Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway Connection

I have significant concerns with the project & I object for the following reasons:
1. I object to the use of Flat Rock Reserve (FRR) as the main tunnelling site due to the health risks to my family and the community. The real risks from disturbing such a contaminated site are currently unknown and presents unreasonable risk.
a. Given the spoil is highly likely to contain contaminants, including asbestos, I object to the 5000m3 of stockpiled spoil being permitted outside the planned shed. The EIS recognises that dust is difficult to contain even with the best mitigation measures in place, so having spoil sitting out in the open adjacent to sports fields that are used year-round and residential areas (including our home) is frightening and incredibly dangerous.
b. I object given there are risks that the contaminants that have been found in groundwater & surface water around the tip site in Flat Rock Gully may move down the gully as work proceeds. I understand the project has assumed there is no industrial waste however this is contradicted by the high levels of chemicals found in the area.
c. I object as the risks to human health has not been assessed despite the EIS acknowledging the risk of run off to surrounding waterways and Middle Harbour.
d. The following should be undertaken prior to the site being considered for approval as the main tunnelling site:
i. All contaminants at Flat Rock Gully must be fully understood, the risks known and mitigation possibilities scoped.
ii. The storage of spoil outside must be prohibited given the silica dust risk & associated contamination risks to nearby parks, residents & bushland
iii. Details to be provided as to how residents will be protected from exposure to asbestos throughout the duration of the project.
iv. If the project goes ahead, real time alert/quality monitors must be established at Bicentennial Reserve to alert the community to air quality risks to ensure the health of local families is not put at risk.
2. I object to the project using FRR as the main tunnelling site due to safety risks to the community and the associated impact on local roads with up to 70 truck movements along Brook St during construction.
a. I object given the difficulty it will cause when driving around our community, including getting our young children to our local zoned school at Cammeray Public – to do so we currently travel along Slade St & Brook Street. I cannot see how we, along with other nearby residents, will be able to safely make our way to the local school. The alternative of using Willoughby Rd will become impractical with the additional cars on that road and is not an acceptable solution for local residents.
b. I object given the safety risk to my children. During the construction period, my children will be old enough to walk to and from school independently. I have massive concerns about their safety in doing so when there will be so many trucks travelling along Brook Street which they must both walk alongside and cross to get to school.
c. When the safety of children walking to school along Brook St was raised at a recent community forum, the concern was completely ignored and instead focussed on truck driver safety! Why do they need safety measures but our children do not?
d. I object on the basis that cars will likely try to avoid the construction site on cut through to Willoughby Rd via Slade St and onto our street Garland Road – our local streets are not designed for increased traffic and this will ultimately further congest Willoughby Road.
e. As a condition of approval I request the following:
i. Plans be established to enable the safe exist and entry of cars from and to Slade St, Rhodes Ave, Grafton Ave, McBurney St and Marks St in Naremburn.
ii. Modelling completed to understand the impact of traffic along Slade Street, Central Street, Garland Road and Claire Street.
iii. An active transport overpass or underpass at Brook St should be put in place to ensure safe passage of children from Naremburn to their zoned local primary school in Cammeray.
3. I object to the project using FRR as the main tunnelling site due to the environmental risks it poses.
a. I object on the basis that FRR is a declared Wildlife Protection Area as it provides significant habits that support a wide range of birds, reptiles & mammals that are disappearing from our urban areas.
b. I object to over 16 acres of bushland being destroyed, including over 390 trees in Flat Rock Gully alone. The NSW Government requires local councils to maintain tree policies to reflect the needs of their area for tree canopy and wildlife habitat. The Willoughby City Council (WCC) policy requires that 3 trees be replaced for each removal. Under the current plans only 2/3 of trees will be replaced.
c. I object given a full wildlife study has not been carried out at Flat Rock Gully, Middle Harbour and nearby bushland – this is inadequate.
d. As a condition of approval I request the following:
i. A full wildlife study must be conducted in consultation with wildlife experts, and a full suite of mitigation measures must be developed to protect the wildlife in local bushland from noise, light and traffic in Flat Rock Gully.
ii. The NSW State Government should not be allowed to override WCC’s tree policy. A full bush regeneration (including the provision of 3 for 1 tree planting) must be a condition of approval. Nest boxes and rock habitats must be provided for displaced wildlife, prior to construction beginning.
iii. All landfill exposed by tunnelling must be capped at the end of tunnelling and reinstated with crushed sandstone as a contoured base for re-establishment of locally indigenous vegetation and habitat. All temporary structures must be removed.
4. I object to the dredging in Middle Harbour
a. Dredging in the area will be highly toxic and the impact on Northbridge Baths has not been fully assessed/tested. The risks associated with highly toxic material being dredged has the real potential to stop the community from enjoying Middle Harbour locations including Northbridge Baths for the duration of the project & well beyond.
5. I object to the planned closure of Miller St and Brook St entry/exits to/from the Sydney Harbour Tunnel (SHT).
a. Modelling must be completed to show the impact on Willoughby Rd of this proposed change. Cars travelling from/to Crows Nest, Cammeray, Northbridge, Willoughby, Castlecrag, Middle Cove, Castle Cove, Roseville Chase, East Lindfield will all likely be forced to travel along Willoughby Rd when travelling to/from the SHT – this is a 2 lane road that is already heavily congested at the peak morning/afternoon as well as Saturdays.
b. I anticipate that residents from the above suburbs heading to/from the SHT will likely cut between Willoughby Rd & Brook St via GarlandRd/Slade St. Our local roads are not designed for such traffic and this poses and unacceptable risk to the local children. Has this been modelled?
c. As a condition of approval, the following should occur:
i. Modelling of the impact closing the Miller St & Brook St exit/entry will have on traffic on Willoughby Rd. This should also consider the inclusion of 400+ additional residences that are being built at the Channel 9 site on Artarmon Rd, along with the recent slashing of bus services along Willoughby Rd to/from Chatswood.
ii. Reinstatement of exit points at Miller St and Brook St.
6. I object to the project due to the unreasonable level of impact on the quality of life of residents along with the inability to benefit at all from the tunnel.
a. As above our local community will bear the brunt of the construction for the length of the project, and at the conclusion we will be unable to utilise the tunnel (unless we travel 10 minutes to either Artarmon or North Sydney which would save no time and we would add a toll!).
b. Further, local traffic will get worse.
7. I object to the project as there is little evidence that it will alleviate current congestion, it is a tolled road that is seemingly being developed not with local residents or the state’s taxpayers interests at heart, but rather those of private companies such as Transurban & property developers keen on sites in the Northern Beaches.
8. I object to the project as business case has not been published & the project costs has not been justified by the identified benefits.
a. I object on the basis of the excessive cost of the project – currently quoted at $14 billion for 7kms. By world standards this is incredibly poor value for money.
b. I object on the basis that Infrastructure NSW rates this as a low priority project.
c. I object on the basis that public transport alternatives have not been considered. Roads are so short-sighted whilst public transport is a sustainable long-term solution to moving people around a growing city.
d. I object on the basis that there are extensive health, environmental and safety risks that have not been fully scoped.
e. I object on the basis that due process and good governance around the project does not appear to be being followed – as per the issues highlighted by the recent Crown Casino/Barangaroo Tower fiasco, it is clearly imperative that proper processes are followed by the NSW Government.
f. I object on the basis of the threats to air quality to the thousands of school students in the area who will be impacted by the proposed unfiltered smoke stacks.
g. Prior to approval being considered, I request the following:
i. The business case is released for public consideration, providing evidence of the travel time savings; include an updated & fully scoped assessment of impacts to local roads (Willoughby Rd, Eastern Valley Way and Military Rd); include under-scoped risks, particularly with regards to contamination at Flat Rock Gully, and includes costs to mitigate & remediate multiple contaminated sites.
ii. An assessment of the need for this project & a clear demonstration that this is a better solution than public transport

The environmental impact, particularly to the valuable Manly Dam catchment, will be severe. A great deal of bushland will be destroyed by the widening of the road. Approval should be withheld on account of this.

Noise and pollution impacts to surrounding residents will also be severe. These impacts should be mitigated substantially or eliminated before approval is granted.

Drive time estimates have been made without considering recent changes to public transport routes, including the Dee Why to Chatswood express bus, and have also not considered recent increases in working from home. Government should consider whether public transport can mitigate the need for such a large project with such significant impact.

It is unlikely that the traffic through Mosman and Military road will be reduced by the proposed project. The difficulty of this route is a major deterrent to people travelling on it, and if congestion is reduced then people will simply travel more on the route by private transport, thereby eliminating the proposed benefit of the tunnel. Government should consider the possibility that the EHT, without the Beaches Link tunnel, will be sufficient.

Furthermore, traffic through Manly Vale and Balgowlah is likely to increase (as acknowledged by Government) as a result of construction of the tunnel. This will severely impact local residents, and there is little that Council can do to mitigate it. Approval should be withheld on this basis.

The Ventilation Stack for the Burnt Bridge Deviation in Balgowlah
1. It appears there are no plans for the ventilation stack to be filtered. Having unfiltered air pollution being pumped out in our our suburbs is shocking thought. Surely this is a unique opportunity to help our environment. We have a captured source of emissions from the tunnel that could be filtered to reduce the impact on our environment. I am horrified that the government isn't taking a more modern environmental approach to this. Cost should not be an issue.
2. The Ventilation Stack should be placed higher on the hill (further South towards Sydney Rd). If the aim is to push the pollutants into the atmosphere (still find it hard to believe that this is the plan), surely moving it to the top of the hill where the winds are stronger would help this. I am aware that there are large fans that will push the pollution up. Surely moving it up the hill (further South) and out of the valley would benefit this approach.
Such a shame to have quiet bushland suburbs like North Balgowlah, sandwiched between two un-filtered Ventilation Stacks (Wakhurst Parkway). Very disappointing that the solution suggested is so dated. My understanding the conclusion from the environmental impact statement is that the tunnel will have a similar impact on the environment as what we have currently. We live in a time when we all need to make better environmental decisions, surely by now we should be have a more advanced solution to capture and filter air pollution to help our environment and local communities.

I object the building of the tunnel with its entry and exit points in their current position. I am opposed to the tunnel entry and exit being directly opposite Balgowlah Boys School for the following reasons:
- Adverse impacts on air quality due to the unfiltered smoke stack in close vicinity. Several studies have shown the adverse affects of air pollution on growing children.
- Noise and vibration from the construction site adversely affecting the boys' learning
- The destruction of the golf course and Oval. The school has very limited outdoor area and the Oval is used for sport as is the golf course. The boys' need this outdoor space and need to be able to use it without breathing in construction dust and hearing the noise from construction. They also cannot suffer from not having this space for any length of time. I understand it is supposed to be handed back for community use at some point but these boys need uninterrupted use of this space.
- Heavy truck movement around a school and in suburban streets is dangerous from a safety point of view and also from an environmental point of view due to the emissions. Heavy trucks are also noisy so will cause a distraction and inconvenience for the boys.
- Many boys ride to school along the cycle path at the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation. This access route will be closed and bushland destroyed, preventing a safe, healthy and environmentally friendly way to commute to school.

I am also opposed to the tunnel exiting into Manly Vale. This road is currently heavily congested and cannot sustain additional traffic. The Beaches is already heavily congested with traffic and this tunnel will only serve to make it worst. Why not invest a fraction of the $14billion cost in public transport improvements? The BLine is a success but was a long overdue solution for the existing Northern Beaches population and is already at capacity in peak hours.

I object to the destruction of the bush around Manly Dam for the construction of the exit on the Wakehurst Parkway. This will have adverse affects on wildlife and also the enjoyment of users of this area.

I strongly oppose this tunnel in its current form. Please reconsider the current entry/exit point in Balgowlah and Seaforth.

I strongly object to the tunnel project to the Northern Beaches for the following reasons:
Widening of Wakehurst Parkway in some sections to 4-6 lane freeway across a narrow will cause ongoing pollution into creeks, Manly Dam and Garigal National Park.
The destruction of the massive amount of bushland and trees that will be cleared which is devastating and the wildlife which will be effected.
The noise and eyesore of this massive freeway to all around day and night.
The ecosystem that will be destroyed that supports threatened species including the flying fox colony all around Burnt Bridge Creek.
Middle Harbour toxic chemicals in the harbour disturbed during dredging will be a huge threat to the marine life AND the amenity of Clontarf and Sandy Bay.
All vegetation and native habitats at Balgowlah Golf Course will be completely wiped out during construction.
The huge amount of truck traffic around Bally Boys school for 7 years!!!
The traffic/parking for some 3000 staff would be impossible!
Unfiltered exhaust stacks in Balgowlah and Seaforth!!!
12 lanes wide at Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation near Seaforth
During construction, water waste into Manly Lagoon at Queenscliff, every day for 7 years.
The congestion on our local roads will be horrendous.
There are thousands of reasons why NOT to build this tunnel and hardly any reason why they should! There are so many other options!!
We should be looking at ways to reduce traffic NOT increase traffic on our roads.
Why are we not looking at a train system to Dee Why.
Improve public transport.
Look at raising Spit Bridge.
DO NOT destroy our open space, DO NOT cut down our trees and make it concrete city, DO NOT kill our sensitive eco system and what's left of our native wild life . Haven't we learnt anything!
And why do we need this tunnel?? For who??
This is just destruction for absolutely no reason!
I absolutely totally object to the tunnel!

To whom it may concern,
Having lived in the lower north shore for 15 years and having a child attending Neutral Bay Public school I wish to lodge my objections to the beaches link tunnel based on the following points:
- The EIS is not current and much of it was written before COVID. Therefore the facts and data it contains are not accurate to the current submission (e.g with respect to travel time data, and number of cars) as there is now much less dependency on peak hour travel as many people are now working from home or in flexible role. A new up to date post-COVID EIS needs to be written and resubmitted for community consultation.
- The Beaches tunnel has been declared up to the 'world's best standards' however this is not true as best practice would include filtration of the tunnel ventilation / emissions stacks. As plainly stated in the EIS, these will not be filtered and will cause environmental and health damage to the community and multiple schools in the area, including my son's school.
- The non-filtered emissions stacks will spew forth emissions over the suburbs of Cammeray and spread across the lower north shore. Increased car and truck exhaust fumes contain several extremely toxic substances including tiny particles that are hazardous for human rispiratory and circulatory health. This effect is hightened in the bodies of young children thus it is unacceptable that the tunnel emission stacks are non filtered and located in such close proximitary to schools.
- The cost benefit of the 16km road has not been adequately assessed as the data used in the ESI is 5 years out of date nor has other public transport options been considered or discussed with the community.
- This is a project that is using public money to construct a private toll road and is not for the benefit of the community.
- The primary dig site at flat rock gully is unsuitable as it will entail digging through layers of decade old dump site contaminated substances. The land contains asbestos, toxic gases and other unknown items that were legally allowed to be dumped last century and digging at this site will release noxious fumes and contribute to unacceptable levels of air, noise and environmental pollution.
- Flat rock is home to several protected species and the risk of contaminating nearby and downstream native wildlife corridor is unacceptable.
- This project encourages car travel and does not support the NSW Government's environmental and sustainability objectives or commitments.
In conclusion I object to the Beaches tunnel project going ahead. I suggest long term environmentally friendly options of train and buses be considered. I recommend a complete review of all options and putting it back to the community.

Please see attached submission

Please see attached.

I don't believe this has been well thought out and further community consultation is required. There is massive environmental impacts and why is there no bus lane incorporated into this!? The scale of this is outrageous.
I object the the project!!

I object to the Beaches Link Tunnel project for the following reasons;
The absence of public transport in the tunnel.
No real benefit for anyone in the end - years of construction and disruption for the community and the sea and land animals. No will not be fewer cars on the road. Is this really the future?
Destruction of Tunks Park as a public amenity. (Covid would have been so much worse for so many if this open green space had not been available for the community to use during lock down).
Disturbing the landfill under Tunks Park. What is under there? Does anyone understand the impact of disturbing this former rubbish site?
Disturbing the seabed sediment in Middle Harbour. What impact will there be on the water quality in Middle Harbour for humans and sea life. Will Northbridge Baths survive during construction or afterwards?
Lack of filtration on the many exhaust stacks. The location of these stacks with respect to the location of many schools. The number of children who will be impacted is unforgivable.

As a resident of Balgowlah Heights, and therefore likely to be a direct and frequent beneficiary of any improvements to local traffic infrastructure improvements, I nevertheless object to the Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway Connection Project in its current form for the following reasons:
1) I am not at all convinced by the projected travel time savings and reduction in traffic congestion claimed in the EIS. The claim is that there will be a saving of at least 30 minutes to get to the City from Balgowlah. Given that it already takes just over 35 minutes to get to the City this seems highly unlikely. Given that this is surely the overriding reason to build this tunnel then Transport for NSW absolutely must provide accurate and realistic data on time savings that will actually make a material difference to those planning to use it. Otherwise the expense and devastation to local communities and natural habitats simply cannot be justified. Furthermore, a drop in traffic congestion of just 11%, as claimed in the EIS, along Military Road, is once again simply not enough to warrant the largest infrastructure project ever to be carried out on the Northern Beaches. Surely similar results can be achieved through the use of public transport and better use of buses - which will very soon all be electric, also helping to keep the air clean around this area. The EIS, Chapter 4 (page 4-12) states “without measures to improve journey times by increasing the road efficiency or capacity, the addition of more buses to the network can contribute to congestion.” This is a simplistic response and indicates that not enough time has been spent on considering other less intrusive and damaging options to reduce congestion and improve travel to the City and beyond.
2) Should the project go ahead, in support of my local community I would insist that conditions are put in place to reduce the noise, traffic disruption, vibration and pollution effects of the construction work particularly on Balgowlah Boys School. This school is likely to be by far the most impacted by the construction phase and beyond through loss of green space and increase in traffic near the school. Mitigating measures must be put in place to ensure children are not at risk when crossing Maretimo Street and Sydney Road. Noise, dust and vibration must be halted during morning and afternoon drop-off times and of course during exams. Further mitigating measures such as building noise reduction walls and installing double glazing must also be part of the project.
3) I have been led to understand that the ventilation stacks will be unfiltered in order to save cost. The air around our community is very clean at the moment and any amount of extra car and truck exhaust pumped into the atmosphere will carry risks of cancer, asthma and other respiratory conditions, especially for young children attending schools close to the ventilation stacks. If the project does go ahead, these must therefore be filtered.
4) The Northern Beaches is currently rich in biodiversity through bushland and waterways and is one of the reasons it is so popular with tourists and locals alike. The prospect of more than 12 ha of this beautiful bushland being destroyed to make way for the tunnel seems to be at best counter-intuitive and at worst showing complete disregard for wildlife and natural beauty of this part of our city. This is particularly galling given that the community fought so hard to protect the land near Seaforth from being sold to developers in 2015 with a promise to return it intact to Manly Warringah War Memorial Park. This promise was made to compensate for the loss of rare bushland and biodiversity caused by the Manly Vale Public School expansion. It would be extremely disappointing if this promise was not kept by the Government.

Northern Beaches Tunnel Comments
I am not opposed to a tunnel to the Northern Beaches as such, in fact I believe it is only way to solve the current transport issues with the Spit Bridge and Military Road. However, I do not support the current design.
I am convinced that six lanes is an over design. The recently completed North Connex tunnel which diverts traffic from Pennant Hills Road has only four lanes to service a large proportion of the traffic between the major centres of Sydney and Newcastle. On the other hand, the Northern Beaches Tunnel will be the third main transport route to the Beaches and it is impossible for me to see why six lanes are required.
I have worked with fellow local professionals on estimates that show costs of the project greatly exceed benefits and cannot be justified economically. Both Infrastructure Australia and Infrastructure NSW rightly give the current proposal a low priority. The current deign does not allow for the almost certain impact of increased work from home which will further reduce the viability of the current design.
I am suggesting the following design issues be considered based on a review of traffic projections:
• Reduce to four lanes
• Consider deleting or deferring the tunnel leg to Balgowlah
• Allow for likely future changes in traffic and travel characteristics. This should include electric vehicles which may well dominate road traffic in the not-too-distant future, possibly within 10 years, a short time after the scheduled completion of the tunnel. Allow for increased use of public transport and new technologies including trackless trams in the tunnel.
I also have concerns with the possible rush to start the project to meet scheduled start date. This will incur high risks of schedule and cost overruns and reduce the attractiveness of the project to investors.
In summary I strongly suggest the project be deferred for a period while a thorough design review and cost benefit analysis are carried out.
Ian Sharp BE (Hons), ASTC, MIE Aust, CP Eng (ret)

Having carefully reviewed the latest design in the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for the Sydney Road entry to the Beaches Link (BL) tunnel, my comments follow

BACKGROUND



Residents from 7 suburbs - Seaforth, North Balgowlah, Balgowlah, Balgowlah Heights, Clontarf, Fairlight and Manly - are directly affected by the Sydney Road BL tunnel entry.



Residents travelling to and from the many suburbs north of us up the Peninsula are also directly affected given traffic already banks back up the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation significantly during peak hours and many “rat run” through Balgowlah and Seaforth to avoid that Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation congestion, further clogging Sydney Road.



A Beaches Link tunnel solution was first mooted in detail in the early 1990’s, nearly 30 years ago. It is difficult to achieve politically. The solution that is needed therefore needs to be a solution that will last at least 30-40 years and allows for the ever-increasing density of living in the many suburbs surrounding, and to the North, of the Sydney Road BL entry. Once the BL is built, history shows us that it will be a long time before the Government’s focus returns to the Sydney Road entry to the BL.



ISSUES/PROBLEMS WITH THE EXISTING DESIGN



The existing design for the Sydney Road entry to the Northern Beaches Link tunnel has several major faults:

It introduces 3 new sets of traffic lights on Sydney Road, on the new Access Road through Balgowlah Golf Course, and on the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation immediately before it enters the new tunnel. These new sets of traffic lights will cause traffic to bank up along Sydney Road - which is already congested, particularly at peak hours - quite likely back to Woodland Street to the East in the morning peak, and back to and through the Sydney Road/Manly Road intersection to the West in the afternoon and other peaks. They will also cause traffic to bank further back up the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation to the North in the morning peak given the new set of traffic lights immediately before the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation enters the new tunnel.
It completely alters the traffic flows for residents into Upper Balgowlah, Balgowlah Heights, Clontarf, and some parts of Seaforth and Fairlight. It has taken decades to get these traffic flows right as they now are. Maretimo Street is the major access to these suburbs having no traffic lights and good visibility on entry to Sydney Road, no speed bumps, and being the only wide street joining Sydney Road in Balgowlah. If it is cut off to entry to the new tunnel, as proposed, then residents will have to use either Wanganella Street (a narrow street with speed bumps + a primary/sub-primary school on it + traffic lights to Sydney Road) or drive further East to Seaview Street (narrow + a primary/sub-primary school on it + a thriving car service business which straddles both sides of the road + now 2 more sets of traffic lights) to access the tunnel. In other words, residents of these suburbs will have to travel circuitously around these suburbs congesting currently quieter streets in order to access the new tunnel. On exit from the BL tunnel narrow Wanganella Street will be the only option unless cars travel much further east through a further set of traffic lights to access Woodland Street - this access is dangerous and been the source of many accidents despite few people using it - it involves turning across the traffic speeding up the hill. It also clogs up Sydney Road by taking out the main lane through the Balgowlah Shops whilst cars queue up behind any car turning right into Woodland Street. Further, Woodland Street has speed bumps and narrows as it goes in to upper Balgowlah.
Residents will no longer be able to access the BP Petrol Station on the corner of Maretimo Street and Sydney Road if coming from the City either via the new BL tunnel or Manly Road. This is the only petrol station in the area.
The proposed design is most wasteful of valuable public land being the existing Balgowlah Golf Course. This land could have many uses now and in future years as it is so ideally located right near the BL tunnel entry/exit. The proposed Access Road and proposed placement of the new BL Service Centre both consumes, and compromises, use of that land.


SOLUTION TO THESE ISSUES/PROBLEMS (see attachment)



There is a simple solution to all of these issues now that the Tunnel has been moved to sit directly under the Sydney Road/Manly Road intersection:

Build a short steep tunnel entry/exit one lane each way in the middle of Sydney Road near the Sydney Road/Manly Road intersection. These 2 one lane tunnels would connect to the BL tunnel underground with one entry tunnel joining the BL tunnel travelling South and one exit tunnel joining the BL tunnel travelling North. This ensures smooth and easy entry to and exit from the BL tunnel from Sydney Road, avoids the need for 3 new sets of traffic lights and a new Access Road and, as a result, improves traffic flows and travel times significantly from the proposed design.
Widen Sydney Road from the Sydney Road/Manly Road intersection to near Maretimo Street to allow for the 2-3 lanes taken out of Sydney Road by the 2 new one lane each way BL tunnel entry/exit roads. This returns Sydney Road to its current traffic capacity.
Remove the proposed Access Road through the Balgowlah Golf Course and the associated works and traffic lights on both Sydney Road and the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation. This will enable traffic to flow freely along both Sydney Road and the entry to and exit from the new BL tunnel. It will also return valuable public land to the public and save significant costs.
Move the Service Centre to be sited either immediately before or above the BL tunnel entry with access to Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation on both sides of it. If this is not possible, site it on the existing Balgowlah Golf Course land but right against the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation so it consumes as little land as possible.
Traffic flows and accesses to Sydney Road, including Maretimo Street, to remain as currently. This ensures existing access to upper Balgowlah, Balgowlah Heights, Clontarf, and some parts of Seaforth and Fairlight remains as currently. After decades of getting this right it currently works as well as can be expected for residents of these suburbs.
By leaving access to Maretimo Street as currently, residents can continue to access the BP Petrol Station on the corner of Maretimo Street and Sydney Road if coming from the City either via the new BL tunnel or Manly Road. This is the only petrol station in the area.


EASE OF CONSTRUCTION



Importantly, this solution significantly eases construction and traffic congestion during construction, by:

Eliminating the existing proposed works in and around the existing Balgowlah Golf Course and Sydney Road.
Significantly reducing the existing proposed roadworks required on the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation thereby further reducing construction and traffic congestion.
The suggested new works on Sydney Road could be easily scheduled. The lanes into the City would remain unaffected. The lanes out of the City could be unaffected by building the suggested additional lanes on Sydney Road first and then re-directing the traffic from the City on to those lanes once it is completed. This would then free up the existing Sydney Road lanes out of the City for use in the construction of the 2 one lane tunnels connecting Sydney Road to the BL tunnel. This construction site would effectively be an island in the middle of Sydney Road until such time as it is completed and open to traffic. By so scheduling, all traffic can travel freely in and out of the City on Sydney Road throughout the construction stages of the BL tunnel.


PROJECT FUNDING



Funding for the above solutions would come from 2 sources:

$50m the Federal Government promised at the last Federal Election to assist in resolution of the above issues in respect of the Sydney Road entry to the BL tunnel.
Savings from NOT going ahead with the existing design inclusive of the 3 sets of new traffic lights, multiple new roadworks on the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation and Sydney Road, and elimination of the Access Road and associated works through the existing Balgowlah Golf course.



The solution proposed solves all the problems of the existing design and returns substantial valuable land to public use.

I object to the Beaches Link due to the following reasons:
the lack of a published business case;
the cost and lack of value for money;
the fact that the government were told not to look at public transport alternatives;
the impact of construction and noise for 5 years on Cammeray and Naremburn for no net positive impact;
the impact on schools in North Sydney and in the area from the unfiltered stacks located in Ernest Street;
the loss of green area particularly around Flat Rock and the impact on the harbour due to dredging;
the fact that the government knows this project does not stack up and they are still going ahead with it.

This tunnel is unnecessary and will be an environmental disaster.

I am a home owner in Cammeray and have children who will be attending Cammeray public school.
I object to smoke stacks being built within the Cammeray and lower north shore area.

Submission for the Beaches Link Tunnel
As a parent of a current year 8 Bally Boys student who will be heavily impacted in his senior years by the construction of the tunnel and as a Balgowlah resident, I wish to make the following objections:
I am deeply concerned about the impact to current and future Bally Boys students and staff in relation to high levels of dust, noise and also in regard to pedestrian and cyclist safety for children travelling to and from the school. Once the tunnel is complete, I am further concerned about the proposed ventilation stack, which will see a definite increase in levels of air toxins in a 1.2km radius. The long term effects of these air toxins is unknown and yet it has been decided that ‘not enough people will suffer medically as a result of the toxins to justify the expenditure on filtration’. Similar ventilation stacks in European countries are fitted with filtration systems. Why not here? I also wish for the Balgowlah Oval to be kept intact, including the trees surrounding it, and kept open for safe access to the Bally Boys community, who have so little outdoor green space to use.

My second point concerns the potential damage to the Burnt Bridge Creek. It is not only a vital ecological corridor for local flora and fauna but a well-used recreational track for walkers, cyclists and dog-walkers. It is predicted that there will be a 96% reduction in creek flow after the completion of the tunnel project. This will render the creek little more than a storm-water channel and will likely decimate the lizard, wading bird and cormorant populations that my family regularly see there. Additionally, what effect will this loss of flow have on the protected grey-headed flying fox colony? This species is crucial for our native forests due to their role as pollinators and seed dispersers.

I have similar concerns with regard to the proposed widening of the Wakehurst Parkway. I am not satisfied that the large-scale damage to bushland through tree/habitat removal and the run-off of polluted water into the dam can be compensated for through the ‘biobanking’ process. Some threatened species such as the Eastern Pygmy Possum and the Red Crowned Toadlet will likely be wiped out as they will not ‘move house’ to newly rehabilitated or acquired areas of bushland. The widened parkway will also be more visible and audible from a larger area and there will inevitably be a large increase in wildlife roadkill.

I am also worried about the toxic sludge in Middle Harbour which will be disturbed during the construction process causing potential pollution throughout Middle Harbour, including the dog beach at Sandy Bay and the children’s swimming area at Clontarf reserve, both heavily used recreational areas. Experts in this field have stated that no toxic sludge curtain has been proven to be 100% effective.

My last point addresses the time savings anomaly pointed out by so many. I often travel to the city by public transport from Balgowlah in about 35 minutes. How will the tunnel therefore save me 30 minutes? Am I to understand that my journey will take only 5 or 10 minutes with the tunnel? Additionally, why is there no provision for a bus lane in the tunnel? Modern and growing cities around the world are trying to remove cars from the road and are investing heavily in public transport. Why are we so married to our cars in this country? I also understand that modelling for the tunnel time savings and traffic reduction figures along Military Road were completed before the B-line buses were introduced. These buses are fast, frequent and well-used. More up-to-date modelling must take these into consideration. How can a small reduction in traffic volumes through the Mosman area justify the enormous expense and the huge human and environmental cost to be borne by suburbs such as Balgowlah and Seaforth?

A further comment about "dodgy accounting" which I hope is consistent with my previous submission is that while funds can be moved from account A to account D it is rather difficult to move a biological community from location A to location D, such as parts of the Duffy's Forest community, as even a simple grass playing field of manmade turf has grass, the microbes,fungi, worms and insects and worms that live in the soil where the soil at A is sandy and at D is a clay loam. It doesn't work so well. Moving a forest ecosystem is more akin to moving a whole suburb, as forests are not just a bunches of trees and some animals like a pet shop but a whole complex community. The cost of moving Mosman to Ingleside is the nearest equivalent engineering equivalent I can imagine. (My apologies to Professor Mark Westoby if I misquoted his example from a 1970s Ecology class at Macquarie University).
I also believe that the creation of a 6 lane dual carriageway along Wakehurst Parkway south of French's Forest is just the resurresction of the freeway plan from the late 1950's that was shown in the Sydney Area Transport Study from the mid to lat 1970s and totally unnecessaryexcept for spending of Federal Roads Funding which would be better spent on congestion reduction elsewhere (rail, trams even buses).
I note that there is no flood mitigation in any of the informantion that has been shown at meetings locally. Old work on Wakehurst Parkway back in the 1960s and 1970s led to flooding even when it wasn's supposed to. With minimal stream flows from the new roadworks I believe from local knowledge that flooding is highly likely just from walking locally. I think that there will be several major retailers and lots of residents upset about that likelyhood. I have heard nothing about flood abatement at all. A pity.

EIS Submission Flat Rock Gully


I object the Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway Connection.


For the following reasons:

• This project is an environmental disaster that will cause irreparable damage to the environment for an unnecessary and already outdate tunnel that has no scope for public transport options.
• With all the technology and all of the smarts we have in 2021, we should ONLY be building infrastructure that is innovative, sustainable and works with nature NOT against it. These 3 key points should be a mandate to all future infrastructure planning and development.
• Sydney should be city that is a leader of innovative and sustainable infrastructure, yet we are still stuck in the mindset of planning a city for what people needed and how people travelled around in the 1970’s.
• The EIS is incomplete, it is missing vital studies of all bushland including Flat Rocky Gully, there is NO mention of the multiple endangered species such as the Powerful Owl, 3 x bat species & the Grey-headed Flying Fox, plus the other14 threatened species that will all lose their homes and habitats in this area.
• The EIS fails to mention that there will be removal of the old growth and threatened flora species.
• The dive site in Flat Rock Gully must be moved to an already cleared and or developed area, there are plenty of them around, it is absurd that this was even a consideration.
• Surely an area that does not require so much sandstone to be dug out would make much more common sense.
• There is no impact study on the cause and effect for the future survival of native species with significant concern to, vegetation loss, no shelter and no food. The stress they suffer from noise and vibrations, no study on native species ability to breed under stressful conditions. What will happen to all of the insects, reptiles, mammals and birds? These species make up our ecological system without them we suffer too!!! It has been scientifically proven over and over again animals have emotions and yet they have not even been considered within the EIS?
• Mental health - Flat Rock Gully saved thousands during COVID when thousands of people, many families more discovered this peaceful and tranquil area. It has always been a refuge for locals to escape the hustle and bustle. John Barilaro stated on Monday January 04, 2021 “You have to think about people’s mental health, the desire to get out there and have aspects of a normal life, recreational aspects, sport, they all give us a sense of wellbeing. Reports come to my desk on the very sad outcomes when people’s mental health suffers. We’ll strike the balance.” My personal mental health is suffering severely over this project and the thought more bushland will be destroyed, more flora and fauna will die, the waterways will be dredged which will also kill sea creatures and sea plants – and us humans loose out on my green space and the quality of the water we drink and swim in will be jeopardised. I do not sleep well, I feel stressed and upset all of the time. What a massive contradiction stating that sport is good for our mental health while you are ruthlessly destroying our amazing nature areas.
• After the emotional scarring that millions of Australian’s are still dealing with after the 2019/2020 bushfires, we lost millions of hectares of vegetation and millions of native animals, we cannot continue to clear land and knowingly destroy over 3000 trees and native species for a vehicle tunnel. This has the potential to completely wipe out endangered native animals, or add more to the list of threatened and enlarged list – hasn’t NSW already caused the extinction rates to be the highest we have ever had in the last 5 years? It is a humans job to protect our wonderful bushland and animals, not treat them as though they in the way.
• This is lazy, cheap, immoral, unethical planning.
• Sydney’s Public Spaces campaign, currently there is a campaign lead by the NSW Government. It states “They are our streets, public facilities and open spaces. Public spaces are all places publicly owned or of public use, accessible and enjoyable by all for free and without a profit motive”. - United Nations. This campaign is another total contradiction when this project will cause long-term destruction to Flat Rock Gully, Manly Damn, Middle Harbour, Sydney Harbour etc etc.
• This project costs just as much as an overseas tunnel which links countries that are far longer, yet this tunnel is only 15kms long, so basically $1 billion but kilometre. We could use that on an extensive metro system, or a fast train to regional areas.
• The tunnel is only going to cause huge congestion at the Sydney Harbour Tunnel. Three tunnels into one another underwater has never been attempted anywhere in the world, this sounds extremely risky and dangerous, there will too much weight and pressure when vehicles are stopped for hours on end when there is crash or break down in one of the tunnels.
• Increased Pollution from open ventilation stacks is very worrying. The West Connex had 6 air pollution exceedance within the first weeks of opening, during COVID when it rarely had any traffic.
• Toxic chemicals dredged from the water will mean the water is unusable for years and years on end.
• Asbestos and other toxic chemical will be dug up at Flat Rock Gully.
• Paris Climate Agreement – the points above prove this project is not aligned to this agreement which Australia has signed up to therefore it cannot and should not go ahead.
• Traffic congestion Brooke Street, Naremburn and Willoughby Road, Willoughby are already over traffic capacity, diverting and adding thousands of trucks is for over 5 years is completely unpractical and very dangerous.
• Trucks carrying tonnes of sandstone will struggle driving up the steep ascents of Flat Rock Gully Reserve meaning they will be driving very slow, using lots of diesel to make it up the steep ascents, plus causing more danger to cars travelling around in and around them and pedestrians trying to cross the limited crossings within these areas.
• These suburbs have no access to this new tunnel, yet they are going to be used and abused for years to come to benefit wealthier areas.
• The target demographic of people who use their cars all of the time are Baby Boomers as it was a ‘status symbol’, Millennials however are far more environmentally conscious and would rather use public transport, car-share, cycling and walking. The Baby Boomer generation will be mainly retired in 12-15 years when this tunnel is completed, and it will not meet the needs of the next generations.
• Electric and self-drive vehicles, car-share, Ubers, trains, light rail, cycling and walking are the future of transport, therefore less house-holds will require ownership of their own car.
• Sydney-siders want and need better access to public transport.
• I will never use the M8 due to the horrific destruction of the environment and the 800+ plus houses that were destroyed, plus the on-going air quality issues this road has. If the Northern Beaches Link project goes ahead and causes the proposed destruction of the environment, I refuse to use it.
• The only people who will benefit from this tunnel are people who are to profit from toll roads who clearly have a complete disregard and lack of empathy to the damage it will cause.
• Sydney-siders would rather the previously proposed Metro project to the Northern Beaches, are far better modern solution that can transport thousands vs 1 person per car in hours of gridlock.
• Sydney-siders want the NSW Government to protect what’s left of our bushlands.
• You can replant trees, but you CANNOT replant insects, reptiles, mammals, birds and marine life, once they are gone it’s forever.
• Sydney-siders want viable sustainable and innovative transport options.
• If a tunnel must go in, then it needs to be done in a way that does not do so much irreparable damage to the environment as we are already in a Climate emergency.
• COVID-19 has changed the way everybody works, studies have shown many people will not be returning to offices, the studies and research in this EIS project are extremely outdated and do not factor in modern 2021 and beyond.
• Modern cities do not need more roads, modern cities require innovative and sustainable public transport systems, updates to existing roads or running tunnels under them makes more common sense.

I strongly, wholeheartedly, morally and ethically object to the Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway Connection.

Thank you for your time,
Benita Dwyer

References:
https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/News/2020/Sydneysiders-take-to-green-space-during-the-COVID-19-pandemic
https://cityhubsydney.com.au/2020/07/dusty-tunnel-causes-air-quality-breaches/
https://oeh.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3pHHeBSDkHRpuZf?fbclid=IwAR0OQbBIWi0CRNTwQh1A_WFnba2Dc_sZ7qQGe2hxeLuab1ntT9sT1rT7_U0
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydneysiders-the-nations-biggest-users-of-public-transport-for-work-commute-20171023-gz632p.html
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-20/clay-millennials-are-driving-the-shift-away-from-cars/5906406