Project doesn't make enough of a difference to warrant construction. There are too many negative outcomes that negate any positives, eg. financially, traffic time realistically saved, environmental destruction, health hazard, tunnel leakage safety, to mention a few:
CONSTRUCTION: Massive disruption to Balgowlah/Seaforth/Mosman/Frenchs Forest communities OVER 8-10 YEARS: blasting, movement of 2685 heavy and light trucks through these suburbs PER DAY
ENVIRONMENTAL: bulldozing of thousands of trees and destruction of animal habitat

ENVIROMENTAL (cont.)

The Balgowlah exhaust stack will spread its output over three very close and large schools, and one pre-school, also over all the sporting fields planned to be built next to the stack; the degradation of Burnt Bridge Creek from natural flow to little more than a sewer (flow reduced (by 90% during construction to 78% after) running into Queenscliff Lagoon; disturbance of the sea bed in Middle Harbour bringing many toxins to the surface
TRAFFIC: Will bring an estimated 40,000 cars into the Northern Beaches at summer weekends. Traffic on the principle roads is already abysmal at weekends
VALUE: The State can ill afford the huge cost of this scheme that gives so little benefit – a 15% reduction in Military Road traffic; and of its own admission the EIS itself states that the Tunnel will reach capacity within 10-15 years

Please find attached objection letter attached. Please withhold names.

Dear Minister Stokes

Brightmore Precinct is a community group affiliated with North Sydney Council LGA.

We have previously read, discussed and voted upon the EIS for both the WHT (now approved) and the Beaches Link Gore Hill Freeway connection/EIS.

The objection created (and attached) by the three North Sydney Councillors below is an excellent summary of our own groups/residents concerns surrounding the second EIS.

Of most importance is that, if approved, both major projects will overlap.
We are particularly keen to seek (if approved) proper control, oversight, accountability and enforcement of provisions made to lessen these impacts on residents.
Most obviously this would apply to the huge number of large truck movements proposed, the routes utilised, noise, pollution, workforce parking and so forth.

It would be necessary for any contractor(s) to be held properly accountable.
We wholly support the objection provided by the Councillors named below.


With regards



Brightmore Precinct Committee

I object to the beaches link & gore hill freeway extension because of the following reasons:

- We do not need more roads built in Sydney, we just need better public transport which will reduce traffic, traffic jams and reduce traffic pollution.
- We need our green areas preserved for the sake of the animals and plant life and to keep the waterways pollution free but also everyone knows that the green spaces help keep the air clean
- We do not need pollution from the smoke stacks for these tunnels polluting our local air or the 3 schools full of our precious children in the very near vicinity
- Manly Dam and surrounding bush land areas with their animals, plants and streams etc and even the golf course full of wildlife and green areas need to be preserved
- Plenty of bush land has already been destroyed building the new hospital. Many didn’t want that hospital either. Renovating Manly and Mona Vale hospitals would have been much better.
- We live in the Northern Beaches because of its natural beauty and because it is not too densely populated. We like having our parks and nature so close by to enjoy. We appreciate the nature.
- We do not want our area to become full of apartment buildings and overpopulation and busier roads so we do not want a tunnel making our area more accessible.
- We don’t need the extra people or apartments. We like our houses and backyards where our kids can grow up enjoying having backyards to play in and enjoy the surrounding nature where we can bush walk and explore and appreciate the beauty and not live in air polluted by expressway tunnels.
- We do not need our local roads changed with increased traffic to make way for a tunnel no one wants and we don’t need the disruption and destruction of our area for the years and years it will take to build.

We are all advocating for reducing waste, reducing landfill, reducing pollution, leaving our natural forests alone and increasing our green areas to help protect the earth from climate change.

Have you not watched the David Attenborough Mission Statement ????? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64R2MYUt394
Can you not see how much of our precious planet we have already destroyed ?? A wallaby recently had to be saved from Sydney Harbour because of all the deforestation and destruction the government is doing to the Northern Beaches forested area.

The Dutch people recently sued their own government because they felt their government wasn’t doing the right thing by the environment. Dutch court orders government to slash greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25 per cent by 2020 - ABC News

WE DON’T WANT THE TUNNEL. WE WANT OUR NATURAL AREAS LEFT ALONE FOR OUR CHILDREN TO ENJOY AND TO PROTECT THE PLANET FROM CLIMATE CHANGE. WE DON’T WANT TO BE POLLUTED AND OVER POPULATED AND MOST OF ALL WE DO NOT WANT OUR NATURAL FOREST AREAS WITH ALL IT’S BEAUTIFUL PLANTS AND ANIMALS DESTROYED !!!!!

Kind Regards,
Kris De Laine (very annoyed North Balgowlah resident)

To whom it may concern,

In relation to Project Number SSI-8862

I declare that I have not made any political donations to any political (or other interested) party.

I am happy for my submission to be published with personal details.

I object to the Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway extension as it currently is proposed due to impact on the Manly Dam bushland.

This is an area of significance to the community, and with the rapid changing of appearance of the northern beaches we need to retain our natural bushland. This is a decision which will adversely impact future generations.


Regards

Steve Page
e : [email protected]
m: 0429986 830

I have lived in Northbridge in proximity to the Long Bay area of Middle Harbour for 60 years. In recent years I have observed seals, kingfish, fairy penguins, sea eagles & even one whale in the bay. I never observed these in the past. I imagine that there must be heaps more little marine creatures & plants back in the environment as well, that were not there in earlier years.
I am very fearful that the disturbance from the construction of the Northern Beaches Tunnel will reverse the return of these species in what has become to date an increasingly pristine waterway, and not just for the period of the construction, but result in ongoing loss for decades to follow.
Not only is nature increasingly alive in this waterway in recent years, but human activity has dramatically increased in peaceful exercise pursuits, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, training by rowing clubs, & community involvement in the local sailing club. Is this not what the community needs for good physical & mental health?
This waterway is alive now more than I have ever seen before. It would be a lengthy & far reaching tragedy to put it back to sleep by blocking these uses, and degrading its natural environment.
Can enough be done to ensure achieving the extremely critical requirement that there be NO degradation?
I am deeply concerned that not enough has been researched & planned to protect this currently recovering natural environment. Also that planned “mitigation” will be inadequately enforced, to avert degradation.
Please protect this waterway

Please see attached submission.

Correspondence related to this submission should be sent to the following email addresses:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]