The new Northern Beaches Tunnel proposes to upgrade the Wakehurst Parkway from two lanes to four lanes between Seaforth Oval and Warringah Road, Frenchs Forest.
It is excellent that mitigation is planned to prevent the roadkill of native animals. The use of underpasses and possum ropes will help to ensure that there is some connectivity between the significant areas of bushland between Manly Dam and Garigal National Park. It is essential that all exclusion fencing is built to the specifications below (see further down).
There are three significant deficiencies in the Environmental Impact Statement -
1) The requirement for an overpass to be used exclusively by wildlife. Science studies of the Compton Bypass in QLD have demonstrated that small passerine birds and microbats use overpasses. Overpasses are essential to maintain connectivity for these species. Four or more lanes act as barriers for these species.
2) The addition of gates to the wildlife exclusion fences, to allow wildlife to exit bushland in the event of a bushfire.
3) The absence of concrete barriers in the median strip, to allow wildlife to exit bushland (in the event again of a bushfire)

The RMS fauna fencing requirements (R0800 standards):
50 chain-link fencing fabric 2.5 dia ( knuckle / knuckle mesh )
15 dia. heavily galvanized wire cable ties at max 350mm intervals
Structural grade galvanized steel pipe (intermediate posts) erected vertically (max 400mm between posts)
Min post heights—1167mm above ground with an additional 4000mm cranked top facing the fauna protection area
Mesh should overhang the top of the cranked post by 500mm
Posts should be inserted in 900mm x 300mm footers using 20 MPa strength concrete (for corners and strainer posts)
Intermediate posts should be inserted in 600mm x 200mm footers using 20 MPa strength concrete

There is no valid reason to build this tunnel in terms of cost and benefit or the creation of beneficial infrastructure. I have significant concerns about contamination by heavy metals and PFAS of areas used for leisure/sport and risk of more areas becoming contaminated as works is underway. Issue with industrial landfill used which will create further contamination and also risks to harbour and surrounds with movements to sediment. This requires further testing with a further EIS reissued for public comment so impacts are understood, full health risk assessment, real time water and air quality monitoring. Significant concerns about the removal of 3m T round based spoil and >160m3 contaminated sediment and storage of this which all will affect groundwater and subsistence risk. Risks to heritage sites, vibration, significant truck movements and incomplete flood study. Unacceptable management and health risks from silica caused by tunneling. This requires no spoil stored on site, remediation of site post construction, proper management of silica, effective ground water management and remediation of properties affected by soil settlement. Unacceptable pollution levels and air quality including in areas very close to local schools and preschools. The stacks need to be filtered with proper real time monitoring and alerts for pollution. There is also a significant threat to key pockets of Sydney bushland and biodiversity from this project.

I object to this project whole heartedly. Living in Cammeray North Sydney there is very little benefit. We are losing the water reservoir underneath the Cammeray Golf Club which serves a wide area and which will not be replaced. Residential streets will become rat runs. Residents and many local schools will suffer from the outfall of the unfiltered stacks - which are not gold/world standard.

I object to this project on environmental and health concerns. The project has no business case with public transport being be a better alternative. The impact on our climate from selfish projects like these is going to be seen as a huge shame on our generation. Specifically with regards to this project I note the environmental damage to:

The harbour, beaches (where the water is being pumped) from dredging;
The damage to burnt bridge creek;
The damage to sacred aboriginal land;

I also note the health concerns from car fumes and unfiltered stacks near many schools including those attended by children.

I strongly object to this project especially in light of the recent changes to flexible working that have changed forever the way we commute, and how and where we work. Also the mixed messages we send our children and each other.

We are constantly educating our children, all children, in Australia and the World to care for our environment. We teach them to be innovative, to invent and design with sustainability in mind. It is so hypocritical of our Government to propose a project such as this.

Our Government encourages waste free lunch boxes in Schools and other environmental initiatives. They want our kids and us to make the changes and do the heavy lifting while they please big business and industry, money talks apparently and our Government listens. I wouldn’t blame my kids for giving up. We dont want more cars and trucks on the road. We want less, so invest our money in more suitable infrastructure projects. Who wins this argument? Who will our Government listen to, the People & Environment or the Motor Vehicle Industry? Sydney already has many days of poor air quality, how can you justify enabling even more pollution and emissions?

The Victorian Government and Melbourne City have embraced sustainable means of travel and this is evident by their current and proposed walking and cycling networks. Look at other cities around the World who are also already creating innovative environmentally friendly solutions. Not just...let’s build yet another road and tunnel.

I live in Allambie Heights, on the opposite side of the valley to where Wakehurst Parkway will be developed, and a tunnel entrance built. I object to this project for multiple reasons:
1. Construction will cause severe destruction to the local wildlife and environment around Manly Dam. It is not possible to do this project without severe destruction.
2. Construction will cause severe traffic chaos through peak hours, middle of the day and on weekends. Traffic is already bad, and the process of building the Warringah underpass tunnels caused severe delays for those of us on the northern beaches that rely on this as a thoroughfare.
3. Construction will cause runoff of down into Manly Dam, and into Bantry Bay. Manly Dam is a beautiful environment that needs to be protected.
4. The track record of development in our area is not great - in terms of disruption to local residents (eg Warringah underpass project), and also in terms of not sticking to the original plan (eg Manly Vale School redevelopment).
5. There are multiple mountain bike and hiking tracks around Manly Dam. This is used by local residents and visitors for exercise purposes, which has a beneficial impact on fitness, health and mental wellbeing. Throughout construction, and potentially once finished much of the mountain bike trails will be inaccessible and destroyed. There are also aboriginal rock carvings next to Wakehurst Parkway (Engravings Track) that need to be protected.
6. If there are less visitors to the Manly Dam area for mountain biking and walking, it will have a negative impact on local businesses such as cafes that rely on this patronage.
7. The end result of this project is only forecast to save 10m travel time. This is ridiculous to spend this amount of money on a project that will not save significant travel time, especially when it will cause such severe disruption to residents, and destruction of the local environment.
8. The travel time benefit of this project can be achieved via different means:
- Build a wider bridge above the current Spit Bridge
- Create a dedicated Bus Lane all the way from Manly Vale to Neutral Bay
- Disallow any parking along Spit Road and Military Road at any time of the day.
- Invest more into public transport - eg more B1 style services, with associated car parking.

The proposal to construct a tunnel to primarily increase vehicular traffic flow from the Northern Beaches to the city comes at some environmental and financial sacrifice to the Northern Beaches and NSW in general. To make it count, we have to get the most we can out of this, or else, we will be revisiting the probable 20-30 years later, at additional cost. Favouring cars, trucks and buses over trains is a folly. This is a once in a generation project at best, and possibly once in a lifetime opportunity to build a sustainable (population and environment) infrastructure to assist the beaches for the future. I am personally in favour of a tunnel which would support a metro rail down the spine of the beaches, from Narrabeen to the city, or to a north shore alternative, capable of supporting an interchange. This will provide equal jobs and impact the environment during construction equally. However, the final result will be a mass-transport solution which is scalable for the next 100 years, with a clean energy alternative to the current proposal. Other countries have turned to rail despite being chronologically quite old, e.g. Milan 1960's, Northwestern Sydney 2010's. They have been highly successful at implementing a metro-style rail, despite the imposition on existing architecture and infrastructure. The same could happen on Sydney's Norther beaches.
I urge the government not to waste this sacrifice on a short-term, polluting vision, in favour of a longer-term, greener solution, scalable to the future needs of our community.

I am writing to object to the Beaches Link proposal due to the environment impact it will have on Flat Rock Gully. I have deep concerns about the justification for this project, and the long term sustainability of it. This tunnel will only add more vehicle traffic, it will not provide more sustainable public transport options. Therefore, not only will this tunnel have a negative environmental impact on the special environmental area of Flat Rock Gully, it will also result in higher emissions from more vehicles on the road. The justification is not there.

As a resident of Willoughby, I spend a lot of time in Flat Rock Gully. The beautiful natural landscape is incredibly important for quality of life for many residents of the area, including myself. Protecting such a pristine area of bushland in the heart of the city should be a priority for the government. I would ask that an alternative public transport feasibility study be published before any further planning occurs so that impacts and outcomes can be fairly compared.

I object to the tunnel due to the impact it will have on residents during the construction phase. There is already a high level of noise pollution and air pollution from the traffic that flows through the area. Increasing this with construction will have negative impacts on myself, my family and other residents of the area.

This project is a missed opportunity to transform Sydney into a world class, healthy and sustainable city with a strong public transport system. I believe the Government should reconsider the project and identify how the important environmental area of Flat Rock Gully should be protected.

Kind Regards

Jessica Timmins