The intersection of the proposed hospital is gridlocked in the AM and PM. There has always been a need for an overpass or underpass system to assist prior to the hospital proposal. For hospital emergency access a separate lane would be required leading to the under/over pass. The parkway remains a problem due to its single lane and flooding. It requires urgent upgrading by elevating the entire road and widening. As a retired Intensive Care Paramedic I have had many frustrating experiences with this area due to traffic concerns and flooding. This hospital is required to upgrade medical facilities for many reasons.

this hospital site is the wrong place, frenches forest is not the place for a hospital

I must point out the significant corridor (of this site) for species to connect with natural reserves across the region.
Further the significant road congestion in the immediate vicinity (being a major crossroad), with flooding occurring on the thoroughfare to Narrabeen lakes.
Concentrated air pollution is a constant factor in the immediate region.
Flora species significant to area are located on the site, such as orchid species/grasses/trees indigenous to region, also acting as an important absorption site for carbon emissions.
Private facility, of what major significance to general public really, when it is targeting private sector (mainly).
Why is existing major hospitals, with appropriate infrastructure not considered as genuine upgrade potential in comparison to private, limited sector. (I personally consider this a bandaid).
North Shore is renowned for nature corridors/green environment, which is irreplaceable once destroyed.
Private earning entities need to consider sites that are poor in value/ugly to environment, not prized green corridors. Pre used industry sites etc. are better prospects, enhancing regions, whilst green corridors are better left for their quiet servitude to the wellbeing of all.
Opportunity for healthy alternatives can be cleverly invested in by engaging with the public sector, creating micro establishments in most suburbs, facilitating jobs, education, better health, use of pre-existing buildings, on miniature scale. This can draw public into immediate business regions, enhancing trade.
Complimentary alternative modalities are numerous, cost efficient & educational for general public, promoting understanding of health for the public, lessening burden on hospitals.
Money can be well spent on pre-existing infrastructure of hospitals, whilst shopping centres are maintained rather than becoming white elephants as people are drawn away from these hubs.
Many in the community are happy to openly discuss ideas that generate clever uses rather than waste money on limited project outcomes.
There is so much new potential available that is incredibly cost efficient. (The Swiss Government has adopted some innovative cost saving alternatives).
I can only attempt being positive in outlook as I witness this, hoping the future will bring better circumstances. I fear this project will be a costly & limited prospect.

I have many concerns about this project most of them environmental as well as aesthetic and logistical. Firstly this is a shameless land grab by developers under the guise of a hospital. Any other development of this magnitude would have been resoundly rejected by the communities surrounding this area. It is almost 5 hectares of endangered bush land and also a Powerful owl habitat and home to other small native marsupials.
A hospital becomes the nucleus for a myriad of satellite services
So if this goes ahead we can say goodbye to the entire green belt that surrounds this area? It will be the beginning of the destruction of this green belt. It is both a crime and a theft from future generations who will never experience the joy of driving up Wakehurst Parkway and turning left to see that extraordinary wooded area instead a huge ugly hospital, unnecessary, unasked for by the residents and a Trojan horse of development for the entire area. Canberra did not provide any green corridors
For its kangaroos and the roads were littered as is Wakehurst parkway with dead native animals, we should be protecting these wildlife habitats not excavating them.
There are three hospitals which require more investment and are already built and staffed just lacking money clearly the motivation for this hospital is not altruistic at all rather a profit making venture cloaked in servitude much like aged care facilities in the private sector I digress. This development is not suitable for this bush land area at all.it will change the area for ever, the damage will be irreparable, irreplaceable,irresponsible,
And ironic, destroying life to create a hospital that we wouldn't need if we looked after ourselves and our plant with more respect and love.
Australia's destruction of koala wildlife habitat all the way down the east coast is shameful and abhorrent and this area could be
One green belt saved for the future generations.
The developers of this hospital should find a new site and not continue their quest to scar,,disfigure and maime the bushland
Of frenchs forest. It is a travesty and also beyond logic especially considering the infrastructure around the area which if upgraded will change the entire feeling of the region most unsympathetically. I have never heard the expression as picturesque as a hospital and I have spent a lot of time in and visiting them. We do not need to destroy 5 hectare of endangered bushland for a hospital. WHat about the offset 10hanext to the Belrose tip. Please please can someone stop this madness or is it jobs for the boys,
our prime minister must have had the joy of riding his bike up Wakehurst parkway and past the woodlands on Waringah Road.
Surely he can vetoe this inappropriate Developement .
This is an emotional submission as destroying endangered bushland and powerful owl habitat makes me sad.
This destruction is happening all over our planet, deforestation statistics are appalling : Borneo, Malaysia India Africa South America the list is endless and Australia should stop and take a long hard look at what we are doing to our urban forests.

My concerns over the proposed hospital site are as follows.

The destruction of the wildlife corridor on the proposed site that is part of the remaining 15 % of Duffys Forest Ecological community. Losing this would be a crime against all Australians which cannot be replaced by "environmental offsets" (buzzword for destroying something else somewhere else)

The road kill of animals currently using this corridor and the fact that endangered species inhabit the proposed site.

The increased traffic in an area that is already struggling under the traffic it currently carries let alone adding another 10,000 per day cars increase to that.

The loss of existing public community hospitals at Mona Vale and Manly which are perfectly positioned for community needs. Mona Vale has the land and prime position and needs to be upgraded to a level 5 public hospital,

The provision of public beds in the proposed hospital is insufficient, this will not serve the broader community, only the people who are rich enough to pay,

The duplication of services between Royal North shore and the proposed hospital due to their close proximity is a complete waste of resources that would be of better use at Mona Vale hospital.

The impact of noise, traffic, parking and possible widening of French's Forest road West and the compulsory acquisition that will probably follow that affects me, my family, my neighbors.

A 10 storey hospital is completely out of character of the area and will change a quiet pleasant area into a business centre. Zoning changes and the knock on effect will mean surrounding properties are bought and developed into accompanying medical specialist centres, and before you know it the area will be another Chatswood.

To surmise this hospital is in the wrong location, is environmentally inappropriate, community inappropriate and basically a white elephant. Appropriate PUBLIC health facilities need upgrading at Manly and Mona Vale hospitals. This whole development reeks of big business cashing in on a bit of land bought cheaply and the potential bonanza to be made on the well located Mona Vale and Manly sites at the expense of the majority of the communities needs and wants.

I request that application 5982 be refereed to the planning assessment committee.

Dear Mr Player
On behalf of The Forest High School Council, I want to thank you for including the community in the consultation process to date for the Northern Beaches Health Service Redevelopment. We appreciate that you value our concerns and are willing to work with the school community over this project.
This is to advise that The Forest High School Council emphatically supports the submission of Mrs Jane Dean (Relieving Principal), on concerns raised about traffic, student transportation and safety and noise, following a review of the Stage 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Northern Beaches Hospital.
At every opportunity, the community has sought assurance that the transportation infrastructure needs to be addressed prior to any clearing / construction phases of the redevelopment. Without adequate changes to existing transportation infrastructure, the Northern Beaches Health Service Redevelopment is committing the local community to grid lock conditions throughout the clearing and construction phase of the hospital. We urge the cooperation of Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) and the Northern Beaches Health Service Redevelopment to deliver on the transport infrastructure required to support the Northern Beaches Hospital.
Finally, I request on behalf of the school community, ongoing consultation throughout all stages of this project.
Looking forward to hearing from you in the future.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. Michael Strugnell
President, The Forest High School Council

As a local resident with insight into the local traffic issues and surrounding land usage, I wish to express my objection to the Frenchs Forest Hospital Development site.

The total lack of foresight by the government by trying to build a hospital on a site way too small and bordered by three major roads (one of only three exit points from the Northern Beaches) and a high school (the only remaining in the local area) is really inconceivable.

1) Frenchs Forest Road and Wakehurst Parkway:-
This major intersection is constantly gridlocked. It took me half an hour at 7am yesterday to drive from Patanga Road to Warringah Road - normally a two minute drive! How do you propose an ambulance can get through at such a time?

2) Flooding:-
Wakehurst Parkway has been closed twice last week alone, due to rain. Shouldn't a major arterial roadway leading to the hospital be open at all times and not be susceptible to constant flooding?

3)Public transport:-
Total lack of infrastructure in the area to cope with a hospital - Frenchs Forest unfortunately has a totally inadequate public transport service!

4) Pollution and traffic chaos will be created without addition of a tunnel under Warringah Road and/or space provided for dedicated bus lanes.

5) Loss or Diversity and Wildlife Corridor:-
Loss of an essential wildlife corridor between Manly Dam Reserve, Garigal National Park and Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment. The area is classified as the endangered Duffy's Forest Ecological Community and is irreplaceable.

6) Building a hospital on the top of three catchment areas??:-The addition of a large area of concrete, let alone a hospital with potential medical waste accidents or spills, at the head-waters of three catchment areas and the last remaining undisturbed bushland in the built up suburban location, seems to me to be a totally ill-informed decision.

7) Health Services Distribution:-
North Shore Hospital is only 25 mins away from Frenchs Forest out of peak times, why have a duplication so close?

8) Destruction of Local amenities:-
The proposed site is next to one of the few remaining local high schools (after the government sold off Beacon Hill High). With the hospital next door, this must put the school at risk of being taken over due to expansion in the future?

The proposed site is in the middle of a residential area. The impacts of noise, artificial light at night and additional traffic will impact greatly on the local residents, many of whom are long standing.

In Conclusion:-
Without building proper infrastructure to cope with the excess traffic flow this is a disaster waiting to happen (i.e someone will die in a traffic jam). Logic says - fix up Mona Vale Hospital - this is the only sensible option. It has room to expand and is only 15 minutes from Frenchs Forest.
I hope that the Frenchs Forest hospital site can be reconsidered, with all of the above mentioned points considered and a more appropriate, less densely populated area can be found.

I am expressing my objection to the proposed hospital at Frenchs Forest. The areas of main concern for me are increased traffic in the local area and the noise associated with this increase.

Local roads are at a standstill in the peak travelling times and adding to these pressures without increasing local public transport or looking at changing/improving the roads in the area will only result in adverse impacts. Frenchs Forest Road West, Naree, Rabbett and Adams Street are reduced to a slow crawl in the mornings and afternoons. Warringah Road and the Wakehurst Parkway are congested during peak hour and adding additional vehicles to visit or service the hospital site without due consideration to traffic management and flow is not good town planning.

I am also concerned about the increase in cars seeking parking in the local area. Parking space is at a premium now with commuters travelling closer to the limited public transport in the area and hospital visitors overflow parking cannot be accommodated on local roads in the area. The hospital plans do not adequately address this potentially large issue.

The limited local public transport and the lack of a public transport plan associated with the hospital plan is also a major concern. Public transport is stretched at the moment and unless more is available and bought online when the hospital is functioning people will be forced into cars.

The air, noise and light pollution that the hospital will bring are also issues not resolved in the proposed plan. The noise in the local area will increase with the increased ambulance and helicopter traffic and this causes me concern. Will the State government provide noise proofing solutions to local residents or some form of compensation to we can reduce the noise levels, created by the hospital, within our homes.

I have small children and the increase in air pollution as a result of the traffic gridlock that will be created by the hospital is a concern. The destruction of the local forest to build the hospital will remove nature's filters and pollution will increase in the immediate local area. The removal of the forest has a number of adverse impacts including the loss of important habitat for local fauna in particular the powerful owls, an endangered species.

The wildlife corridors that the current tracks of forest provide can never be replaced once removed and these are critical for the survival of local fauna and flora species.

I object to the hospital and request that the application 5982 be referred to the PAC.

I wish to express my disgust and the total lack of foresight by the government by trying to cram a hospital into a site too small, on the busiest intersection on the northern beaches.
1) At 7am everyday Frenchs Forest Road and Wakehurst Parkway is already congested. How do you propose an ambulance can get through at such a time?
2) Wakehurst Parkway has been closed twice last week alone, due to rain. Shouldn't a major arterial roadway to the hospital be open at all times and not be susceptible to constant flooding?
3) Total lack of infrastructure in the area to cope with a hospital - totally inadequate public transport service!
4) Pollution and traffic chaos created without tunnel under Warringah Road or bus lanes.
5) Loss of local bush land (effect on wildlife)...probably dead due to fencing
6) Pollution from hospital straight into Narrabeen lagoon catchment (already under stress)
7) I work at North Shore Hospital, which is 25 mins from Frenchs forest on the weekend. Why have a duplication so close?
Without building proper infrastructure to cope with the excess traffic flow this is a disaster waiting to happen (i.e someone will die in a traffic jam). Logic says - just fix up Mona Vale Hostpital - this is the only sensible option.
Why would you vote liberal on the Northern Beaches...you guys don't listen. Maybe build it in Tony Abbott's street (there's nice bushland there and no major roads to deal with) and see what he thinks.

When Minister Brad Hazard organised and held public meetings in January 2013, the overwhelming response to these sessions was that 1) the public was able to have input into the planning process and that the ideas and suggestions from those meetings would be taken into consideration and 2) that the majority of the community wanted to keep the "forest" in Frenchs Forest and that we don't want to be a concrete jungle like Royal North Shore Hospital.

The planning application is in direct conflict with both of these points.

I oppose the State Significant Infrastructure Application No 5982 for a 10 storey Northern Beaches Hospital concept proposal:
1) Destruction of Local Amenity
- 10 storey building with overshadowing
- air pollution from increased traffic
- noise pollution from helicopters, ambulances and cars
- light pollution at night
- overflow parking in our residential streets
2) Traffic and transport problems
- too close to the Frenchs Forest High School with an entrance on Frenchs Forest road it make it dangerous for our children to get to school due to all the increased traffic
-Wakehurst Parkway and Warringah Rd are already at or beyond capacity
-Wakehurst Parkway can be closed by flooding
-Intersection at hospital site gridlocked every day
-No public transport planned
3)Environmental issues
-loss of habitat for wildlife
-loss of clean air
-having incinerators burning hospital waste so close to Frenchs Forest high school concerns me about the health of the children
4) Health Services Distribution
-Provision of public beds insufficient
-Proximity of new 10-storey hospital to newly rebuilt Royal North Shore Hospital (duplication of services)
-Does not provide health care where needed (need it closer to Mona Vale)