I object on the grounds that the amount of traffic will ruin the Newtown, Sydney Park area both from an environmental and travel aspect.

Traffic in the development area is already congested

Surely, the monies would be better utilised in providing more public transport

I object to the planned St Peters M5 interchange. To my knowledge, there is no convincing business case and no reliable traffic modelling that would support the usefulness of this feature. On the other hand, there are considerable negatives: loss of public space, increased air pollution, and increased traffic congestion in an area that is already badly affected by it. Considering the large amount of money to be spent which keeps increasing throughout the planning process, I would prefer to spend it on public transport as well as bike lanes as those are in my opinion the only viable options for reducing traffic congestion and increasing quality of life in the Inner West. Whilst I can see the point of wanting to join several motorways, I think the planner have to first present a watertight case before public money can be spent on it. To the best of my knowledge, this has not been done to date.

The Erskineville Public School P&C Association strongly objects to the proposed New M5 project as detailed in the recent Environmental Impact Statement. We feel it was incorrect to omit Erskineville Public School from the study, given its proximity to the M5 St Peters interchange, particularly it does include other schools further away. By not taking into account the full impact on our school we believe that many of the findings reached in the EIS should be rejected as they do not adequately consider all the relevant factors.

The EIS lists many important things that will have a significant impact on the health and welfare of our children and those of the wider school community. We would like to bring the following issues to the fore, which are particularly relevant given the changing demographics of the area which has seen a large increase in the number of families with children living in this area of unprecedented growth.


* Noise quality for people living in dwellings above two stories - No noise modelling has been done for how residents living above two stories will be affected. In an area where families living in apartments are the norm this omission is unforgivable.
* Air quality - we are already exposed to levels of PM2.5 particles that exceed national guidelines, yet the EIS predicts that these levels will only worsen.
* Loss of open space - in an area that has one of the lowest amounts of green space per person we can't afford to lose 11,000 square meters of Sydney Park, which is heavily used and relied upon by all our families.
* Risk of health impacts. - The EIS admits that there is a risk of health impacts, including on users of Sydney Park, but information about mitigation is deferred until after planning approvals.
* Increased traffic, including large trucks, on major roads and inevitable spillage on local streets will endanger kids walking to and from school and at other times. There needs to be an independent assessment of the traffic modelling, and the information shared so that Councils and independent experts can test predictions.
* Increased population predictions not clearly included in study. It is unclear if the future development at the Ashmore Estate (6,000 residents), Green Square (61,000 residents), Waterloo Estate (30,000 residents) and Central 2 Eveleigh (56,000 residents, 25,000 workers) have been taken into consideration with traffic modelling.

We call for this highly flawed EIS to be rejected and current work on Westconnex cease immediately until this is resolved.

Erskineville Public School P&C Association

I oppose the M5 St Peters Interchange project because it will alter the quality of life in St Peters and the surrounding suburbs including Redfern. It will increase traffic pouring into the surrounding local streets, threaten spaces for public recreation (Sydney Park) and the character and viability of King Street and worsen local air quality.

I use Sydney Park as my running track and I am extremely worried that you will destroy parts of the park where I run, specifically along Campbell Rd and Euston Rd.
Besides that, there is no business case to support the project and no plan to deal with all the traffic that will be generated on local streets.
The entire project should be stopped!

I strongly object to the proposed new M5.

A motorway interchange St Peters would push a significant number of additional cars into a residential area that has not yet adapted to increased residential development. An exorbitant amount of tax payer's money has already been invested into this project - funds which could have been spent on investment in public transport within the area.

The Government's focus on toll roads as a proposed solution to traffic problems within the city is outdated and lacks innovation. Existing toll roads are too expensive, and an additional toll will lead to deliberate avoidance of these roads by many who need to use them (myself included), placing additional burden on existing residential roads.

Part of the appeal of living in a city such as Sydney is the access to open spaces and parkland - Sydney Park is an excellent example of this. The proposed M5 interchange will not only remove a section of the park to accommodate the interchange, but will also have significant environmental impacts on those using the park including noise and air pollution.

I think it is irresponsible and unwise to spend billions of dollars on Westconnex when there is insufficient evidence that it is the optimal way to ease congestion in Sydney.

I wish the plan to be shelved immediately.

As a resident of Lord Street, Newtown; I am extremely concerned about the impact of the Westconnex on the local community, the environment and its amenity. Specifically, I am concerned about:

1) Entry / exit points for the new spaghetti junction at St Peters
Motorway traffic will be funnelled on/off local streets and roads that are already clogged with traffic at peak times and at weekends. The extra traffic generated by the motorway will make the situation worse, specifically on Edgeware Rd, King St Newtown and Euston Rd. Consideration must be given to the effects of motorway traffic on local streets and roads.

2) Destruction of parts of Sydney Park.
It is disgraceful that parts of Sydney Park will be carved up to make way for the new motorway, especially along Euston Rd and Campbell Rd where there will also be a significant loss of trees. These trees should be protected by redirecting the motorway further east towards the Alexandria Canal or beyond. The park must be protected.

3) Concentration of vehicle emissions
It is well known that motor vehicle emissions are the cause of respiratory health problems. This motorway will intensify emissions in the inner west, especially from exhaust stacks resulting in poor health prospects for residents living in the area. This health aspect must be taken into consideration.

4) Lack of a business case
The business case for the Westconnex has not been established and is shrouded in secrecy. This is not the way to run the state. The way our tax dollars are spent should be open to the highest level of scrutiny. The Westconnex must not proceed unless a clear and positive business case has been presented.

To Whom it may concern,

Sydney Park provides great amenity to 1000s of people in the area and beyond. WestConnex will destroy this amenity.

First, the park provides much needed green space in an area that becomes ever more densely populated. The green space improves physical and mental health and provides a meeting space for the community. This is public park land it should not be reduced to build a motorway.

The placement of the expanded WestConnex exit roads and flyovers next to the park will create noise and particulate pollution. This will make the park and unpleasant place to visit.

The ventilation outlets from the tunnels will pollute the air of thousands of local residents and visitors to the park.

The huge increase in traffic to the surrounding suburbs will reduce the amenity of all residents. It will bring gridlocked traffic, and increase noise and particulate pollution. It will be disastrous for local businesses making it harder for potential customers to stop and shop.

The exit routes out of westconnex for this traffic is badly planned and will result in a huge problem for all the surrounding suburbs.

I strongly object to the construction of the westconnex, tunnels, flyovers, and exit roads around Sydney Park, St Peters , Euston Road and King Street

To Whom it may concern,

Sydney Park provides great amenity to 1000s of people in the area and beyond. WestConnex will destroy this amenity.

First, the park provides much needed green space in an area that becomes ever more densely populated. The green space improves physical and mental health and provides a meeting space for the community. This is public park land it should not be reduced to build a motorway.

The placement of the expanded WestConnex exit roads and flyovers next to the park will create noise and particulate pollution. This will make the park and unpleasant place to visit.

The ventilation outlets from the tunnels will pollute the air of thousands of local residents and visitors to the park.

The huge increase in traffic to the surrounding suburbs will reduce the amenity of all residents. It will bring gridlocked traffic, and increase noise and particulate pollution. It will be disastrous for local businesses making it harder for potential customers to stop and shop.

The exit routes out of westconnex for this traffic is badly planned and will result in a huge problem for all the surrounding suburbs.

I strongly object to the construction of the westconnex, tunnels, flyovers, and exit roads around Sydney Park, St Peters , Euston Road and King Street