North West Rail Link - Civil Works

See accompanying documentation:
letter from BP Australia
letter from Walsh Consulting town planning specialists
letter from GTA Consultants traffic specialists

See Attachments

See attached

Dear Sir/ Madam,



We are writing to you to register our objection to the planned building of a services facility at Cheltenham Oval for the NW Rail


We have met with representatives of your department and raised our objections and we have also offered a logical, practical alternative. With respect, we do not believe that the M2 slipway alternative is being considered at all. We believe that the plan is to build the road from Kirkham Road alongside the M2 through the bush to the netball courts. Furthermore, the plan is to demolish the netball courts and adjacent playground and parking areas and, potentially, the amenities block. It is unclear if this work will encroach onto Cheltenham Oval itself.


The demolition of the netball courts and other facilities seems to us to be the critical issue in this whole matter. We understand the need for a service facility for the underground railway. We challenge however, that a large building needs to replace the netball courts and other community recreation facilities. This building will remain a permanent structure to operate the services facility on an ongoing basis. We see a number of critical issues here including:


� - The destruction of the bushland

� - The demolition of existing community facilities which are used extensively by

o All local schools, including Arden School, Cheltenham Girls High, Beecroft Primary, North Epping Primary

o Sports clubs including soccer, cricket, netball, tennis

o Residents

� Parents and their children using the very good playground facilities

� -The safety and security of children

� - Elimination of parking facilities



We also challenge the notion that the roads around the service facility, in particular Castle Howard Road, but also Kirkham and Boronia Road will be able to cope with the trucks and other traffic which will be necessary to build this facility.


Another extraordinary suggestion is that, once construction is complete, the services facility will be accessed by staff and emergency vehicles from Castle Howard Road from a point where it is a single laneway. This will inevitably lead to an increase in traffic and serious risk of accidents on all roads in the area - all of which are very narrow and used by children using the Cheltenham Oval facilities. Castle Howard Road is effectively a one-way road (see the attached photographs). We question the research of the NW Rail people in recommending this option.


In an age where there is so much focus on obesity and the need for exercise for not only our children but also the community at large, we cannot understand why the Government would support even considering destroying existing facilities. It is not as if these facilities are in a state of disrepair. The netball courts were resurfaced a few years ago, and Council has just spent a large amount of money on installing a highly effective drainage system for Cheltenham Oval.


There is a logical, practical alternative to this flawed plan. On the other side of Kirkham Road, there is a scout hall. (We should point out that there are two scout halls in Beecroft/Cheltenham and the one off Kirkham Road seems to be rarely used.) This location, as far as we can see, meets as many, if not more, of NW Rail's criteria for this contentious building.


On behalf of the local community, we request the following:


� The installation of a vehicle counter on Castle Howard Road at the top of the hill where is becomes Oaklands Road. We also request that the results are made public

� An onsite inspection by senior executives of NW Rail with local community representatives when the Cheltenham Oval facilities are being used

� A thorough investigation on why the scout hall site could not be used for this building


We sincerely believe that the overall impact on the community will be significantly less if this facility is built at the scout hall site and the existing facilities at Cheltenham Oval remain for the safe use and enjoyment of the community. In terms of a risk assessment, it has to be a better option.

Attached please see some photographs which support our case


Sincerely


Ray and Margaret Dearlove

52 Castle Howard Road

Cheltenham 2119

See attached.