Pollution

I object to the emissions from the Western Harbour Tunnel, specifically that they are being funnelled out of only two unfiltered stacks located near to the Ernest street overpass in close proximity to the multiple schools in the nearby area.

The issue of the pollution could be mitigated in part by:
- Having additional stacks, no more than 4-5km apart.
- Ensuring that all emissions from the stacks are filtered.

Filtered emissions must be a condition for the approval of this project

Increased Local Traffic in North Sydney

I object to the location of the entrances and exits for the Western Harbour Tunnel being located near the central CBD of North Sydney. The impact of this will increase traffic along the already congested roads throughout North Sydney.

As North Sydney develops there should be a focus on reducing traffic through the main streets, such as Miller Street, Walker Street, Ridge Street, Berry Street and Maclaren Street. Instead, this development will result in local traffic having to go into North Sydney to enter the tunnel, resulting in excess traffic along Berry and Miller Streets.

This issue could be mitigated by moving the entrance and exit to the Western Harbour Tunnel further north along the Warringah Freeway. Traffic entering and exiting the tunnel would have to leave the North Sydney, or simply not enter North Sydney.

Reduced traffic through all local roads in North Sydney and the surrounds must be a condition for approval for this project.

I have several concerns regarding this Government Proposal for using Berry’s Bay as a work site to tunnel into the ground and making it a retrieval site for the spoil from the tunnels for the proposed new Western Harbour Tunnels.
Firstly, Berrys Bay is a very quiet Marine area in McMahon’s Point / Waverton and the impact of the scale of this operation would be a disaster for our local community for the following reasons:
The local wildlife will be heavily impacted, we have Sea Eagles, Kookaburras, Magpies, Native Bees, Possums to name a few who reside on Balls Head Reserve.
In order for this project to work, the local roads will be heavily impacted by too many trucks on small narrow roads with small children often running around.
The noise impact on my family would be absolutely horrific, we back onto the Pristine bay and after almost 30years in our home we know very well how much the noise travels in the bay, please realise there are many elderly and health impacted people In our area.The amount of barge services that would be required to process the spoil from this site is too much for such a small bay to handle. We’ve owned a swing mooring near our home for 20 years. We do not want this to change.stop this in our quiet bay, Please!
We have lived through the impact of the Sydney Metro Tunnels going under our home, we feel that we’ve had enough serious disruptions to our life
The possibility that our Yacht might be damaged or have to be moved is very distressing as
Because of Carona Virus, both my boys are now at University learning from home and with their windows facing the Bay will mean their learning will be impacted by Noise, Dust and Vibration CAUSED BY THE SITE at Berrys Bay.
The impact on local amenities will be significant in the most negative ways.
The impact of the proposed works on local people and our boats on swing moorings is discouraging as is the loss of pristine foreshore area in Berrys Bay.
Please listen to our local community and re think where this out pouring of dirt shout be relocated to.
Following the news today of the horrendous impact of Covid-19, I would like to propose at least a 12 month stop work on this project.

Regards,
Sonya Braden
Ph 0416327120


gals, AVELS
Noise

Western Harbour Tunnel and Warringah Freeway upgrade objection letter attached.

Johanna Peters

I object to the construction of two unfiltered stacks within a stone’s throw of Anzac Park Public School where hundreds of school children are attending school for 6 hours or more 5 days a week including my two children. If Australia, a developed first world country, cannot afford to build filtered stacks then the government should be looking to more viable alternatives which would not irreparably damage the health of young developing bodies.

The impact on the North Sydney and Cammeray community in both the construction and operational phases is highly detrimental. There are more effective transport solutions available which have much less detrimental impacts but these are not assessed in the EIS. Isn't this a fundamental requirement of the EIS - to present an assessment of the alternatives? Surely the regulatory requirement to do this has not been met and the EIS needs to be re-done?

I object to the WHT and Warringah Freeway upgrade on a number of grounds and I believe that the project should not proceed. On this occasion I agree with Mr Alan Johns who spoke on 2GB on the 19/3/2020 and again to Gladys Berijiklian on 27/03/2020. No business case has ever been released as to why an extensive road only project was chosen over public transport options, or any other option other than a roadway. I request that the business case be released which outlined why the WHT and Warringah Freeway Upgrade has been chosen over all other options including an extension of the B-Line, a rail line from Dee Why to Chatswood and other public transport options.

Publish the business case
Publication of this business case is in the public's interest. As taxpayers we have a right to know how and why our taxpayer funds are being spent. The purpose of the infrastructure is to reduce congestion and ease traffic flow, however this is based on 2016 figures before the introduction of the B-Line buses. My understanding is that more roads mean more cars, increased pollution and increased traffic. A public transport option would move many more thousands of people per hour in comparison to numbers that can be transported via a road. Please release the business case.

I object to the project on cost grounds
The cost for the WHT and WF Upgrade is a dual project with the Beaches Link. The current cost is quoted as $16 billion. According to Alan Jones this could blow out to $20 - $26 billion. As I understand if this project goes ahead, the amount spent on each resident in the Northern Beaches is $53,000. This is an excessive amount per resident, in an area of Sydney whose population compared to Western Sydney is relatively stagnant. I also understand that there will be tolls both ways on the Harbour Bridge, as well as for the new tunnels and connections. Sydney already has the most expensive tollway system in the world. Not only do we have to pay for the building of this infrastructure as a taxpayer we have to pay as a user when we drive on the roads.

I object on the grounds of COVID 19, the EIS consultation period needs to be extended
As we are now bracing for the full impact of COVID 19 and still recovering from bushfires and floods our focus following the virus peak needs to be on rebuilding and improving infrastructure lost or damaged across the state. Upgrading rural and regional train lines could be a starting point. Money needs to be spent rebuilding the economy, spent on schools, hospitals and improved public transport not more roads. Spend money on overcrowded public schools and regional infrastructure to stimulate the economy after the impact of COVID 19.

We need more time as upon initial review as it has become evident that this is a far larger project with much broader ramifications than we had understood from the Reference Design Plans. The EIS documents are lengthy (with over 9000+ pages including appendices) and complex. The community requested clarification on the Warringah Freeway changes and a new document was issued to clarify the complex descriptions in the EIS in early March 2020. The implications of reconfiguring the Warringah Freeway alone (to accommodate two tunnels, ventilation outlets, ramps and flow management) are only now able to be fully understood.

Schools across the route boarder the Warringah Freeway and many of our catchments cross it. The safety and welfare of children is of the upmost concern. The ramifications across the route, which runs along the largest school district in Australia are complex and I believe need proper and careful consideration in consultation with community.

The commencement of the school term coincided with the outbreak of the COVID-19 Virus. Since that time, school communities and parents (such as myself) have been increasingly busy developing measures and adjusting daily activities to best protect children and our communities. The crisis is having a huge impact on people’s ability to engage with and understand this complex project. With a high proportion of working parents (often in jobs requiring travel) in the area the virus has presented a real challenge. My friends and neighbours have reported taking on extra responsibility at work to communicate and develop procedures, others have experienced constantly changing work/ travel arrangements which have impacted family and of course those that own small businesses have had to give them greater focus. Others have elderly or vulnerable family to care for, in addition to ensuring their children stay safe and well. As the weeks have passed and the threat has increased our families and community have genuinely had less time to devote to understanding the project and their emotional capacity to respond to the EIS is limited.

My other objections are as follows:-

1. The Gore Hill extension is mentioned in some sections of the WESTERN HARBOUR EIS and not others. A proper risk assessment has not been done on this portion of the project and it should therefore NOT be included a a Condition of Approval or provisional approval be given. This section will impact on Flat Rock and we strongly Object to Flat Rock being used as a dive site. The Western Harbour EIS has noted that Flat Rock is a significant water catchment area and a sensitive fish environment. It is much loved and rare green space as well as key habitat for native wildlife. A full and proper risk assessment must be completed before ANY work can commence. Please urge in the strongest terms to reassess the route and find another dive site away from the Flat Rock Catchment. Both our community and environment will not take well to disturbing it.

2. Naremburn is a Conservation Area. The heritage and historical significance of the area is important as it was one of the earliest settlements on the North Shore. The church on Merrenburn Ave has been noted as a structure that would be subject to vibration impacts however most of the buildings around it are of similar vintage. The resident work hard to stabilise their homes and retain the heritage of the area. We ask you to reconsider the route to avoid the Naremburn Conservation area as we builieve many of the buildings will not suvive tunnelling works and the work will put the many families in the small area at risk. A few extra metres of tunnel could make a big difference to heritage, damage and community.

3. The EIS demonstrates that suburbs such as Naremburn, Northbridge, Aratrom and Willoughby will receive a higher dose of pollution if the Western Harbour Tunnel goes ahead. Think dispersion + more local traffic. PM2.5, one of the most harmful pollutants will be above National criteria regardless this is not a reason to make the situation worse. The World Health Organisation states that there is no safe level of PM2.5 and the Naremburn monitors showed vey concerning levels. The government should be doing all it can to reduce these levels not building in a road based solution which does nothing to address it. Having said that the EIS shows that pollution levels will increase at the most sensitive of receivers and residential areas within 1km of the project footprint. Other disparate locations have been included fin the averaged air assessment of the Western Harbour Tunnel which, given the proportion of sensitive receivers close to the project footprint, does not acurately reflect the health risk Naremburn has not CR point listed in the eastern section closest to the construction corridor however the two closest monitors indicate the following: Northbridge (at Shore Oval): Increases in Change in NO2 1hr, PM10 Annual Change, PM2.5 24hr Change measurements. The monitor closest to Bicentennial Reserve/ Willoughby Leisure Centre/ Flat Rock shows the following increases: NO2 Annual Change (one of the biggest increases across the same area), PM10 24hr and Annual Change, PM 2.5 24hr and Annual Change...due to the Western Harbour Tunnel Project. Given the large number of children using Bicentennial reserve and living in Naremburn these increases to already poor pollution levels are unacceptable. See https://docs.google.com/…/1UhJnbDh2Lf0g_mLJe8rJYbRvqz…/edit…

4. The scope of traffic modelling did not extend to Willoughby Rd which is sure it have significant impacts given the change of ramp at Miller St and Brook St.

5. We note that a Transport Plan is being developed by the proponent in conjunction wit North Sydney council but no such plan is being developed with Willoughby. Given the extreme number of truck movements (4000 + per day on the North Shore) and the changes to accessibility of the Warringah Freeway once the project opens a Transport Plan should form part of the conditions of approval. Of particular concern is trucks moving along local roads such as Brook St and Merrenburn where many children are moving due to the arrangement of school catchments. Truck movement should be restricted from school routes, school zones and should only be permitted during school hours.

6. The Rosalind St site has been identified at high risk of heavy metal contamination. This site is close to Naremburn and trucks may move contaminants through the area on tyres and surfaces. It is also close to Quarry Creek which flows to the Flat Rock catchment ....this site should not be permitted to be used and any works north of this site should be carefully checked for contaminants.

7. Naremburn will experience severe noise impacts during the Miller St to Willoughby Rd surface works stage of the project. Additional noise attenuation measures should be applied given the residential nature of the area. In addition, many buildings have been identified as eligible for noise attenuation once the project is operational (indicative of the additional traffic). These building as identified should be included as a condition of approval...this needs to be asked for despited being identified int he documents.

8. The cable to support the WHT Site now mov

Residences close to the Warringah Freeway between Miller Street and West Street in Cammeray will be significantly affected by additional noise in both the construction and operational phases of this proposed project. Parts of this area have in the past had noise walls constructed in order to mitigate freeway noise, but a gap has been left in this mitigation work adjacent to residences along Rosalind Street between Edwin Street and Miller Street. It should be a condition of approval that specific, effective noise mitigations are put in place for residences like these which will face many years of construction noise from this project and from the proposed Beaches Link tunnel. The Warringah freeway upgrade is a one-off chance to do this well. Mitigation measures could include walls between the freeway and residences (as already in place in large concrete form between West Street and Edwin Street, or in lighter-weight form as at 233 West Street). Noise walls can also be effective in the middle of the freeway to limit noise received adjacent to the freeway to only one direction of traffic. Noise reducing surfaces can also be used on the road. These mitigations should be specified as conditions of approval.