NorthConnex

Congratulations on the initiative of the NSW Government's Department of Planning and Environment to plan to develop the NorthConnex M1 - M2 Project.
However, it would appear that the proposed Emissions Stack at Wahroonga is planned to be installed without credentials of satisfactory FILTERING, safety and security, particularly relating to Health, that have yet been tested for a similar stack anywhere else in the world.
In essence, this will be an unproven experiment for Wahroonga. In the event that this stack should prove to be a health hazard, I ask that this cautionary submission asking for satisfactory filtering be retained and used in any future Class Action Case,

I am a resident of West Pennant Hills with my son who catches buses on Karloon Road to school. I am concerned for the safety of my children if construction vehicles are allowed to travel along our local streets.

Someone will be killed and it won't be an accident because I am warning you about the danger and it is your obligation to stop this from happening.

I suggest to allow the Northconnex south bound construction trucks to turn right from Pennant Hills Road into their compound at the set of lights at the junction of Pennant Hills road and Copeland Road South bound.

Dear Sir/Madam

I object to the tunnel for the following reasons

1. The Northconnex organization is not providing accurate analysis and information - they keep comparing this project with the cross city and lane cove tunnels - besides being inaccurate, this is also an insult to the intelligence of us ordinary folk, who will be affected by this project. Let me explain - this tunnel will be much longer than the other tunnels that they are comparing it with and another major point of difference will be frequented by upto 5,000 heavy diesel trucks and thousands of cars per day

2. The modeling cheerily assumes that trucks and cars will be cruising comfortably at 70 to 80kmh. What about traffic jams at peak hour? The whole design of this tunnel, with smoke stacks only at either end, depends on fast moving traffic drawing fumes out of either ends of the tunnel - but what if the traffic is slow moving at certain times of the day?

3. Given that double B trucks and tankers carrying highly inflammable petrol or dangerous chemicals will also be frequenting this tunnel, what modeling has been done for a 1 in 1000 catastrophic crash involving a tanker explosion deep in the bowels of this giant tunnel? History has shown that such horrific crashes have occurred in Europe, and these were in cases, were far fewer and smaller trucks have been frequenting those tunnels.

4. It is also incomprehensible for the northern smoke stack to be located in the middle of a quiet residential area with dozens of schools, a major shopping centre and the growing suburbs of Waitara and Hornsby within a 1.5 km radius. The modeling assumes that wind will disperse the daily fumes of 5,000 heavy diesel trucks and many thousands of cars - but what if there is no wind - the carcinogenic and highly toxic particulate matter will settle in the surroundings and be breathed by the lungs of the residents and the thousands of school children in the vicinity.

5. The whole project has been modeled on the basis of having cost as the priority and not the health of the community - this is the only reason why the smoke stack is located in Wahroonga.

6. It would be far more logical to extend the tunnel to Asquith and have the smoke stack in an industrial area.

7. The comment by Northconnex that filters on the smokestack would do not offer any benefits from a cost perspective. I find this comment as well to be offensive and at the expense of being dramatic bordering on criminality. Can you really put a price on the health and well being of tens of thousands of adults and children in the area? Is this the society we wish to live in, where advanced filtration is not considered primarily because of cost? Where is the detailed analysis to prove that in an area of little wind, having a short smoke stack without filters would not pose a health hazard?

8. You have also received submissions from people who are far more expert in this field then myself - cancer and thoracic specialists, who appear to share my own view.

9. I therefore urge you, in the name of common decency and humanity to NOT allow this project to proceed in its current state. This state has had a history of building tunnels and later finding major errors in the and then attempting to either partially fix or ignore these errors.


Thank you
Arshan Daver

I object to the project as described in the EIS with the unfiltered exhaust stack of unproven design at residential space at Fern Av, Wahroonga.

I am concerned that the dispersion of particles will be grossly inadequate resulting in serious health consequences for local residents over a wide area.

To address this concern, I request the following:

1. that the Dept of Planning does not approve the project in its current form
2. relocation of the exhaust stake to industrial area with favorable topography, or
3. alternative transport options be considered

Yours Sincerely
Peter Chan
1 Churchill Ave
Wahroonga
NSW 2076

I object to the project as described in the EIS with the unfiltered exhaust stack of unproven design at residential space at Fern Av, Wahroonga.

I am concerned that the dispersion of particles will be grossly inadequate resulting in serious health consequences for local residents over a wide area.

To address this concern, I request the following:

1. that the Dept of Planning does not approve the project in its current form
2. relocation of the exhaust stake to industrial area with favorable topography, or
3. alternative transport options be considered

Yours Sincerely
Pauline Chan
1 Churchill Ave
Wahroonga
NSW 2076

To whom it may concern,

My family home, owned by my mother, is immediately opposite the unfiltered Northern ventilation shaft and the Northern portal of the NorthConnex tunnel project. My sister (an asthmatic) and her 3 young children live at this address. Her 10 year old son is an asthmatic.

I strongly object to the project in the form set down in the EIS. Therefore I want the Department of Planning and NorthConnex to take into account the following grounds for my objection:

1. The location of an unfiltered ventilation shaft for the 9.2km tunnel is highly inappropriate being in the centre of a residential area that contains within a 1-1.5km radius approx 9,200 school and preschool children, as well as elderly occupants in a number of aged care facilities. Unlike other tunnel projects in Sydney there are alternatives for locating
the stack and portals in non-residential areas eg by locating them further north.

2. I am extremely concerned about the impact on health of the emissions from diesel and other trucks and from the predicted large volume of traffic bypassing Pennant Hills Road (ie assuming modelling of predicted usage is more accurate than that for the Lane Cove Tunnel). Numerous research studies
have concluded that traffic emissions contribute to death by affecting the heart and lungs and by causing strokes. Studies suggest that children's lung development is impeded and asthma increased as a result of vehicle pollutants which include exhaust and other vehicle micro particles eg from brake linings.

The World Health Organisation has classified diesel emissions as carcinogenic. Medical representatives from the Asthma Foundation and University of Sydney Adult & Paediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery and Public Health & Community Medicine supported these research findings at a recent community meeting.

3. I am not at all satisfied with the continued NorthConnex claim that there will be no effect on community health from the two unfiltered ventilation stacks - the claim that residents will be 'better off' is totally unsubstantiated and is, indeed, highly questionable in the light of existing research. Residents in the vicinity of the ventilation shaft and portal will be exposed to pollutants accumulated from the full 9.2km tunnel, not just
from traffic passing by as at present. Monitoring of air quality by the successful tender company is not acceptable.

4. I am also concerned about the quality of air in the 9.2km tunnel and the effect on the health of drivers, especially during delays. The EIS states the tunnel air quality will have exceedences above standards for pollutants such as NO2.

5. I am concerned that the air quality modelling of the northern stack in the EIS is flawed:
- meteorological data is from other non-local weather stations inconsistent with the local meteorology, topography and valley location. 
- polluted intake air from the Pennant Hills/M2 interchange is not recognised in the EIS as contributing to air 'quality' at Wahroonga.
- the background air quality is based on air quality at Lindfield and Prospect and lacks any actual data on PM2.5

6. I am concerned about the effect on Wahroonga community cohesion resulting from the planned Northern shaft. Already a significant number of long-term residents have sold up rather than be exposed to the pollution exiting the shaft and portal and to the construction disturbance.

7. I am very dissatisfied with the lack of transparency in the planning process in which criteria for assessing alternative options are not available. This is especially significant during the current ICAC investigations - the successful tender company will have a virtual monopoly on metropolitan traffic tunnels.

8. I am concerned that the financial and other justification for not providing filtration for the stacks is unconvincing and shortsighted. The company (and government) claim that filtration is too expensive - however the company recently returned high dividends to its shareholders. The potential medical costs for remedying the health of affected persons must be avoided.

To address my concerns I request that the following actions are undertaken: 

1. The air quality and human health impact assessment need to be revised to address the issues raised above.

2. An independent options assessment process should be undertaken to assess alternative locations for the ventilation stack and portals.

3. To undertake a Life Cycle Analysis and assessment for the provision of filtration.

4. A long term health study on children and residents in areas impacted by stack discharges be included as part of the conditions of approval.

5. A comprehensive air quality monitoring program is developed and implemented.

6. An independent review of the ventilation system is undertaken to ensure that NorthConnex's claim of no portal emissions is justified.

7. Portal emissions from NorthConnex in the future are banned.

8. The Submissions Report/Preferred Project be exhibited to allow the community to respond to the revised information contained in the report.

9. The Department does not approve the project in its current form as it clearly does not meet the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development as required by the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act.

I thank you for considering this submission.

Yours faithfully,
Christopher Hotop

I have a high level of concern regarding the following issues and request that these be considered by NorthConnex and the Department Of Planning. In regards to the NorthConnex tunnel, I am concerned about:

1) Placement of the northern ventilation stack in the centre of a densely populated residential area in Wahroonga, where approx. 9,300 school children will be exposed, as well as multiple aged care facilities, Hospitals, businesses and homes.

2) I am highly concerned about the multiple large scale research studies that suggest the impacts of air pollutants on health are serious.
These include increased death from heart disease, increased risks of lung cancer,stroke, poor lung growthin children, increased Asthma, and recent research suggesting low birth weight for pregnant women, increased autism, and congential heart defects.
These studies confirm air pollutants have prothrombotic and inflammatory effects on humans which cause the above health problems.

I request that the department of planning does not approve the project in its current form.

I suggest that an alternant transport options to ease congestion on pennant hills rd be considered such as an orbital surface route

see attached

It is imperative that further consideration be given to the construction of the south-west exit ramp & tunnel onto the M2. The earlier plan was to have the exit near Barclay Road which was known to residents. This present plan is a violation of the rights of people with regard to their health & well-being.

see attached

see attached

Dear Director - Infrastructure Projects

NorthConnex Application Number: SSI 13_6136

This is my submission in response to the exhibition of the EIS for NorthConnex.

I would like to state that I object to the location of the northern ventilation stack and portal exit emission as described in the EIS.

I am a local resident of Wahroonga and I reside less than 50 metres away from your proposed location of the ventilation stack and portal exit emission. I am extremely concerned about property values near the northern ventilation stack and portal exit of the NorthConnex in Wahroonga and I believe that the property values in the surrounding area will be affected negatively due to the tunnel exit emission and ventilation stack.

Many current evidences prove that the negative impact to the property value has been happening in the Wahroonga since the location of the northern ventilation stack and portal emission was announced.

13 of total 39 properties between Junction Road and Alexandria Parade along the west side of M1 were thrown on the market after the location of the stack and portal exit announced.

The SMH of 09-08-2014 released a property growth chart for 2014 which indicated that Wahroonga has fallen into the one of the10 lowest growth suburbs with only 3.9% growth.

The information from Your Investment Property shows that house growth in Wahroonga was10.90% in the last 12 months and 0% in the last quarter (see the link: http://www.yourinvestmentpropertymag.com.au/top-suburbs/nsw-2076-wahroonga.aspx ). The timing of this data perfectly corresponds to release of the location of the stack and portal exit, further reinforcing the fact that the recently negative impact in Wahroonga property prices has been directly caused by the stack and portal exit's planned location.

How can you guarantee that the prices of the properties around the proposed stack and portal exit will not be affected negatively? How can you guarantee that these houses will continue to sell at the value that they would be worth if there had been no stack and portal exit?

Wahroonga's current 3.9% property value growth, in comparison to an overall average of more than 10% property value growth in the rest of Sydney, does not support any evidence for increasing property growth within the stack and portal exit area.

In future, any growth figure of the property value near the northern stack and portal exit in Wahroonga once below the rest of Sydney, does not support any evidence for increasing property growth within the stack and portal exit area either.

There is no way to guarantee that the prices of the properties around the proposed stack and portal exit will not be affected negatively. There is also no way to guarantee that these houses will continue to sell at the value that they would be worth if there had been no stack and portal exit?

The fair test probably is that for the same property of the fixed price, do people prefer the property with tunnel stack and portal exit emission nearby or without the tunnel stack and portal exit emission nearby?

Therefore, I believe that the proposed location of the stack and portal exit will negatively affect property values in adjacent areas. As a result of the negative impact, the residents of the affected areas will suffer financial, emotional and potential psychological problems that may eventually lead a series of diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, stroke, cancer and even psychological disorders. For local residents, the health risks of the negative impact of the property value to human beings are the same as the aforementioned risks of air pollution that will be produced from the stack and portal exit.

To address these residential concerns, I request that the Department of Planning does not approve the project in its current form.

I also request that the Department of Planning consider the issues raised above and relocate the stack and portal exit to a non-residential area such as park area.

We strongly object to the project as described in the EIS for the following reasons:

1.The placement of the northern ventilation stack in the centre of a densely populated residential area will adversely affect the health of thousands of people because there are many schools, aged care facilities, hospitals, businesses and homes that will be exposed to the pollutants.

2.Multiple large scale research studies have confirmed that air pollutants bring increased risk of lung cancer, asthma, stroke, poor lung growth in children, low birth weight and many other serious health problems.

We request that the following actions be taken:

* The department of planning does not approve the project in its current form, because of the significant health concerns.

* Alternative transport options to ease congestion on Pennant Hills Rd be considered such as an orbital surface route.

Thank you,

Allan and Anne Gibson

Director - Infrastructure Projects
Department of Planning and Environment
Number: SSI 13_6136
Major Projects Assessment
GPO Box 39
SYDNEY NSW 2001

NorthConnex Application Number: SSI 13_6136

Please find below my submission in response to the exhibition of the EIS for NorthConnex.

Firstly I would like to state I object to the project as described in the EIS.

I have a high level of concern regarding the following issues and request that these be considered by NorthConnex and the Department of Planning. In regards to the NorthConnex tunnel, I am concerned about:

1. Placement of the northern ventilation stack in the centre of a densely populated residential area in Wahroongah, where 9,300 school children will be exposed, as well as multiple aged care facilities, hospitals, businesses and homes.

2. I am highly concerned about the multiple large scale research studies that suggest the impacts of air pollutants on health are serious. These include increased death from heart disease, increased risk of lung cancer, stroke, poor lung growth in children, increased asthma, and recent research suggesting low birth weight for pregnant women, increased autism, and congenital heart defects. These studies confirm air pollutants have prothrombotic and inflammatory effects on humans which cause the above health problems.

To address my concerns I request that the following actions are undertaken:

1. Due to the significant health concerns of the current project design, I request the department of planning does not approve the project in it's current form.

2. I also request that alternative transport options to ease congestion on Pennant Hills Rd be considered such as an orbital surface route.

Please find below my submission in response to the exhibition of the EIS for NorthConnex.

Firstly I would like to state that I object to the project as described in the EIS.

I have a high level of concern regarding the following issues and request that these be considered by NorthConnex and the Department of Planning. In regards to the NorthConnex tunnel:
1. I am highly concerned about the placement of the northern ventilation stack in the centre of a densely populated residential area of Wahroonga, where 9,300 schoolchildren will be exposed, as well as multiple aged care facilities, hospitals, businesses and homes.
2. I am highly concerned about the effect of the proposal in relation to the proposed placement of the ventilation stack and the disbursement of the concentrated vehicle emissions on the health and wellbeing of the population both in the immediate and surrounding suburbs which will be affected depending on prevailing wind conditions.
3. I am highly concerned about the multiple large scale research studies that suggest the impacts of air pollutants on health are serious. These include increased death from heart disease, increased risks of lung cancer, stroke, and poor lung growth in children, increased asthma, and recent research suggesting low birth weight for pregnant women, increased autism, and congenital heart defects. These studies confirm that air pollutants have prothrombotic and inflammatory effects on humans which cause the above health problems.

To address my concerns I request that the following actions are undertaken:
1. Due to significant health concerns of the current project design, I request that the Department of Planning does not approve the project in it's current form.
2. I also request that alternative transport options to ease congestion on Pennant Hills Road be considered such as an orbital surface route.

surely no-one could sanction the present plan of NorthConnex for the south-west tunnel to the on-ramp for the M2. This ramp is basically in the backyards of residents. The thousands of trucks coming out of the tunnel & slowing down to enter the M2 will be spewing enormous amounts of harmful carcinogenic emissions into the area in such close proximity.
The present plan cannot be condoned.

In addition to my previous submission, I have read and endorse the CAPS submission.

I cannot support the design of the tunnel, as outlined in the EIS because vulnerable people in the local community will bear a disproportionate cost for the benefit of Transurban's profits.

I am also writing on behalf of my family, as well as all the children living, playing, and attending schools within three kilometers of the two exhaust stacks, whose future health will be compromised by the increased, unfiltered pollution emitted by them. It is not rational to believe that Transurban can collect nine kilometers of exhaust gas, concentrate it, then blow it into a residential community from stacks that are below temperature-inversion height, and expect no ill effects.

My family is, at present, living less than 700 metres from the proposed northern stack. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. At the recent Doctors' Forum, it was stated that 180 chemical compounds are emitted from the exhausts of vehicles (air toxics). XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, I know it is difficult to assess the toxicity of one compound, and impossible to assess the toxicity of a mixture of compounds and how they act synergistically. I do know that children are more susceptible, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Benzene is a major pollutant, especially from diesel engines. High volumes of trucks through the tunnels will ensure high levels of concentrated pollutants, especially benzene.

The northern exhaust stack, as presently designed, will commence a laboratory experiment on all the children who live, play, and go to school in Wahroonga. Unhappily, I know from experience what the result will be on those susceptible children.

The doctor we have been seeing for many years, has treated patients who have lived close to other exhaust stacks in Sydney. These people, when they realise the cause of their illness, quietly move to reduce their economic loss, and improve their health. It is of no benefit to them to publicise their plight for fear of even greater loss of property values I expect the same will happen in Wahroonga if the design, as set out in the EIS, remains intact.

Wahroonga has a disproportionately high number of schools, hospitals, and aged-care facilities compared to most suburbs of Sydney. It has never been an industrial area. Clean air and water are basic requirements for good health. Those who are more vulnerable (babies in utero, children, the elderly, the sick, those with chronic medical conditions) need the continuation of the residential, recreational, educational, and environmental amenity. of their local community.

Transurban's primary responsiblilty is to their shareholders, not the local community. They are not part of our community, despite purporting to help it. This tunnel, as designed, should not be approved.

NorthConnex Application Number: SSI 13_6136

Please find below my submission in response to the exhibition of the EIS for NorthConnex.

I am a public health professional with experience in public health research and planning. I have a Masters of Public Health (USYD) and medical qualifications (UNSW).

I would like to state that I object to the project as described in the EIS.

I am very concerned regarding the following issues and request that these be considered by NorthConnex and the Department of Planning.

In regards to the NorthConnex tunnel, my concerns include:

1. A lack of a full and transparent options assessment to assess alternative designs for the project, particularly regarding filtration options.

2. A failure to fully account for the public health impacts on the community, particularly regarding air quality. A full health economic analysis should be conducted to provide a true cost estimate to society of not filtering the tunnel (in terms of the effects on the health budget and productivity from the associated chronic disease, early death, loss of work days). I recommend that the economic cost, along with the significant human cost, be taken into account when deciding on which filtration option to pursue.

To address my concerns I recommend the following:

1. An independent options assessment process should be undertaken to assess filtration options. We are fortunate to live in a first world economy and have real technological options available to us to protect our health.

2. An independent health economic analysis be undertaken to determine the likely health and productivity costs of unfiltered emissions. I anticipate this will demonstrate a compelling need for health risk minimisation through filtration.


Kind regards

XXXXXXX
XXXXXXX

To Whom it May Concern

We are writing with regard to the NorthConnex tunnel project.

We'd like to firstly acknowledge the NorthConnex team who have personally met with residents of our street, Coral Tree Drive Carlingford, in order to gain further understanding of our local issues with the project.

However we still have reservations.

The exhaust stacks at the the southern interchange are apparently going to be unfiltered. With children who live at home and attend local schools this means that we cannot protect them from fumes emitted from the tunnel at any time. We believe if these stacks were filtered, and moved further away, preferably on the golf course side of Pennant Hills Road, this would have less effect on our family and those in our street.

We are also wondering why the westbound tunnel cannot be extended a kilometre further west, where it will have considerably less impact on our street and all the residents, as there is less housing and more bushland that short distance further.

When the M2 was first built, all residents on our side of the street were offered market rates for our homes in order to be compensated for reduction in quality of health/life or lower house prices due to having a motorway in our backyards. This was done openly and with residents complete approval. However we are now facing another significant change without any discussion of being compensated in any way for the likely reduction of property values in the street and inconvenience of living here through the building process. With many families making significant home improvements this is a very real concern.

We hope that you will read these concerns and take them into consideration. Coral Tree Drive, Carlingford is a lovely location and we hope to remain here for the foreseeable future. We look forward to hearing further updates from NorthConnex as the projected is updated.