I am a resident of Coral Tree Drive and the Northconnex project is of serious concern to me and my family along with the rest of the residents in the immediate area.
I believe that there has been a lack of analysis and oversight in the EIS. According to the current statement, we have been completely overlooked! This was highlighted in a recent meeting that we had at 18 Coral Tree Drive, Carlingford attended by employees of Lend Lease, RMS and Northconnex.
At this meeting residents expressed concerns in relation to: noise, pollution, loss of value to our properties and health risks that the project will entail. These concerns could not be adequately addressed, and an e email was received from Amber at Northconnex yesterday stating:-"In relation to the commitment to come back to you with specific information relating to operational noise, given that your properties aren't specifically identified in the EIS, we have initiated further investigation and will come back to you in the coming weeks with specific information relating to your properties at Coral Tree Drive Carlingford"
Can someone please explain how residents that back onto this project and are going to have their backyards altered, be ignored/excluded from the EIS?
I also have serious concerns about the use of exhaust stacks located on the southern interchange. This is supposedly designed to remove 9 km of encapsulated exhaust emissions. One extraction system will be totally inefficient in removing the quantity of emissions produced along the 9km of tunnel. In the event the proposed system is 70% effective in the relocation of pollutants to the exhaust tower, this leaves 30% of the emissions being expelled out into the confined valley at the eastern end of Coral Tree Drive, an area that is sheltered from prevailing south and south west winds.
It is absolutely unacceptable to propose an exhaust system engineered to be perhaps 70% efficient for a motorway with trucks/double bogies (possibly upwards of 2500 per day south bound) and vehicles, travelling at 80+ km/ph . Producing areas of low air pressure behind the trailers that capture their own emissions and drag them out of the tunnel behind them.
As a result of this, there will be a significant increase of pollution pushed out into the environment around our area.
Along with the rest of the residents on Coral Tree Drive, we appeal to you to ensure that each of these issues are addressed. Until they are addressed and explained, the current proposal must not be approved for construction.

Presently of any weekday morning the traffic is qued back from the corner of Oakes road and Aiken road back down past our house, the effect on the traffic flow of 1800 extra heavy and light vegicles will push the traffic que even further down Aiken road. In addition if these heavy vehicles are going tpo be turning right off Pennat Hills road into Aiken road then the right hand lanes on Pennant hills road will quickly back up and prevent the normal traffic flow down pennant hills road in the right lane as the encroach on that lane. If the heavy vehicles can then negotiate that the they have to turn left into Eaton road off oakes road, which is not built to take articulated vehicles as it is quite narrow at the corner. I believe that no one has seriusly looked at the impact on local traffic and the hazzrds that will eventuate from such a large increase in haevy vehicle movements.
As far as filtration not being required in the tunnel and the M5 being used as a a good example I find that quite stagggering. I travelled by cae through the M5 tunnel for several years and not only can you see the particles but you can taste it unless you wind up your window and put the air conditiong on recyle mode. To this end there is now a sign on the entrance to the tunnel advising people to wind up their windows.

Please find below my submission in response to the exhibition of the EIS for NorthConnex. NorthConnex Application Number: SSI 13_6136

Firstly I would like to state that I object to the project.

I have been concerning about the health risks to the local residents since the proposed location of the northern stack and portal exit emission was announced. I am now even much more concerned about the health risks to the local community after XXXX Air Quality Forum on 29 July 2014.

XXXX states that all locations in the community have been modeled including schools, childcares, aged care and hospitals.

I wonder where are the evidences that show all locations in the community have been modeled including schools, childcares, aged care and hospitals. Where are the adequate assessment of the health risks to 9,300 school children and people in the multiple aged cares, hospitals, businesses and homes?

XXXX states that all the chemicals, CO, NO2, etc. are below the standard of the guidelines.

However, vast medical research indicates that air pollution adversely affects the health of human beings, especially young children and aged people, and that there are no safe limits for air pollution. Therefore, any extra pollution from the stack is purely unnecessary to the Wahroonga area, especially given the already existent pollution from the M1.

XXXX states that all the particulates such as PM2.5, PM10 etc. exist in our daily life. The chances of health risks are very low and can be ignored.

XXXX I work in the medical imaging area. It is the common knowledge that radiation is harmful to human beings. We also know that we can get radiations from our diary life activities as well such as mobile phones, iPods, by airplanes, driving etc. The amount of radiation of a chest X-ray is equal 3 hour traveling by airplane for human being, it also equal to 20-23 miles driving. Should we explain to all the patients that radiation is safe? Should all the health departments ignore the risks of radiation as the radiation exists in our daily life anyway?

All the school children, local residents will expose to the pollution daily in long term. The health risks are significant for them.

XXXX

Any health risks cannot be neglected. The accidents can inevitably happen anytime whatever the accurate, safe design is, such as fire, earthquakes, chemical leaks, bombs, and explosions, which will immediately threaten the lives of those within the Wahroonga area since the northern stack is situated in the centre of homes, schools, childcare centers, aged care facilities, hospitals and businesses.

Therefore, I request that the Department of Planning consider the issues raised above and does not approve the project in its current form. I also request that the Department of Planning consider to relocate the stack and portal exit emission to a non-residential area, such as industrial or park land areas.

The single point on which all would agree is that an answer needed to be found to the ongoing congestion and traffic safety issues on Pennant Hills Road along the section known commonly as the `missing link'. This is the section of Pennant Hills Road linking the M2 with the beginning of the M1.

I have been lobbying for the construction of the `missing link' for many years and am certainly gratified that the Abbott Federal Government, together with the NSW Government, is making the plan a reality.

As the Federal representative for the people of the Berowra electorate, my primary concern is for the project to provide the best possible results for the area through the use of best practice policy. While the general consensus of residents throughout local suburbs is favourable to the overall project, I am aware of and sympathetic to, a number of concerns which have been raised.

The most often heard are the concerns people have regarding tunnel filtration.

The point of my submission is to remind NorthConnex and the Governments involved of the words issued in a joint statement by the Deputy Prime Minister at the time, the Hon John Anderson MP and Senator the Hon Ian Campbell: -

`While the Australian Government endorsed the preferred corridor it will insist on the following in three key areas ;
* The Government has a strong preference for a fully tunnelled link and will ensure that there is no opening in Brickyard Park,
* The Government will ensure the ventilation stacks use the world's best practice filtration suitable to Australian conditions, and
* The Government rejects the concept of intermediate access points from the link."

It is my belief that the conditions referred to in this statement, released on the 6th May 2004 remain as valid now as they were then.

Hon Philip Ruddock MP
Federal Member for Berowra 11th September 2014

My family home is immediately opposite the unfiltered Northern ventilation
shaft and the Northern portal of the NorthConnex tunnel project. My sister
XXXX and her 3 young children live at this address. XXXX

I strongly object to the project in the form set down in the EIS. Therefore
I want the Department of Planning and NorthConnex to take into account the
following grounds for my objection:

1 The location of an unfiltered ventilation shaft for the 9.2km tunnel is
highly inappropriate being in the centre of a residential area that
contains within a 1-1.5km radius approx 9,200 school and preschool children,
as well as elderly occupants in a number of aged care facilities.
Unlike other tunnel projects in Sydney there are alternatives for locating
the stack and portals in non-residential areas eg by locating them further
north.

2 I am extremely concerned about the impact on health of the emissions from
diesel and other trucks and from the predicted large volume of traffic
bypassing Pennant Hills Road (ie assuming modelling of predicted usage is
more accurate than that for the Lane Cove Tunnel). Numerous research studies
have concluded that traffic emissions contribute to death by affecting the
heart and lungs and by causing strokes. Studies suggest that children's lung
development is impeded and asthma increased as a result of vehicle
pollutants which include exhaust and other vehicle micro particles eg from
brake linings.

The World Health Organisation has classified diesel emissions as
carcinogenic. Medical representatives from the Asthma Foundation and University of Sydney Adult &
Paediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery and Public Health & Community Medicine
supported these research findings at a recent community meeting.

3 I am not at all satisfied with the continued NorthConnex claim that there
will be no effect on community health from the two unfiltered ventilation
stacks - the claim that residents will be 'better off' is totally
unsubstantiated and is, indeed, highly questionable in the light of existing
research. Residents in the vicinity of the ventilation shaft and portal will
be exposed to pollutants accumulated from the full 9.2km tunnel, not just
from traffic passing by as at present. Monitoring of air quality by the
successful tender company is not acceptable.

4 I am also concerned about the quality of air in the 9.2km tunnel and the
effect on the health of drivers, especially during delays. The EIS states
the tunnel air quality will have exceedences above standards for pollutants
such as NO2

5 I am concerned that the air quality modelling of the northern stack in the
EIS is flawed:
-meteorological data is from other non-local weather stations inconsistent
with the local meteorology, topography and valley location. 
-polluted intake air from the Pennant Hills/M2 interchange is not recognised
in the EIS as contributing to air 'quality' at Wahroonga
- the background air quality is based on air quality at Lindfield and
Prospect and lacks any actual data on PM2.5

6 I am concerned about the effect on Wahroonga community cohesion resulting
from the planned Northern shaft. Already a significant number of long-term
residents have sold up rather than be exposed to the pollution exiting the
shaft and portal and to the construction disturbance.

7 I am very dissatisfied with the lack of transparency in the planning
process in which criteria for assessing alternative options are not
available. This is especially significant during the current ICAC
investigations - the successful tender company will have a virtual monopoly
on metropolitan traffic tunnels.

7 I am concerned that the financial and other justification for not
providing filtration for the stacks is unconvincing and shortsighted. The
company (and government) claim that filtration is too expensive - however
the company recently returned high dividends to its shareholders. The
potential medical costs for remedying the health of affected persons must be
avoided.

To address my concerns I request that the following actions are
undertaken: 

1 The air quality and human health impact assessment need to be revised to
address the issues raised above.

2 An independent options assessment process should be undertaken to assess
alternative locations for the ventilation stack and portals.

3 To undertake a Life Cycle Analysis and assessment for the provision of
filtration

4 A long term health study on children and residents in areas impacted by
stack discharges be included as part of the conditions of approval.

5 A comprehensive air quality monitoring program is developed and
implemented.

6 An independent review of the ventilation system is undertaken to ensure
that NorthConnex's claim of no portal emissions is justified.

7 Portal emissions from NorthConnex in the future are banned.

8 The Submissions Report/Preferred Project be exhibited to allow the
community to respond to the revised information contained in the report.

9 The Department does not approve the project in its current form as it
clearly does not meet the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development
as required by the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act.

Firstly I would like to state I object to the project as described in the EIS.

I have a high level of concern regarding the following issues and request that NorthConnex and the Department of Planning consider these. In regards to the NorthConnex tunnel, I am concerned about:

1. The placement of the unfiltered northern ventilation stack in the centre of a densely populated residential area in Wahroonga. This is a location that would expose 9,300 school children to pollutants, as well as multiple aged care facilities, hospitals, businesses and homes. 


2. As a resident of the area with family members studying less than half a kilometre away from the proposed ventilation stack location, I am highly concerned about impacts of the emitted air pollutants on our health. Multiple large-scale research studies suggest that the health impacts of air pollutants are serious. These impacts include, amongst others:
a. Increased death from heart disease
b. Increased risks of lung cancer and stroke
c. Poor lung growth in children
d. Increased asthma
There is also recent research that suggests air pollutants can cause low birth weight for pregnant women, increased autism, and congenital heart defects. These studies also confirm that air pollutants have prothrombotic and inflammatory effects on humans, which cause the above health problems.

3. The impact of the ventilation stack emissions on the environment. Unfiltered and untreated exhaust gases will not only introduce additional pollutants but also add heat to the surrounding atmosphere and increase the temperature of the surrounding areas. This can have a detrimental effect on flora and fauna in the area, potentially leading to damage to the local ecosystem.

To address my concerns I request that the following actions are undertaken:

1. Due to the significant health and environmental concerns of the current project design, I request the department of planning does not approve the project in its current form. 


2. I also request that alternative transport options to ease congestion on Pennant Hills Rd be considered such as an orbital surface route.

Our submission relates to the proposed facility on Pennant Hills Road between Trelawney St and Loch Maree Street
1. Noise. There is very little noise minimisation provided in the design. While the background noise level suggested sounds at face value quite reasonable, I know from experience that these levels are actually quite wearing on those who have to hear them on an ongoing basis and can cause unnecessary stress. The noise levels are also only an estimate and there is no guarantee that the noise will not be significantly louder. We propose that additional noise abatement solutions be designed into the facility from the start as the cost to retrofit these solutions is considerably higher if rectification is required.
2. Graffiti. The facility will be a target for graffiti. The external walls must be designed in such a way as to reduce its attraction to graffiti artists. Also security measures need to be in place (maybe cameras and regular security patrols) both during construction and on an ongoing basis once the facility is live. Alternately a nature corridor must surround the facility so it is not visible to passers-by.
3. Parking. There are a number of issues with the parking solutions proposed:
a. Trelawney and Loch Maree residence have enough trouble with parking on a Sunday due to the Church. The number of cars is significantly less than what is expected during the construction period. There are also a lot of young families in the area. Parking and use as a thoroughfare for construction related vehishould not be allowed in the local streets below the site.
b. Parking at the site. The extra increase in traffic through the Loch Maree Avenue lights will cause issues at these lights. It would be worthwhile having a longer right hand turn arrow for traffic coming from South along Pennant Hills Road.
c. I understand that there will also be extra traffic in and out of Pioneer Ave and that it has been proposed as a potential car park. Ingress and egress of Pioneer Ave already causes problems with traffic on Duffy Ave. The proposed addition of traffic at that intersection will make the intersection at Duffy and Pennant Hills road completely unworkable. This will be major problem for the many families whose children go to Thornleigh West Primary School as well as all those in the Westleigh and Thornleigh area who use that intersection. The parking area should either have its own entrance (using a bridge over the railway) onto Pennant Hills Road or an entry/exit onto Sefton Road for cars.

The need to connect the M1 and M2 with a direct non-stop link is clear and therefore I support the goal of building a road linking the two. I suggest the following is required to ensure that this investment has a positive impact on all stakeholders and avoid unintended damage or harm.

1. install filtering systems on vents that will minimize harm in case of a fire or accident scenario in the tunnel. the normal operation studies to date are not even close to the likely scenario of an eventual fire incident in the tunnel (e.g. chemical truck fire)

2. the north connection at the joining of Pacific Hwy and Pennant Hills Rd is likely to create increase traffic through that area causing grid lock on feeder roads during peak periods. Further study is required to design improvements to feeder roads to handle the increased traffic.

3. A better overall investment would be to take the tunnel further north to near Asquith/North Wahroonga. Modifications to the Ku-Ring-Gai Chase Rd intersection would allow vehicle to exit the M1 before the tunnel and stream that traffic to existing Pacific Hwy and PH Rod connections. This would:
a) allow the vent stack to be moved away from schools and hospitals
b) avoid future grid lock around the current bottle neck (M1, PH Rd and Pac Hwy)
c) minimize traffic impacts during construction in the already congested bottle neck.

Note that this suggestion would use the existing M1 road through Wahroonga which would remain in lower use capacity above the new (extended tunnel).

I am aware of an alternate proposal that would return some of the current above ground M1 to public space, parks and residential uses. While this sounds good it would only benefit a few people. the greater good is better served by reusing all available infrastructure to optimize future traffic movements.

The North -West should be renamed "Ground zero for Abbott's/Baird's/Smith's `perceived vote winning' Infrastructure Projects". Over the past 20 years the north-west of Sydney HAS DONE MORE THAN IT'S FAIR SHARE OF HEAVY LIFTING FOR "INFRASTRUCTURE AUSTRALIA". The M2, M2 WIDENING, LIGHT RAIL, HEAVY RAIL, TELSTRA TOWER, M2 TO JOIN M1.
"Bushland Shire" - where? It certainly was when I moved here 30 years ago. Many thousands of trees have been bulldozed and little is left of remanent bushland. It's all about dollars for greedy government's, politicians with vested interests, developers and big business funnelling more and more people into the suburbs. It is not about the environment, not about the community, but $$$ and securing votes. Just like the RTA , State Rail & NSW Planning are law unto themselves and HSC is just as culpable! Even this exercise is pointless - criticism is always ignored and unwelcome. IT'S ALL BOX TICKING AND YOU COULDN'T CARE LESS. Undoubtedly, this project was rubber stamped years ago - just like the M2, North West Link, Third Track. I don't know what surprises me more - the fact the NSW government continue's to pretend it's interested in community consultation, or that the community believes it!!
I could write pages on the daily environmental effects of the M2, on air quality, noise, my children's health, my health (stress), not to mention the depreciated value of my property. AND now even more destruction with the construction of the NW Link and Third Track - they've been `real winners' with locals!
(PS. Why do you need personal information? And twice? What's your address? I don't have the head of Transurban, Leightons, Ms Goward's, Baird's or Smith's private residential address or even that of the person reading this.
Should I expect more threats and damage to my property as happened during my opposition to the M2 - as reported in the media).

I wish to express concern about the proposed North Connex tunnel development for the following reasons:
1. The construction of the northern portal to the tunnel will impact on Carrington Oval (to be used as a site for parking and equipment storage). This is a local park, used by residents and others outside the area (it is used each weekend for local sport) - it's use will destroy local habitat and increase traffic to this area " 24 hours per day and seven days per week".
2. Our house is positioned at a height above the M1 where according to projections, we will be significantly exposed to the particles streamed from the ventilation stack in Woonona Ave. There are three asthmatics in our family, and we are concerned about the impact of this on our health, particularly in periods of low wind wen particles will not be dispersed.
3. We moved into the area knowing noise from the M1 was there, however, there will be increased noise from trucks braking as they enter the tunnel (the portal being adjacent to us, not to mention increased noise from shuttle buses moving workers to and from Carrington Rd. Numerous studies support the negative impact of noise on health.