Please see attached file which list my objections to this project

I strongly object to the project in its current form. The main reasons being the detriment to the local environment including Burnt Bridge Creek. I believe the wildlife around the area will never recover. I also believe that the roads in Balgowlah earmarked for project trucks and detours to be used by drivers are simply not wide enough to cope with the increased volume of traffic which will result in safety issues for the large number of children walking to and from the school in the area and all local residents. Additionally the noise and dust created so close to residences will certainly have a detrimental affect on local residents’ physical and mental health. I cannot understand why this project is proposed to go ahead when I understand the overall reduction in traffic on Military Road will only 10%. Surely the beat way forward would be to provide better public transport for the area thus reducing the effect on the environment including reducing green house gas emissions. More roads only equals more cars and this is not what we need for a cleaner greener world.

I object to the Beaches Link tunnel project on the grounds that it will introduce more traffic to the beaches area than current infrastructure can comfortably support, and more traffic than would allow the current level of amenity of the northern beaches, particularly in summer. I strongly object to removal of nearly 2000 mature trees from the Garigal National Park/Bantry Bay and Manly Dam reserves and I object to the impact this will have to associated ecological communities. I object to unfiltered exhaust stacks being located near homes, schools and playing fields and the impact this will have on the community. I do not believe the project adequately addresses plume dispersal and strongly feel the stacks must be filtered.

I object to the Northern Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway Connection for many reasons. 5 key reasons I feel these projects are not in the best interest of me, my family and my community are:

1. There is no business case. There has yet to be a true business case demonstrating the need for a direct link between Balmain and Balmoral. The project team have cited an anticipated 15% traffic reduction on military road, but what they have not explained clearly to the public is that this anticipated reduction is actually based on future estimated traffic. That estimate was made well before COVID and we now have a much stronger working from home culture that doesn't project the same traffic volumes. Moreover, the people of Mosman don't have an access to this tunnel - they still need to travel along Military Road to get there - so if they want a link, build the entry/exit in Mosman please, not North Sydney / Cammeray / Naremburn. Show us the real, revised business case that truly demonstrates the traffic savings.

2. The exhaust stacks are not filtered. The project team tried to make the case that dispersion from the stacks is better than street level traffic exhaust. Even if that were true with accurate traffic projections, the case for filtration is still there. Perhaps even more there, if traffic is truly set to increase. There are atleast 17 schools within 2km of the proposed exhaust stack near on Gore Hill Freeway / Cammeray Golf Course, and countless child care centres, parks, playgrounds, soccer fields, cricket ovals, basketball and tennis courts... all affected by the unfiltered, "dispersion" for a tunnel from Balmain to Balgowlah that has no known business case. These stacks must be filtered. Just because Australia doesn't have filtered stacks elsewhere doesn't mean we should keep that track record. If traffic truly is on the rise, then it is high time to start filtering the tunnels, particularly when 10,000s of school kids are at risk within such a short range.

3. The construction process and the final result will have permanently destroyed the necessary green space and trees we need in the community. It is insane the amount of destruction of nature that is planned by this project with little regeneration plans. The hundreds (or thousands) of trees you are destroying should be replanted and also replaced if we are to maintain any sense of tranquility and mental health. COVID has taught us this - the greenery must be restored to it's full place after the construction, and care must be taken to retain as much as possible during construction.

4. Tunks Park is built over a toxic waste dump and must not be disturbed and Flat Rock Creek must not be dredged, diverted and destroyed. The regeneration efforts have taken a full 25 yrs and we now have Wallabies in the reserve and a number of bird species have returned as well. Taking apart this area is like cutting off someone's legs after you've reattached their spine. Any disruption to the area is not only endangering the current flora and fauna, but also reversing the positive direction towards renaturalisation of the area which is a highly used recreational destination by all aspects of the community: young, old, dog owners, soccer games, baseball games, Cammeray Public sports, fishermen, picnickers, joggers and nature lovers. Do not destroy this beautiful reserve.

5. The WestConnex tunnel destruction to the communities and homes in the area of St Peters has proven the case that the noise, air pollution and constant vibration due to the construction of the tunnel as well as the constant traffic within the tunnel will greatly devalue my home and homelife if this Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway Connection project goes forward. My home backs onto Brook Street at Palmer St and there has been no assessment of my apartment and the risk to it. We have allergies in our home, and young children - we cannot live an indoors hermetically sealed life that you have imposed on the homes affected by Westconnex air and noise pollution. Moreover, you will not be 50m below my home, and the vibrations will be unbearable. The resale value of my home will plummet. My kids are in school, we do not want to uproot them for this project. The construction itself is 8 years of hell and these are prime years for our family.

I vehemently object to this project for all the reasons above and many more. No business case. No air quality measures. Destruction of green spaces. Demolition of the nature reserve Flat Rock Gully and the neighbouring Recreational zone Tunks Park, and most of all, that we will lose our home and life savings as we won't be able to sell and purchase elsewhere when the construction destruction is known to buyers.
I plead you not not go ahead with this project.
Thank you for reading.
Susan Enners

P.S. I tried to submit earlier this weekend but this feedback site was down for " scheduled maintenance!" - The fact that it was scheduled maintenance days before a submission deadline seems very suspect not at all coincidental and I would like to request a deadline extension so that others who were unable to log on this weekend are able to do so later in the week.

While the project contains significant positives for active travel users, it also contains significant flaws, and I am unable to support the project in its current form until thorough consultation with active travel stakeholders is completed and the issues are addressed.
Details are provided in the attached submission.

I object on the following grounds:
- unfiltered stacks. Gladys herself objected to the use of these in the Lane Cove Tunnel, calling the filtration of stacks “ethically right in the interests of health”. Apparently she’s changed her tune and they’re fine to use here on the northern beaches. I find this tantamount to saying it is ok to poison people if it doesn't kill them immediately. It is easy to make this decision to have unfiltered smoke stacks when you are not the one breathing it - If this was in YOUR suburb you would not agree to unfiltered stacks. I also find it absurd that there is an unfiltered stack in the middle of a planned sports precinct!
- pollution of harbour as a result of dredging releasing contaminants. This may mean we no longer can safely use beaches such as clontarf, plus 428,000 litres of waste water pumped into Queenscliff each day may make this an unusable area also.
- destruction of habitat - they have detailed 23 species under threat in the EIS but there will be many more. Burnt Brudge Creek will probably dry up due to a potential 96% reduction in water flow!
- vibration and construction noise that residents will be subjected to over a 7 year period
Attachments

OBJECTION TO NORTHERN BEACHES TUNNEL-
To Whom it may concern,
I strongly object to the Northern Beaches Tunnel proposal on environmental , spiritual and financial grounds.
This will be a massive disaster with close to 2000 trees being removed, 6 foot ,unfiltered smoke stacks that will see the increase in sickness and poor air quality. The Government should be promoting less cars on the road and fewer carbon emissions.
Certain wildlife at Manly Dam will become extinct, local flying fox and Bat colonies will be destroyed when they have vital roles to play.
Green space is precious and should be respected and protected...the character of Manly and the whole of the Northern Beaches will be ruined.
This is a terrifying, greatly upsetting prospect that needs to be stamped out now.
I hoping the decision makers have compassion, a soul and a conscience.
Thankyou for your time.
Regards
Nicole Warner