I cannot believe that in the same week that the Liberal Prime Minister announces the Greening of Cities, the Liberal Premier of the biggest city has okayed the destruction of a whole line of 100 year old heritage trees for light rail, and now proposes to destroy thousands more trees and bushes in Sydney Park for West Connex.
Apart from the destruction of the environment, you are promoting the entry of even more cars into a city with a narrow, water locked site which is already stacked with vehicles on inadequate roads disrupted by construction and the closure of its major artery, George St.

What are you about???

I object to WestConnex because it will drastically worsen traffic on King Street and other major arteries in the area. King St is already unusable for large parts of the day. Erskineville traffic will also increase - and Erskineville Rd is already clogged during peak hours.

Most CBD workers already use public transport, so that is where more money should be spent.

Sydney Park will be surrounded by roads carrying masses of traffic.

Submission: WestConnex New M5 Environmental Impact Statement (SSI 14_6788)

To the Director, Major Planning Assessments, Department of Planning

I write to express my strong objection to the WestConnex New M5 motorway proposal.

Sydney needs a fast, efficient, sustainable integrated public transport system that is affordable and ensures clean air and noise quality, and reduction of green house gases.
There is clear overseas evidence that more roads means more cars, yet there is not evidence that the government has looked at all options. Instead it is rushing through a project that is uncosted and whose environmental impacts have not been considered.

This is completely irresponsible. It does not make sense.

I live in Alexandria. This project will have disastrous effects on our community -- it will commandeer our green space at Sydney Park, enlarge our roads, spew cars onto our streets -- 50,000 on McEvoy, and onto our High Street -- King Street Newtown.

Global experience of major toll road construction has demonstrated conclusively that these projects are enormously expensive and counter-productive. How will this project be paid for. $18 billion! Where will this money be found and how will this affect spending on public transport, health, education, rural and regional projects, the arts.

A full and complete audit of this project is necessary. Why has it been rushed through? Is there corruption and cronyism involved?

These are the questions my community is asking given that the State Government has already signed multi-billion dollar contracts for WestConnex before the EIS was even placed on public exhibition.

I have no confidence that this is a genuine consultation process.

This EIS considers benefits for all stages of the project but doesn't address the negative impacts along the whole route. It will have huge impacts on my community of Alexandria, Erskineville and Newtown.

I object to this proposal because:

1) The New M5 will have devastating impacts on our local communities and local amenities.
2) The New M5 will be a massive contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, while destroying important habitat and greenspace.
3) WestConnex and the New M5 is a financial black hole that won't solve Sydney's traffic congestion.
4) The WestConnex project including the New M5 lacks transparency and accountability.
5) The WestConnex project comes with no real evaluation of alternative options such as world class public transport.

I agree that I have not donated more than $1000 to any political party, elected member, group or candidate within this financial year.

I agree to the NSW Planning Department publishing my submission on their website, including any personal details it contains.

Yours sincerely
Annee Lawrence

20th January 2016


SUBMISSION TO M5 EIS

Marcus Sandmann...
136 Belmont Street Alexandria NSW 2015

Dear Sir/ Madam,

I strongly object to the proposed New M5.

The roads around the St Peters interchange are already at an unacceptable Level of Service and are getting worse because of in-fill developments not allowed for by the EIS:
* Green Square: 61,000 residents
* Ashmore: 6,000 residents
* Waterloo Estate: 30,000 residents
* Central 2 Eveleigh: 56,000 residents, 25,000 workers

With an extra 150,000 people in an area of a few square kilometres, this is going to be the most densely populated area in Australia.

There is no evidence that the traffic models have factored in this huge increase in density that will occur in the area.

The EIS clearly demonstrates that the traffic on roads in the Alexandria area will deteriorate as a result of WestConnex. But it also predicts that Level of Service will improve at many intersections even if nothing is done - in the case of Euston Rd/Sydney Park Rd, from D to A, in the PM peak. This is clearly wrong - so wrong that it suggests that the traffic modelling is broken (the EIS does acknowledge that "modelling is probably optimistic") and it suggests that the level of service on local roads will be several levels worse than predicted, either with or without the project.

According to the business case, Euston Road is supposed to handle 61,000 cars on 3 lanes each way. This is almost 10 times what it can handle on 2 lanes. There is no way it can handle 61,000 cars, however many lanes are added to it. Adding extra lanes to Euston will not help because the roads that Euston Road feeds are also gridlocked. Traffic does not simply dissipate once it leaves the M5. It will only increase the damage done to the area and cause rat-running.

Meanwhile, usage of the M5 is not growing, and has not grown for some years. This project only makes an existing road more expensive for commuters. It will save little time, if any, and at an exorbitant price. As the EIS acknowledges, the tolls are going to force drivers off the M5 and onto local roads, and no wonder. The Updated Strategic Business Case shows that for almost all of its users, the Value of Time saved is less than the cost of using WestConnex.

This project will carve 11,000 square metres from Sydney Park and expose the rest of the park to vehicle fumes and noise. This damage is particularly felt, because this area already has one the lowest amounts of public open space per person in Australia, even without considering the future in-fill projects that are already in progress.

Alexandria residents are already exposed to levels of PM2.5 particles that exceed national guidelines, yet the EIS predicts that these levels will only worsen.

The new M5 is an unfair waste of taxpayers' money that could be better used elsewhere, such as on projects that improve transport infrastructure out west or in the regions, or in our area to help us cope with the massive rise in density that we are facing over the next ten years.

Finally, I strongly object to the quality of the EIS. There is too little information on the traffic volumes that will occur in Alexandria, and there is also conflicting information on possible mitigation strategies. Although the diagrams in the EIS show right-hand turn lanes in all four directions at the Sydney Park Road/Euston Road intersection, the text of "New M5 EIS Vol 2B App G Traffic and Transport" instead indicates that there will be a "banned right turn from Mitchell Road into Sydney Park Road [because of] the banned right turn southbound at the Sydney Park Road / Euston Road intersection". The text also indicates that there will be a "north-bound lane [which] will go as far as Maddox Street, where it becomes a new left-hand turn lane", but the diagrams do not show this. Not having clarity on which of these two scenarios is planned makes informed consultation impossible. If these right-hand turns into Sydney Park Road are not permitted, there will be enormous volumes of traffic on local roads as drivers try to rat run. Likewise, the extra left-hand turn lane, if it is actually planned, seems destined to drive traffic onto local roads.

Roads, especially tunnels, are expensive, and move relatively few people - perhaps 2,000 vehicles per hour per lane. This is a fraction of what can be moved by heavy rail, or light rail, or bicycles. Even pedestrians can move more commuters per lane than can be moved by car.

The EIS business case says that with toll roads, "losses to investors [are typical] due to traffic demand forecast being overly optimistic. This has led to a situation where it is likely the private sector sponsors will be unwilling [and the NSW Government is likely to have] to take on all or part of the development and start up traffic risk". Why does the NSW government think that WestConnex can be profitable when the private sector does not?

I call for the M5 EIS not to proceed. As a NSW taxpayer, I want better value for money.


Regards
Marcus Sandmann.

FAILURE OF PLANS -TraVel times

Not only is the WestConnex a massive spend (waste) of public money then the public will be tolled (what a joke)without any transparency it is a road that cannot justify being a road for everybody. I for one cannot remotely see myself using it no matter how hard I tried to see if it was even viable for me in both tolls and travel time. In fact the claim of saving 40 minutes along the M4 with the WestConnex is a farce. Having driven the M4 it takes around 40 to 55 minutes Parramatta to Broadway. If I'm supposed to save 40 minutes travel time that means it will take between zero (a genie blink) to 15 minutes from Parramatta to Broadway. Just another manipulative lie to the public and another reason to object to it.

I wish to express my strong objection to the WestConnex/New M5 motorway proposal. Transport solutions for 2016 will include roads, but not as the main solution to urban congestion. With car usage declining in urban areas it is a surprise to find the state government preparing to pour funds into road construction that will massively damage inner city areas. This is especially so given that this is a time when the population and the demand for housing in these areas immediately west of the city centre is on the increase.

Areas such Newtown, St Peters, and Alexandria are currently developing strongly as urban hubs that attract both families and young knowledge workers forming important settings for innovation in the new economy, similar to those already established in Pyrmont and Surry Hills. These folks are looking for connectivity and amenity. Dumping huge quantities of concrete in the form of circular flyovers at St Peters, Missenden Road and at the end of the ANZAC bridge will constitute major acts of unnecessary vandalism that will not alleviate traffic congestion, but will destroy communities and local businesses. Who will want to be near a six lane road bordering an existing lovely park â€" Sydney park - that will be thoroughly polluted by the St Peters interchange? How will it affect the development of the Bays precinct with a major road interchange on its border? And how will it improve access to Sydney University and the adjoining hospital with an interchange on Missenden Road?

What is most disappointing about the WestConnex proposal is that it seems to have been developed without any thought to context, to the communities involved, or to other development taking place for public amenity. It is a throwback to the 20th century by a government apparently unaware that there is sound research indicating new trends in population distribution, and in the emerging 21st century economy itself. Global experience of major toll road construction has demonstrated conclusively that these projects are enormously expensive and counter-productive. WestConnex is not a long-term solution to Sydney's congestion problem.

THE REMOVAL OF TREES AND BUSHLAND (CRCIF)

The unjustified West Connx roadway. The recent New M5 EIS admits threatened vegetation communities in the Wolli Creek area will be destroyed.

Inner Sydney suburb (Kingsgrove and Kogarah Gold Course) will see some of the rarest vegetation and native habitat disappear forever.

Our development and planning system is up shit creek and these places should be off limits and not treated as disposable - in exchange for money.
Our government is letting us and the environment down in an unprecedented level for the new age where it should be moving to protect our green assets. How government is so irresponsible to even think this way and they rightly should be criminal acts to destroy such a precious thing.
Just another reason among hundreds of billions of reasons not to support this crazy illogical criminal project

I object to the WestConnext project as it will bring increased traffic on local roads, increased pollution and noise as well as taking away much needed parklands at Sydney Park.
This is a waste of taxpayers money and little thought has been given to the needs of the community and the future of the densely populated area.
Instead of more roads, we need more public transport as the population grows. The inner west and specifically Alexandria, Newtown and Camperdown would benefit from a light rail which would allow more commuters per hour than a motorway.
There is no advantage to the Westconnex M5 motorway. It will ruin Sydney Park and the community feel of the area. It will also mean that we have construction, noise and pollution whilst they build the motorway until 2023.
Surely, increasing the rail network, heavy rail or light rail or increasing buses is a more sensible way forward for the future.

I object to the WestConnext project as it will bring increased traffic on local roads, increased pollution and noise as well as taking away much needed parklands at Sydney Park.
This is a waste of taxpayers money and little thought has been given to the needs of the community and the future of the densely populated area.
Instead of more roads, we need more public transport as the population grows. The inner west and specifically Alexandria, Newtown and Camperdown would benefit from a light rail which would allow more commuters per hour than a motorway.
There is no advantage to the Westconnex M5 motorway. It will ruin Sydney Park and the community feel of the area. It will also mean that we have construction, noise and pollution whilst they build the motorway until 2023.
Surely, increasing the rail network, heavy rail or light rail or increasing buses is a more sensible way forward for the future.

EMISSIONS - STACKS SHOULD BE FILTERED
The RACV website advises the following re vehicle emissions - Air pollution has negative health effects, especially for vulnerable people, including those with allergic and respiratory conditions, such as asthma, hay fever and sinusitis, and respiratory and lung conditions commonly associated with the elderly. Research suggests that certain air pollutants (e.g. benzene) are carcinogenic.

Air pollution is not uniform across a city, but varies with concentrations of industry, traffic conditions, land form and weather patterns.

Emissions from vehicles include carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, hydrocarbons, and particles. Passenger vehicles contribute 47% of carbon monoxide emissions, 40% of nitrogen oxides, 27% of hydrocarbons and 4% of particles (1998 inventory of Melbourne's air pollution by EPA Victoria).

Evaporated fuel is also a pollutant. About a third of vehicle hydrocarbon emissions are from evaporation, which occurs when driving, during refuelling, and even when stationary. Evaporation is increased by poorly sealed fuel tanks (including poorly fitting fuel caps or caps with worn seals), spillage, and overfilling of the fuel tank.

SO PLEASE don't allow the extra cars on the roads be a negative affect on the locals.

Its about time this road was stopped as the NSW Government will not filter the tunnel emissions simply because it will cost at least an extra $700,000 per stack per year to clean. Multiply that by all the extra stacks the NSW government has decided to install and its big bikkies our government is avoiding and of course the citizens will suffer health issues as a result. SHAME and another reason not to support this irresponsible road.