Support proposed hospital development subject to timely provision of supporting infrastructure as outlined in the SHOROC submission.

We wish to object based on the already congested intersection of Wakehurst Parkway and Warringah Rd

I am against this development.
1.I am appalled that it is going to be primarily a private hospital. If we are to upgrade from Manly or Mona Vale hospital, the only justification can be a SIGNIFICANT increase in services to PUBLIC patients!!
What about the 40% of patients on the Northern Beaches that have no private health cover ? how will a very small percentage of hospital beds for public use help them?
I have had top medical and hospital cover for over 30 years, yet cannot afford treatment as a private patient - the gap fee is way too big - - so who will this new hospital benefit?
2. The surrounding roads and public utilities -transport etc could not cope. planning??
3. There is a very important wildlife corridor in the designated space. It provides one of the last remnant Duffy's Forest vegetation.
I live in this area, and do not want it turned into a money making machine for a very few, at the cost to the MANY!

The Northern Beaches Greens oppose the site designated for the new private hospital at French's Forest on the following grounds:
LOCATION;
The distance from the new hospital for residents living north of Mona Vale is not feasible. Half an hour is required to reach the hospital site when traffic conditions are good. I live in Avalon and make the trip on a daily basis. Therefore it is clear that this location will not meet the health needs of residents living on the northern beaches nor those on the western shores of Pittwater.
TRAFFIC;
Not enough planning or funds have been allocated to ensure that the hospital will be accessible during the conditions that regularly occur through the parkway. The roads have already exceeded their capacity level and flood during heavy rain. The cost of fixing the roads is a waste of tax payers funds and the increase to time spent in traffic, will make commuting prohibitive for northern beaches residents.
WASTE OF RESOURCES:
Unnecessary duplication of facilities that already exist at Royal North Shore and Mona Vale. The site at Mona Vale is excellent for future growth of the area and accessible for the increasing numbers of people moving into Warriewood Valley.The Mona Vale hospital site has potential for further expansion and easier helicopter access with less disruption. Mona Vale Road is scheduled for an upgrade to increase access from that direction.
ENVIRONMENT:
The destruction of the wildlife corridor is a significant loss to future generations as the link between Manly and the Narrabeen Lagoon catchment cannot be replaced by bio-banking. The diversity of fauna will decline and the valuable contribution of this exceptional natural bushland to air quality, being located so close to the centre of the city, will be lost forever.
VESTED INTEREST:
Property values in all likelihood will rise in the French's Forest area, especially as new NSW planning laws will allow developers to determine use and to push for rezoning. The fact that Prime Minister Abbott, (a former health minister), plus the NSW state planning minister Brad Hazzard, live in this electorate, could appear to be a conflict of interest as this hospital and the associated developments, may be to their own financial advantage. Two major hospitals located within 25 minutes of each other, would be the envy of many residents living in other parts of Sydney.

Residents of the northern beaches are strongly opposed to this location and to the state government's abdication of their responsibility to provide health services within reasonable reach. The Northern Beaches Greens urge you to reconsider the decision to build this hospital.
Yours sincerely Pru Wawn





ENVIRONMENT:
The location at French's Forest dissects the wildlife corridor that runs between Manly and Narrabeen Lagoon catchment. This is a valuable

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to appeal the placement of the Northern Beaches Hospital in the Frenchs Forest site. While a hospital is needed on the Northern Beaches, the proposed site is disastrous for a number of reasons.

Firstly the current levels of traffic are already problematic on that stretch of the Warringah Road of road. To further increase traffic on these roads would be absolute poor mismanagement of them.

Secondly to create extra bypasses and roads to counteract the increased traffic adds immense costs to the new hospital budget. As a taxpayer I want my money being directed into the actual hospital not ending up in band-aid road solutions.

Thirdly there presumable needs to be helicopter access at the Frenchs Forest site. To have further aircraft noise in an well used flight path area will be more distressing noise pollution for it's local residents.

Fourthly there is a precious wildlife corridor that will never be addressed by the proposed bio-bank. It is not only inadequate in size, it also fails to take into account the wildlife displacement. As more and more Australian species are heading for the endangered lists, this point alone should have stopped the Frenchs Forest being the proposed site for the new hospital.

Fifthly the visual height at 10 stories is out of character for the area and will be aesthetically inappropriate for an area with so many low lying buildings.

Finally it is unfair to expect residents from Palm Beach to Narrabeen to be so far away from the proposed Frenchs Forest site. This placement will put unbelievable pressure on family, friends and ambulance services in moving the sick, young, elderly and critically ill patients and may even result in patient casualties.

Please reconsider the Frenchs Forest site on these critically important environmental, aesthetic, vehicle congestion, noise and air pollution, and humanitarian grounds. It would be fantastic to see better sites selected for the new northern beaches hospital. For example Mona Vale Hospital site has a large amount of space to build such a new hospital from scratch. It not only has adequate roads and helicopter access, there would be no wildlife corridors destroyed. Another place could be the State Government Bus Depot in Brookvale which is out growing it's current site and is perfectly placed for vehicle access. I implore the Department of Planning to find a better site for the new hospital, and provide the wildlife corridor in The Frenchs Forest sanctuary and protection.

I object to this proposal and request that you please reconsider for various reasons that include the following:

(i) Need for our local public hospitals to be retained, and not be lost to the private hospitals run for profit.

(ii) Lack of time-critical access:
Thousands fewer beach area residents from Manly to Palm Beach could to get to the new hospital in the critical first 20 minutes of an emergency, so more will die, or, maybe just suffer for longer.

(iii) Traffic:
Peak hours already occur 5 days each week in winter, and 7 days per week in summer, further the frustrating critical 20 minute window.

(iv) Irregular periods of blocked access from coast to French's Forest site:
Even when Wakehurst Parkway is completely closed by heavy rains, Mona Vale Hospital is still accessible.

(v) New site necessitates destruction of endangered ecological community and it would take a huge chunk out of a regional wildlife corridor that is already suffering from road widening and increased vehicular traffic.

(vi) Questionable value of land trade-off for loss of existing wildlife corridor link.
Admittedly, existing links appear extremely tenuous, but please consider:
Although some land trade-offs for wildlife may have limited advantage at some locations, breakup of existing wildlife corridors can be a disaster for native animals. Unlike us, they cannot carry food and water from place to place. To survive they must go to the trees, or to rotting logs, or find the flowering bushes in season, and find water.

What if you and each of your kids, and Grandma, had to cross a busy road to get from your refrigerator to your water supply, and then get past some savage dogs or tigers (cats) to find a safe place to sleep.

Would you please carefully re-evaluate this proposal ecologically.


(vii) Local amenity of quiet residential area will be degraded.

I oppose the State Significant Infrastructure Application No 5982 for a 10-storey Northern Beaches Hospital concept proposal and destruction of endangered forest:
1. DESTRUCTION OF LOCAL AMENITY
10-storey building with overshadowing
Eyesore on hilltop location
Loss of bushland and its air cleaning function
Air Pollution from helicopters, ambulances and cars
Overflow parking in residential streets
Light pollution at night

2. TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT PROBLEMS
Wakehurst Parkway and Warringah Road already at or beyondcapacity
Wakehurst Pparkway can be closed by flooding
Intersection at hospital site gridlocked every day
Population growth on Northern Beaches (eg Warriewood) will increase problems
Substantial additional traffic (expert's estimate 10,000 per day): ambulances, staff, patients, visitors, suppliers, waste disposal.....etc
No public transport planned

3. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Destruction of irreplaceable wildlife corridors between Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment and (a) Manly Dam (b) Forestville Park (Garigal National Park)
Destruction of the largest southern stand of endangered Duffy's Forest Ecological Community, with unique diversity of flora
Loss of habitat for wildlife, eg: swamp wallabies, sugar gliders, powerful owls
Énvironmental Offsets': destruction of on unique area of native forest and wildlife cannot be remedied by preserving bushland in another unconnected location
4.HEALTH SERVICES DISTRIBUTION
Provision of public beds insufficient
Private hospitals focus on profits, not provision of health care for all
Centralising for administrative convenience does not provide health care where needed
Loss of existing public community hospitals at Mona Vale and Manly
Proximity of new 10-storey hospital to newly rebuilt Royal North Shore Hospital (duplication of services)

I request that Application 5982 be referred to PAC (Planning Assessment Committee)

Dear NSW Planning & Infrastructure,

I oppose the State Significant Infrastructure Application No 5982 for a ten storey Northern Beaches Hospital concept proposal and logging of Frenchs Forest for the following reasons:

I ) DESTRUCTION OF LOCAL AMENITY.

· 10-storey building with overshadowing

· Eyesore on hilltop location

· Loss of bushland and its air cleaning function

· Air pollution from increased traffic

· Noise pollution from helicopter, ambulance and cars

· Overflow parking in residential streets

· Light pollution at night

2 ) TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT PROBLEMS

· Warringah and Wakehurst Parkway Roads already at or beyond capacity

· Intersection at hospital site gridlocked every day

· Planned population increase on Northern Beaches (e.g. Warriewood) which will increase problems

· Substantial additional traffic (expert's estimate 10,000 per day!): ambulances, staff, patients, visitors, suppliers, waste...etc.

· No public transport planned

3 ) ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

· Destruction of irreplaceable wildlife corridors 1) between Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment (Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park) to Manly Dam and 2) Narrabeen Catchment and Forestville Park ( Garigal National Park)

· Destruction of pristine and regenerating forest, with unique diversity of flora

· Destruction of the largest southern stand of well-preserved Duffy's Forest Ecological Community

· Death for wildlife, e.g. swamp wallabies, sugar gliders, powerful owl

· I oppose `Environmental Offsets' on principle: The destruction of one pristine area of native forest and its wildlife cannot be remedied by preserving bushland in another unconnected location.

4 ) HEALTH SERVICES DISTRIBUTION

· Provision of public beds insufficient for future populations

· Privatising hospitals, focuses on profits, not provision of health care for all.

· Centralising for administrative convenience, does not provide health care where needed, e.g. Mona Vale and Manly.

· Loss of existing public community hospitals

· Proximity of new large hospital to existing Royal North Shore hospital

(duplication of services)

With this submission I request that this Development Application be referred to PAC (Planning Assessment Committee)

Your sincerley,
Ross Johnson

I would like to have Mona Vale Hospital upgraded and kept.. Having chosen the wrong site for the new hospital at Frenchs Forest I believe land on both sides of the Parkway should be used and The High School relocated. My main concern with or without the hospital is transport with current blocked roads a disgrace to government forward planning. a tunnel under Warringah and Frenchs forest road for the Wakehurst Parkway should be a must. Also opening Aquatic drive to Wakehurst for left turn traffic only will help. Opening up Morgan Road has a lot of merit. raising the Parkway makes sense and please get on with dredging the lake, Our roads are to narrow especially with parking on both sides so restrict parking to one side and consider making some streets one way like Frenchs Forest west. Put more of related businesses which use suites in the High School grounds and shift high school to say area of Ralston for this Belrose north appears the area the government has earmarked for release
In general I believe a new hospital is better than renovating an old hospital. I believe the new hospital should contain all services in one area so you can walk /lift to different departments .What should be considered is new areas to provide affordable housing for workers and suitable senior living areas for our aging population. Investment in infrastructure for the future is poorly done in this state because of political pressures to win.

As a regular visitor to the area where the hospital is planned, by bus and who has been trapped in many a traffic hold up in the area, the first issue is getting the traffic sorted. The Wakehurst Parkway and Warringah Road are always busy, and it does not help that the Wakehurst Parkway can be closed by flooding.

The roads cannot cope with the traffic that building a hospital on the site would cause, even if out of peak time. On many occasions I have seen the traffic backed up on Frenchs Forest Road to the High school from the intersection with Wakehurst Parkway.

Once built the traffic would be worse, with all the staff for a large hospital and retail outlets plus visitors and suppliers. I hope no one dies in a ambulance while waiting for entry to the hospital.

A large area of the site contains vegetation identified as Duffys Forest EC (Smith and Smith 2000) which is listed under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act). We need to keep this area intact. An Environmental Offset in another area will NOT replace the one destroyed. Seed is stored in the soil and will be destroyed by the building works.

I request that Application 5982 be referred to Planning Assessment Committee.