is not an accepted scientific method of making projections. There is no scientific basis for any projections, modelling etc relating to air quality surrounding the Wakehurst Parkway and Burnt Bridge Deviation stacks as they are not based on facts.

The Air Quality sections relating to the Wakehurst Parkway and Burnt Bridge Deviation fail to provide accurate information the public is entitled to.

Transparent air quality studies and modelling of the sites of the stacks must be undertaken to deliver reliable information that can withstand scientific scrutiny. These must be available to both the public, not just the politicians who are making this decision on our behalf.

3. Noise and congestion

The EIS and TfNSW concede that traffic congestion in Seaforth, Frenchs Forest Manly Vale and Balgowlah will increase significantly during construction and once the tunnel is built. However, it says that this is a problem for the Council to sort out.

The Northern Beaches Council’s EIS submission includes requests for TfNSW to upgrade many local roads and intersections that will be problematic – these include:
- traffic amelioration measures (i.e. speed bumps or similar) on Manning, Bardoo, Woodbine, Myrtle, Kitchener, Wanganella North, Rickard, Seaview, Wanganella South, Kanangra, Maretimo, Ethel street
- changes to intersections/roads around Manly Vale already at capacity including Quirk road joined, upgrade to Freedom Furniture intersection, traffic light at Balgowlah Rd/Roseberry St, lane changes/widening of Kenneth Rd for exiting traffic, traffic light at Kenneth Rd/Rosebery St
- upgrade to Condamine St/Pittwater Rd intersection outside Warringah Mall
- widening Wakehurst Parkway to Dreadnought Rd, Oxford Falls
- upgrades to Frenchs Forest roads
– widening Frenchs Forest Rd outside hospital with 24hr bus lane, widening Forest Way, upgrades to Grace Ave, 3-4 new traffic lights.

There is no guarantee this work will occur, or when it will occur and if it does construction will mean even more traffic disruption and local congestion. Either way we can be certain people will lose precious time in traffic jams at they try to find their way to the tunnel, making a mockery of claims of faster travel times. This will mean the Spit Bridge bottleneck will simply be moved into Balgowlah and Seaforth, with knock on effect for many kms around.

The draft of council’s EIS submission states “Little work appears to have been done to assess the effect of the project on the local road network….seems to be a critical omission in the assessment”.

Construction impacts – we will also be directly impacted by excess noise and vibration. There is no exact information on the mitigation measures. Residents should be entitled to know more, as a condition of approving the project. We need full knowledge that adequate protections for residents will be provided.


4. Lost bushland and endangered species along Wakehurst Parkway
More than 2,000 trees and a large area of high value bushland will be destroyed at the construction site and with the widening of the Wakehurst Parkway from North Seaforth to the intersection of the Parkway with Warringah Road, including one of the last tracts of critically endanger Duffy Forest, now one of the rarest types of vegetation on earth.
This includes the Sydney Water site (Bantry Bay Reservoirs) at Kirkwood Avenue that was save from development by the community in 2015. Then Premier Mike Baird promised to return it intact to Manly Warringah War Memorial Park to compensate for the loss of rare bushland and biodiversity as a result of the Manly Vale Public School expansion. This promise has not been kept by the NSW government. A study commissioned by Sydney Water in 2018 revealed the diverse bushland on the site was home to many birds and animals - including the threatened and fragile Eastern Pygmy Possum and the Eastern Bent-wing bat.
The NSW Government is promising to revegetate and return this area back to the park afterwards, but it is not possible to recreate the complex tapestry of endemic flora species or to return lost wildlife. Disturbing and removing the original topsoil means opening up the whole area to invasive weed invasion. Locating an industrial grade work site here would be disastrous for the environment.
Because so much high quality bushland is to be destroyed and this bushland is home to a number of critically endangered animals and plants, the TfNSW is required to “swap” it on a like-for-like basis for equivalent bush. This “offset” method is impossible in a practical sense, because there are no known pockets of equivalent land and simply means the death of flora and fauna.
In summary:
The high costs to the community and the environment outlined in the EIS does not justify the construction of the Beaches Link tunnel and other options should be considered, particularly those based on public transport.

I am very concerned about the impact of the proposed tunnel construction works on the ability of the Northbridge Sailing Club (NSC) to continue its normal activities and remain viable during the construction period. As outlined in the EIS, all the courses will be compromised by the maritime exclusion zone between Seaforth Bluff and Clive Park associated with the submerged tunnel works across Middle Harbour, and the temporary re-location of yacht moorings into a zone northwest of Seaforth Bluff.

The NSC is a unique community facility. There is nothing else like it on the North Shore. It has historical significance having been founded in 1946 and run by volunteers for children and adults alike to enjoy learning to sail and competing in an area of outstanding natural beauty. In particular since joining the NSC, the club has had a significant and positive influence on my 13-year-old son’s life and mental health, providing him with new skills, new friends and boosted confidence within a safe and inclusive community. My son has ADHD and in addition his father died recently (Nov 20), which has been a source of great distress. NSC has been a been a healing place for James given the peaceful, organised and safe running of the Club. I believe many children benefit in a similar way at this historic and important community run club. It would be devastating loss for many families if sailing activities were not able to continue unhindered, and even worse if the club were to become no longer financially viable from restricted access to sailing courses, and the resultant loss of memberships.

There is no doubt that the proposed works across several years will have a profound negative impact on the club.

I implore TfNSW to work closely and consult with the NSC Commodore and leadership team, in good faith, to ensure the continuation of sailing programs and other community activities at the facility, with minimal disruption, and to do everything in its power to ensure the continuation and viability of the NSC during the construction period.

Hello
I realise this is a huge project for your organisation and forecasting is extremely important, not just for the project itself but for the when you will on sell the tunnel to a 3rd party. No one could have predicted the COVID disaster.
1.The 2016 traffic flow forecast used in the EIS is simply incorrect now. The main contributor being that people are working from home and will continue to do so. I am personally aware of many employees whose companies have no intention of reverting back to pre- COVID scenarios. There are many people in Sydney adding to the traffic flows currently who will not be staying as they are moving away. Focusing on cars alone is like putting all eggs in one basket and with the success of the B1 bus route why is there so little focus on public transport for the Northern Beaches rather than a tunnel? I purchased my house 5 years ago on the basis it had public transport in the street as I have a disability and in the last 2 months we have lost that whole bus route and when the tunnel is complete those buses will be replaced by hundreds of cars making the rat-run through Balgowlah.
2. I am extremely concerned with the impact on wildlife along Wakehurst Parkway and Manly Dam to say nothing of Burnt Creek!! I have been using that thoroughfare for decades and recently watched the destruction of habitat with the roadwork around the Northern Beaches hospital.
Please we need to stop and rethink this project. All businesses are forced to reforecast when they are impacted by changes and COVID has presented those changes for you. I believe we have had insufficient time since the publication of the report to make submissions and that we should be given more consultation time so we can all think through how best to manage the biggest infrastructure project ever on the Northern Beaches. THE IMPACTS ARE HUGE!!
Regards

I object to the project for reasons in attached document

I am writing in objection to the Beaches Link and Gore Hill Free way Connection. I am a disabled person with an autoimmune disease as a result from surviving cancer. I live in Morden Street, Cammeray. The proposed works are going to occur directly opposite me (Cammeray Golf Course) and impact me directly in a negative way across multiple areas (health, noise, pollution, environment, sustainability, traffic). The proposed works will have a detrimental effect upon my health and other members of my community-children, elderly of which there are many in the area. These works will have no short term or long term benefit to the community. It is effectively a toll road that does not address any of the sustainability or traffic/congestion issues of Sydney. If this was a tunnel for rail or light rail, my views would be different. But this is an expensive exercise for something that is going to cause a lot of harm (to both people and the environment) and provide no calculable benefit. Only ongoing costs both in terms of tolls and the strong negative ongoing environmental impact. I would like to note that we have not had enough time to properly respond to the 12,000 page EIS having only been given it to look at just before Christmas time. I have done the best I can with my objections which you will find attached.

I wish to express my concern regarding the impact of the Beaches Link Tunnel on NBSC Balgowlah Boys Campus. Despite the close proximity of construction to the school, the EIS does not give any special consideration to the impact of noise and vibration and student access once traffic flows increase nor during construction.
Balgowlah Boys is adjacent to the site of major tunnelling and road works. The noise and vibration will negatively affect concentration and learning outcomes. Constant noise can create stress. Constant traffic and truck movements will deprive the boys of any quiet areas for outside breaks. I am particularly concerned about exam periods and the distraction that will be caused by increased traffic, heavy vehicles, blasting and general construction. Even if students are decanted for exams, the disruption and stress caused by working in an alternate venue may impact on education outcomes and present some inequality issues for the school compared to other NSW students.
The EIS suggests that noise will be in exceedance of safe levels yet there is no noise measurements planeed for the campus nor noise mitigtion strategies. The noise impact following completion of the tunnel will have ongoing impact on account of the increased traffic volumes and changed traffic conditions.
I am also very concerned about how students will access the school both during and after construction. The crossing along Sydney Rd at Maretimo St is already very dangerous and will become more so with greater traffic volumes. The EIS predicts a fightening number of light and heavy truck movements around the school (some 1,500 / day) which present significant noise and safety concerns for anyone in the area, let alone school boys trying to access the campus.
The existing bridge is narrow for large groups of boys to cross at once and only offers a convenient route for a portion of the boys.
There has been no indication about where school buses will be able to drop and collect children nor any comment about the impact to the already limited parking around the school. How will students exit the school safely if there is an emergency while road ways and access are impeded by trucks, fencing, and likely traffic congestion?
I am also worried about the increase of dust during construction and the particulates that will result from heavy vehicles. Air quality in the playground will suffer signficantly. Outdoor sport in the grounds will be affected and the whole school will become dust covered and dirty which will force an extra clean up burden on the school for its building, equipment, windows and play areas.
Balgowlah Boys is already seriously over crowded and low on outdoor play space. The green space across the road has been important for both education and recreation for the boys. Access to this area will be severely limited for a number of years.
If the tunnel is to proceed, greater attention must be paid to mitigation strategies to reduce the impact on Balgowlah Boys. The P&C is happy to advocate for the school but has insufficient resources to ensure the best interests of the school are addressed by the many contractors that will be involved in such a large project. It is very important that an independent liaison officer be appointed to ensure the concerns of the school are adequately addressed and consultation occurs at every stage. Likewise, compensatory measures must be reasonably discussed.
Acoustic protection for learning and recreation spaces are also essential. Air quality mitigation is also required along with some screening/greening to mitigate the visual impacts of traffic. Equally, important is the need for a traffic management plan that shows how teachers, boys and visitors to the school can park and enter the grounds safely both during construction and once the works are complete.

OBJECTION TO: Eastern Beaches Link

Saving Sydneys Trees (SST) is a Community Association concerned with the increasing depletion of Canopy, Vegetation and Green Spaces in our Urban Environment and the negative impacts of Poor Planning. We have a Facebook following of well over 9,500 thousand and a Database in excess of 12 Thousand.

We find that this Project as it is presented, fails not only Public Expectation of Best Practice but transgresses the Australian Clean Air Act; National Forest Policy and Australia’s’ Obligations to The Paris Agreement, ALL of which are binding on ALL LEVELS of Government and their Agencies.

We find the Project does not allow Bicycles, Electric Scooters, and other modes within the tunnel, which presents a Car or larger vehicular bias that also does not fit with Future goals and requirements indicated by Planning NSW and the Premier.

It fails to present a Realistic Carbon Neutral Footprint and as such is deemed “Unfit For the Future”.

· The taking of so many Significant trees from the landscape with inadequate and non- Accountability for square metre existing and Productive to Public canopy loss or IN AREA “Offset” Canopy is completely unacceptable. It adds to a mounting case of “Double Dipping” and “Creeping Deficit” we are experiencing. Termed “Green Washing” by many.

This in turn has led to Increased Calls from the Premier and Planning to PLANT and considerable Tax Dollar allocation to the” Greening Sydney Strategy”. It is unfathomable that despite TfNSW and Infrastructure for NSW having promised many Inquiries …”it would learn from its mistakes”…, that THIS Panning THROUGH our Natural Assets is still being Consistently Repeated in Practice.

The negative impacts to not only the identified and Linked Health and State and Federal budgetary $$’Billion COSTS of the Losses of Canopy, Vegetation and Green Space, EXISTING PUBLIC ASSETS - (unaccounted for in the Cost Benefit Analysis Process); …(Please see recent linked articles in the attached PDF of this Submission) is unfathomable and unacceptable.

This violates CLIMATE Obligations and Clean Air Act. rendering 20-30 years of Children's Health depleted…Too Much of these practices is seen as a Violation of Human Rights and Culpability.

· There is the individual passed on “Heat Island/Continent” creation in the non-appraisal of “All of Landscape Impacts” across the Greater Sydney Area. These “Multiple Negative Impacts” are shared by all the Public (This again violates the CLIMATE Elements expected n Panning for our Future Sustainability and Resilience;

· Species Endangerment to LOSS is a direct expectation of these actions and Not able to be Offset;

· Erosion Creation, multiplying negatives as Climate Scientists indicate more Weather events with increased intensity and frequency is to be expected into the Future.

· Natural Water Course interference which will be created and lead to even more LOSS of Ecosystems in existence as Impacts to Burns Bridge Creek (influenced by road works through Balgowlah Golf Course would be reduced by 96% and depths in the future…The implicated ecosystem and species reliance has only 1 result, LOSS. These are LOST FOREVER and have multiple repercussions across a wide variety of dependent species/lives…THESE cannot be “Offset”.

· Risks to Water Purity. Identified and yet dismissed…Is NOT acceptable (Road runoff is Pollution affected and its introduction to Manly Dam and linked creeks…The extent is too much to find any credibility in “Best Practice in Planning and Design”.

SUGGESTIONS:
· Firstly, a complete review of a Best Practice and Design that does not create Pollution of Middle Harbour and avoids Many Dam and Garigal National Park detriment and The Aboriginal Carvings along Engraving Trail which is threatened from road runoff…It is noted this may need the relocation of entrances and exits to a more appropriate location or complete reassessment;

· Number of lanes, while not accommodating Public Transport poses many, many questions of appropriate design and purpose. It is seen as increasing traffic and decreasing transport times and raises the Process of Justification when all elements are accounted;

· Many in the community have indicated that Technology presented for construction of Pylons should be manufactured off site which would reduce environmental impacts and time which has many Best Practice positives;

As you can see there are MANY good reasons to REJECT this Proposal.

SST call for this review and for a re-evaluation, inclusive of all Environmentally linked $$COSTS to the Public placed at risk;

We call for CLIMATE Obligations and the Clean Air Act. along with the Objectives of the National Forest Policy on Development to be upheld within the design and that any Offsets be IN AREA and Ecological losses into any future, resulting from these works be concluded UNACCEPTABLE and NOT IN THE PUBLIC LONG TERM BEST INTERESTS.

…We ask for BETTER.

Please see attached submission