Western Harbour Tunnel & Warringah Freeway Upgrade

I object to this project for a number of reasons:
1. Business case - the business case for this project, in particular, the Western Harbour Tunnel, does not make sense - why has public transport not been considered. This is not a sustainable option to support growth in Sydney - the recent opening of the new Metro line shows that if available, people will utilise public transport. Building more private toll roads is simply not the infrastructure that Sydney needs to support growth - we need more, faster and reliable public transport, in particular trains or metro - why is a Metro line not being built to the Beaches?

2. Environmental - it's just inconceivable that this project is still being considered. $14b for two tunnels - why is this money not being invested in sustainable public transport and more important public infrastructure like proofing our city and state for climate change. We dont want more cars and trucks on the road. We want less - so invest our money in more suitable infrastructure projects

3. Our health - you are proposing to build two ventilation stacks right near our schools. With Sydney enduring days and days of poor air quality, how can you justify enabling even more pollution and emissions?

This entire proposal is just so short term thinking - it's not what the majority of NSW wants - this is catering to an elite few. We want environmentally friendly public transport, not enabling more polluting cars/trucks with a private toll road.

I think this road network upgrade will benefit the whole of Sydney and make the northern beaches more accessible to all Sydneysiders and with the future electrification of personal road transport this will make the exhaust stack redundant hopefully by the end of this decade.
I completely support this project and suggest we need more major investments like this in other large towns like Newcastle and Bathurst.

Hello,
While i am generally in favour of the proposal, i am concerned that the area in which i live will be subject to increased traffic noise and hasn’t been considered for protection from such. The noise from the freeway (to which we have direct line of site currently with no noise walls) has been growing each year, and i note that the Alfred st off ramp will be subject to increased traffic with traffic able to flow through to the Cahill expressway from the off ramp. I request that the off ramp and freeway beside the off ramp be considered for noise walls. I have attached a diagram showing where i think the noise is excessive currently and will get worse (in green shading) and where i think the noise walls should be (in yellow). I think it’s extraordinary that it is considered reasonable for in excess of 17 lanes of traffic to have line of site to over 100 houses without protection. Please consider this amendment.
Regards
Dan

I have taken an interest in the atmospheric emissions that will come about once the project is completed. Air pollution has been extensively modeled and it is believed that the project will reduce carbon emissions due to removing the need for cars to stop and start as often. That's good, however I see an opportunity to install carbon capture technology at key ventilation points across the project. Previously air filtration technology such as ESP has been used to capture NO2 and CO in the M5 tunnel however the cost was very high due to lack of foresight and deemed unviable. This may not be true for this project and may not be true for CO2, which is easier to capture using other methods of air treatment such as a carbon scrubber.
If carbon could be captured from key ventilation points it could be argued that using the tunnel is a greener alternative to driving on the roads as your car's emissions would be physically captured by the system.
I hope this may be taken into consideration.
Regards - Myles

I do not object in principal to the creation of another harbour crossing to ease congestion (though whether the focus should be on this or improved public transport and rail freight infrastructure is questionable, appreciating the Metro tunnel already underway). However, it is ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE for contaminated waste dredged from the bottom of Sydney Harbour (with toxic material having been deposited this stretch of the harbour by many years of previous heavy industry) to be deposited on the dock side at White Bay, extremely close to medium-high density housing, home to many families of young children, and directly next to cruise ships which regularly dock at the (completely inadequate) White Bay Cruise Terminal.
As I previously mentioned when I attended the information session held previously at Balmain Town Hall, the minimum that could be done would be to move the toxic sludge dump to Glebe Island. An even safer alternative for the health of the numerous local residents and visitors to the area would be for it to be shipped directly out of Sydney Harbour and processed for transfer to land transport in an unpopulated, industrial port, such as Port Kembla.
Understanding that if the Dredge Material Handling Area is moved to Glebe Island then it is still relatively close to the same populated areas in this part of Balmain. Therefore it should also be handled in a covered shed purpose built on site, as is being done for many other locations in the project (albeit often for noise abatement in those cases, while this would need to prevent the escape of any toxic particles from this facility).
This needs to be addressed urgently before the project progresses any further.
I am looking forward to hearing your proposed rectification to this issue.
Regards,
Brendan Harber

I am providing comments of concern around this project, mainly founded on the lack of transparency, honesty, and broken promises with the Westconnex project, which no doubt has lots of the same stakeholders, and therefore will probably have a similar outcome. It's very disappointing to be on the losing end of the flawed public consultation process for the Westconnex project and to see it be disregarded so blatantly for commercial and political gain, and not for the public's interests. I don't feel that the government is empowering itself adequately to protect the public nor the government against commercial interests and pressure and wish that my words and actions could have some meaning, but unfortunately, my faith in the process is weak. I hope that enough stakeholders with a moral conscience can actually stand up for what is right in this project and not just allow another project to happen "just because it can." As a father of three, a local community member, and a strong supporter of democracy, I hope that things can be different here.

The project will have a significant and damaging impact on the environment, with no discernable benefit to the communities. The cost of the tunnel both financially and environmentally is not viable. There is not the traffic volume travelling in either the north to city, or city to north directions to support its use. Considering the environment impact both the construction will have in the short term, and the polution from the stacks will have in the long term, it is inconcievable that such a project is even in consideration.
We owe it to future generations to built infrastructure that will support the needs of Sydney in the future without damaging our environment.
Public transport options MUST be considered and implemented.
I strongly object to this project.

I object to the Western Harbour Tunnel and Warringah Freeway Upgrade for the following reasons:
- It will be very expensive and within a short time will become another traffic congestion problem
- Better public transport systems would be more acceptable
- The construction will destroy valuable bushland and water catchments
- The amenity of beautiful bushland areas will be damaged for both people and animals
- Possible damage to Aboriginal heritage sites and these are irreplaceable.
-

I've received an EIS notification for the Western Harbour tunnel component and in the EIS they now talk about two options. "Do something" and "Do something Cumulative".

The first option only includes the WHT. (does not include the Beaches Link)
I had understood they would only do these projects together, I reckon if they just do the first one then they will move the bottle neck from the Anzac Bridge (caused by West connex stage 3) to the Warringah Freeway at Cammeray. If the government then runs out of money (a likely scenario) or loses the next election (another possibility) then the new bottle neck will become permanent.
According to the EIS Operational traffic and transport (chapter 9) travel times for traffic going to the city will improve because some of the cars will move to the western tunnel. While this may be true for single occupant cars over the complete distance I think times will be slower coming up to the new tunnel entrance at Cammeray (as motorists work to save travel times by using the WHT rather than other roads such as the Gladesville bridge) and quicker after that. But the EIS does not offer a separate analysis for buses which is strange because they account for most of the people travelling over the bridge each morning on the road. I reckon buses will also go slower coming up to the new tunnel entrance but as they currently have a bus lane after that, and there is no plan for extending it past the tunnel entrance the buses will overall have longer travel times under the new "Do something" option.

So I simply cannot see anything but increased misery for public transport users with this idea. Currently we have no bus services in the sydney harbour tunnel so why does the EIS have a picture of a bus going express to chatswood in a tunnel? Yes if public transport uses the tunnels it might be quick but the tunnels don't have bus stops so I would be very surprised if the buses ever user the WHT. If the beaches link is built they may use it in peak hour for express services but that is not part of the "Do something Option"

I also think the pictures of buses in the tunnel are misleading. Bus transport typically avoids long tunnels as there are no bus stops and unless there are plans to include bus services in the WHT I don't believe the proponents are being unrealistic by drawing buses, saying that if they use the tunnel they will have quicker travel times and concluding that the proposal will benefit public transport users, especially as it appears that (particularly on its own without the BL) they have made no other effort to back their case that it will.

This is a very large transport project. Any transport project should include an analysis of its impact on carbon emissions and climate change and ways that the project has addressed these matters in a positive way.
Transport emissions make up a large proportion of the total emissions from Greater Sydney. Effective reduction in transport emissions will require a shift from the private car to sustainable modes of travel: walking, cycling and public transport. This shift relies on changes in how transport projects are prioritised and delivered to enable changes in travel behaviour. This project gives a very real opportunity to incorporate good sustainable modes of travel in the plan.
There is a real need in Sydney to have an integrated cycling network, one where it is safe for both the cyclist and the motorist. In the plans I saw today there is one very small cycle route that will be provided from Falcon St. to Miller St. mainly on the temporary construction site.
This is a perfect opportunity to provide a robust system of off-road cycle paths.
While some tunnels would be unsuitable for cycling because of fumes and poor ventilation, if you are able to get the ventilation issues under control there is really no reason why separated cycle paths could not be incorporated into this design.
Another alternative would be to follow what Melbourne is doing with the West Gate Tunnel Project. This Project will deliver more than 14 kilometres of new and upgraded paths, making it safer and easier for more people to walk or cycle. It includes some magnificent elevated veloways to give cyclists a journey completely separated from traffic, and pedestrian and cycling bridges. The Victorian Government and Melbourne City have embraced sustainable means of travel and this is evident by the number of cyclists using the cycling infrastructure.
I therefore call on the NSW Government to include cycling infrastructure into this project. If safe infrastructure is provided, cyclists will use it.

Whilst I support the overall project, the information provided regarding the operation of the very complex Falcon St interchange is far too limited. The current interchange is already a significant bottleneck and the proposed design may worsen the situation. Concerns include:
1. The diamond arangement sees east-west traffic cross paths twice which, without further detail regarding traffic light sequencing, would seemingly make that route significantly more time consuming
2. There appears no way to use the western harbour tunnel if driving to/from Neutral Bay, Cremorne or Mosman via Military Road
Would NSW Major Projects provide more details on the design and operation of this key interchange.
Regards,
Andrew Waugh.

RESIDENT SUBMISSION WARRINGAH EXPRESSWAY UPGRADE
We are affected by this proposal.
We live at 3 KURRABA ROAD NEUTRAL BAY 2089
and have reviewed the proposal and EIS so far as it relates to us
Thank you for the opportunity to comment

PEDESTRIAN ACCESS
Maintain existing traffic light controlled pedestrian crossing of Alfred Street North at Bayer building to Mount Street overpass. This safe crossing is essential for residents to access North Sydney business and shopping precinct and North Sydney rail station

TREE PRESERVATION
The row of Plane Trees in Alfred Street and Alfred Street North be preserved to provide summer shade, green space and absorption of carbon dioxide from high density traffic

GREEN PLANTINGS
New/additional plantings of mature trees and shrubs as barrier to elevated traffic noise and screening to visual impact of overhead concrete structure in residential area.
Provide additional tree canopy

DESIGN OF OVERPASS CONCRETE SUPPORT PIERS
Be slimline columns rather than "brutalist" square section piers

NOISE ABATEMENT TREATMENT FOR BUS LANE AND ALFRED STREET NORTH OVERPASS
Design to include opaque noise walls on the eastern side which allow light but reduce noise (example M7)
"Quiet Pavement" surface for bus lane

FINAL DESIGN SEPARATE LOCAL TRAFFIC FROM THROUGH TRAFFIC
Eliminate possible "rat runs" particularly Kurraba Road and Alfred Street North

CONSTRUCTION PERIOD
Close Alfred Street North to through traffic so that Kurraba Road west is local traffic only.
Excavation works for construction of bus lane and Alfred Street North overpass to be restricted to daylight hours to minimize disruption to residents.
Provide adequate and timely pre-advice to residents of particularly noisy or dusty activity works.
Manage and enforce parking limits in Kurraba Road because many residents only have on-street parking and must display parking exemption stickers.
Pre-construction works check and photos for cracks in nearby houses and post construction checks; compensation clauses; note that many houses are circa 1910

STORMWATER RUN-OFF
Ensure no net increase in stormwater run-off down Kurraba Road west. This is a steep street having high risk of flash flooding during storm events (example Sunday 9 February 2020, east coast low)

PARKING SPACES
Please avoid net reduction of parking spaces in North Sydney Parking Precinct #1.

NAME MICHAEL CHAPMAN, OAM
STREET ADDRESS 3 KURRABA ROAD NEUTRAL BAY 2089
EMAIL [email protected]
PHONE 0408 b164 361

I strongly object to the entire premise of the Western Harbour Tunnel & Warringah Freway Upgrade. In summary, the project is founded upon assumptions and biases that are strategically, economically and environmentally flawed. So deeply and fundamentally flawed that the EIS is merely a propaganda document to justify the decision-making process. The project starts with the unassailable logic that the motor car is now and will ever be the primary medium of transport in Sydney. This is a collective madness that grips the political process, but your project is supposed to be based on facts, not political fantasy. This thinking is diminishing Sydney's functionality and livability as a major metropolis, yet you claim the opposite; is, the more facilities for car usage will improve quality of life. It cannot! What other options have you explored? For example, the Northern Beaches B-Line buses should have an express, exclusive lane for their entire journey. Instead, the express buses are held up by other stopping-all-stations buses and non-bus users. Cycling is disgracefully ignored in your planning. How can you publish this document while the existing Sydney Harbour cycling lane is interrupted by over 50 steps? Planning for the ramp has been held up for 20 years by North Sydney Council and you expect us to swallow your propaganda. Fix the basics and explore options that do not pander to the car lobby. Save the $25 billion you will spend (hopefully it will only blow out by that much) on this malarkey and invest in real solutions. Regards Kyle Patterson

In summary I object to this project on many grounds, including: a failure to demonstrate meaningful improvements in travel times, a failure to consider and compare other (public transport) options (without tunnels and tollways), misrepresentation of travel time improvements and the 30-minute City objective, misrepresentation of the resilience benefit when access to the Sydney CBD isn't afforded via the WHT, misrepresentation of the detail analysis in the glossy summaries and not taking community feedback seriously.

I provide specific detailed objections below.

I object to this project because according to the information in Appendix F - Traffic and Transport there is very little improvement in travel times. For example, table 7-19 (morning peak - Warringah Freeway) states the Average vehicle trip time through the network would be 5:37 with the project and 6:01 without.

I object that Transport for NSW has failed to consider other options to achieve a reduction in congestion and improved travel times for the relevant communities. Specifically, I believe a range of options should be analysed that include 1) funding via northbound tolling on the Harbour Bridge and Harbour Tunnel, 2) reduction in capacity allocated to private vehicles (in particular at peak time), 3) greater dedication of capacity to public transport - in particular bus lanes - with a focus on end-to-end trip times for commuters, 4) streamlining of the Warringah Freeway, without the tunnels and tollways. These should be modelled and compared. Instead the gross simplicity of 'Do something' (i.e. the WHT) and 'Do minimum' (i.e. nothing) are presented.

I object that the analysis doesn't identify the origins and destinations of travellers by mode (by time of day) and then seek to optimise the travel times, via consideration of a raft of strategic interventions. The EIS takes the traffic volumes on 'the network' and growth as a given and proceeds from there. Clearly there is an opportunity to shape the way we move around and deliver an improved system outcome, not just to deliver a (tunnel tollway) 'product' between A and B.

I object to the project because it doesn't improve the transport network for the people of the Lower North Shore. There are frequent mentions of the need to improve the resilience of the network, however there are already two crossings (Sydney Harbour Tunnel and Sydney Harbour Bridge). If both of these are blocked then access to the Sydney CBD isn't available. The proposed addition of the WHT doesn't actually help with resilience of access to the Sydney CBD.

I object that the summary information presents a 'spin' on the travel time improvements rather than what the modelling shows and what people can expect. An example is in the Executive Summary E-4 it says "journeys from Dee Why to Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport are expected to be 56 minutes faster" however this isn't shown in the analysis. Without traffic congestion that trip is currently 35-40 minutes by car. At peak time the trip is currently 75 minutes via B Line and Train. If we have a significant increase in the number of people going to the airport then it would make more sense to focus on public transport options to get everyone there faster. If there are a small number of people who insist on travelling by car from Dee Why to the Airport at peak time, then assuming Beaches Link Tunnel is done they could choose to use that on the Brookvale to Cammeray section and perhaps save 10 to 15 minutes. However, from that point they would travel via the Sydney Harbour Tunnel and Eastern Distributor to the airport. So those hypothetical travellers wouldn't actually use the WHT anyway. And this is an EIS for the WHT not the BL.

I object to the project documents not aligning between detail and summary / synthesis. For example, the detail reveals a huge amount of greenhouse gas impact from the construction and operation. However the summary concludes that this is a sustainable development. It is the antithesis of sustainable development.

This is not a project that Sydney needs. We need to reduce our greenhouse gases and switch to sustainable modes of transport. We should not be building more roads for private cars and inducing more people to enter the road systems in their private cars. We should be favouring public transport, for the vast majority in particular for those travelling at peak times.

I like the 30 minute concept but I think this is misrepresented as favouring the project. Section 7.2.2 is ridiculous. "Access to Sydney CBD would increase as a result of Western Harbour Tunnel, with trips from North Sydney being able to access Sydney CBD within 30 minutes by road". Everyone can already travel from North Sydney to various points in the Sydney CBD via public transport (Train or Bus) in about 10-15 minutes. There is no need to travel by road in a private vehicle. If you did you would have to add a further 10 minutes+ at both ends for parking. It isn't sensible to encourage people to drive into the Sydney CBD.

The 30 minute City is enabled by and is co-dependent on effective public transport. Not on travel by private car, via tunnels and tollways with parking at either end. TfNSW should be thinking of moving people all around between many different community centres, not just between both ends of a new tunnel.

We should allocate main roads capacity to public transport, trades and freight, in particular at peak time. Expansion of the public transport system should take an end-to-end journey time perspective and streamline interchanges.

I object that this project removes the bus layover on the Warringah Freeway - this currently helps the buses meet their timetable expectations. There is no modelling of the consequences of reduced reliability of bus services.

I object that this project doesn't address the complex intermodal / interchange requirements at North Sydney. It focuses on vehicle / network performance and not human travel time and amenity. It suggests that a deterioration of travel experience around North Sydney can be expected. This isn't a good thing! This project originates and pushes West-bound traffic down Berry Street and causes congestion problems. We need to focus on public transport for access to North Sydney and keep the private car volumes to a minimum so we can preserve and improve system outcomes for all.

I object that this project doesn't address the requirements and expectations of integration of travel between North Sydney and the Inner West. It focuses on 'plumbing in' to the M4-M5 road system. Due to the way the project has been sliced into pieces the Rozelle Interchange is already being built assuming the WHT will happen. I object to that approach as it favours further motorway development.

I object that the project will not deliver any benefits during the long construction period. I object that there will be substantial disbenefits / negatives and these will fall hard on our Lower North Shore community. We want improvements now and in the 2020-2025 period.

I object that simpler, less expensive and more scalable solutions could be and should be pursued now. Building on successes such as the B-Line buses.

I object on many other grounds that have been captured in the community consultation chapter and 7.3.1. Although that chapter summarises the feedback and references where in the EIS information is included, it doesn't actually address or respond to the feedback. One example will suffice: "Potential impact on local streets, rat runs, local road safety, construction traffic, impact on parking spaces, congestion, road network performance, local road connections, increased traffic, cumulative traffic impact, travel time". 4023 comments. The EIS presents information that confirms and substantiates the fears and concerns of the community. There will be negative impact on local streets, rat runs, congestion, increased traffic, etc. So why should the project proceed when all those negatives are presented in detail? It shouldn't proceed!

Insufficient time has been given to review the project documentation given the complexity and risk to sensitive receivers. At least the same amount of time to the consideration of the Reference Design should be given for the community. Five months was given for the Reference Design which was a small document, the EIS is 9000+ pages with extensive technical detail which the community needs proper time for review particularly as there are serious local risks and mitigation to understand. We cannot possibly give quality feedback into the process if we do not have time to process the complex information. Please extend the exhibition stage by at least another 3 months. Thank You

We believe this a great infrastructure project and support it whole heartedly.

I object to the limited time available to review and respond to the EIS and request that the closing date for submissions be extended by sixty days (from 12 March 2020).

Subject: Parking on Alfred Street North between Mount Street and Whaling Road.

Issue: The current alignment of this block of Alfred Street North consists of three lanes of southbound traffic and one lane of parking. The leftmost lane of traffic contains a mandatory left turn into Whaling Road. Today, this lane is too narrow to be safely trafficable and has resulted in many minor accidents, including opening doors being ripped off parked cars, people exiting parked cars being hit by traffic, and cars in the left lane being sideswiped by cars in the next lane as they run out of roadway width. According to the EIS, the re-alignment of this section of road appears to be within the scope of the WHTBL project, but no detail is provided yet regarding the detailed lane alignment.

Request: As part of WHTBL detailed planning, please ensure that all lanes in this block comply with Austroads minimum lane widths. On the existing carriageway footprint, this is likely to only be possible by removing all parking spaces on Alfred Street North between Mount Street and Whaling Road. I encourage RMS to consider this course of action, or any other action necessary to ensure a compliant lane width in this block.

Detail:

Austroads specify a standard traffic lane width of 3.5m (Reference: Austroads Guide to Road Design Part 3: Geometric Design, section 4.2.4 Traffic Lane Widths, p44, 3rd edition, 2016, as used by RMS.)

The leftmost traffic lane on Alfred Street North narrows substantially from Mount Street as it approaches Whaling road. The lane width in this block is approx 3.0m near the “Bayer” building, narrowing to 2.5m shortly thereafter, and ultimately narrowing to a dangerous width of less than 1.8m immediately before the intersection with Whaling Road. This is less than the width of a typical small car, causing a dangerous traffic situation (see diagram).

Subject: Traffic and parking plans for High Street, North Sydney

Issue: The EIS animation of the High Street Interchange shows three lanes of traffic from Alfred Street North turning right (ie: west) onto High Street and one lane turning left (ie: east) on High Street. However, morning and evening traffic jams at this intersection are mostly caused by a back-up of _eastbound_ traffic on High Street (ie: heading towards Kirribilli, Neutral Bay, Cremorne and Mosman) rather than westbound traffic heading into North Sydney CBD. On morning and evening peaks, back-ups of traffic originating at the intersection of High Street and Clark Road regularly result in traffic being stationery all the way back onto Alfred Street North, and frequently part of the way up the Alfred Street North freeway off-ramp. The root cause of this back-up is the eastbound part of High Street being only a single lane of traffic (the other lane being taken up with parking).

Request #1: Consider re-balancing the lane design of the intersection of Alfred Street North and High Street so that two (2) lanes of Alfred Street North turn left (ie: eastwards) into High Street rather than just one. [see attached image #1.]

Request #2: Consider using RMS’ powers under the Roads Act to make the eastbound side of High Street between Alfred Street North and Clark Road into two trafficable lanes, by removing all parking from this section of High Street. [see attached image #2.]

Detail: (see attached diagrams in pdf.)

Subject: Road Naming

Issue: It is unclear from the EIS what names the RMS intends to use for the new roadways. The EIS identifies proposed road numbering, but not any road names.

Request: For the roadway in the new beaches tunnel, the most appropriate naming would be to name it the Warringah freeway. This would be consistent with existing naming, and honour the original intention of the existing portion of the Warringah freeway (which was intended to go to the Warringah district). RMS is completing an original vision from the 1940s, so such a name would be both geographically logical and also respective of history and heritage.

Detail: The original plan for the Warringah Freeway was proposed by the State in 1948 as part of the County of Cumberland Planning Scheme. [Reference: County of Cumberland Planning Scheme, County of Cumberland, 1948, State Library of New South Wales, file#: FL3744617 Call#: M M3/ 811.1eac/ 1948/ 2. See attached.] This called for a new road linking the Sydney Harbour Bridge with the Warringah district by means of a freeway through North Sydney and then eastwards across Middle Harbour. During construction in the 1950s and 1960s, the initial phase was only funded as far as Naremburn. Changing priorities caused subsequent extensions to turn the freeway westwards, eventually leading to the Gore Hill freeway and then the Hills motorway. However, the original stretch (Milsons Point to Naremburn) still retains the original name of "Warringah freeway", despite going nowhere near the Warringah district.

The WHTBL project would complete the original vision of the Warringah freeway by extending it to the Warringah district. Regardless of which route numbers are assigned to different parts of the route, it would be geographically logical, and historically respectful, to formally name the roadway within the new beaches tunnel with the “Warringah freeway” name.

Supporting reference: https://www.ozroads.com.au/NSW/Freeways/WarringahFreeway/ConstructionInfo.htm