I object to this - there is a fundamental lack of respect and integrity in calling this a "MODIFICATION". And I would question the legalities of it. These changes CANNOT - under any circumstances - be considered modifications. This is a completely different plan to the one that was proposed. This plan clearly treats all Annandale/Lilyfield/Rozelle residents with a fundamental lack of respect. To add an 8 METRE HIGH overpass, and eliminate the Greenlink - and class these as modifications makes a mockery of any approval process. This reeks of government mis-management, and I will be very happy to contribute to any legal proceedings that are being discussed/mooted to challenge this "Modification". There are confirmed alternatives that would NOT impact on our amenity - the need for an 8 metre overpass is because RMS and the Governement were unable to properly cost out the original plan. Bad financial management, and lack of detailed documentation on your part, does not constitute a valid reason to affect our amenity in such a way. We will not back down on this fight.

The WEstconnex promised an unobtrusive underground tunnel allowing traffic from The Crescent to cross the City West link without stoppint at traffic lights. Also promised safe pedestrian and cycle path to cross from Rozelle goods yards to Glebe foreshore via a "green link". Promised that the right turn from Johnston St to The Crescent would be maintained, and it hasnt. Also promised shared user pathways and connection to the Bay and the foreshore.

Now we have a massive overpass rather than a tunnel. WE have relocation of the green link and no connection of Lilyfield to the foreshore. The Addition of a 5M high footbridge to connect the goods yards and the Glebe foreshore. No direct route for pedestrians or cyclists to access the foreshore which is COMPLETELY unnacceptable. You have put a bloody highway between the bay and all the residents to connect to the water which is stupid. Finally there is no longer a right turn between Johnston ST and the Crescent which will drive traffic into annandale with massive rat running occuring to get to an are that was easily accesible. Its even worse when you consider the apartments going up at the Tramsheds and otehr locations.

These modifications COMPLETELY ignore the conditions of consent (how is this even possible) given for this project and threatens to impose unacceptable negative consequences on the landscape and liveability of my local area.

The proposed overpass is totally out of step with local development in Annandale and will obstruct a local heritage mural and destroy Buruwan Park. Sufficient consideration hasn’t been given to obvious alternatives such as an underground tunnel running under Whites Creek.

This proposal could be replaced with a slot cut and cover trench running under Whites Creek to push traffic underground instead of overground and avoid the massive imposition of an overpass and destruction of the ‘people’s mural’.

This modification prioritises the needs of motorists, trashing the experience of local pedestrian traffic and making harder for residents to access the public waterfront. Pedestrians walking from the Western side of Johnston Street will have to use an astonishing four pedestrian crossings in order to reach Bicentennial Park
.
This pedestrian arrangement should be modified to allow pedestrians to cross direct from Johnston Street to the Park via The Crescent.

This modification would abandon one of the centrepieces of the original design: a pedestrian and cycling green link to connect the Rozelle Goods Yard to Bicentennial Park. Relocating that green link to the west of the intersection of The Crescent and City West Link ignores the original conditions of consent given for this project and puts the needs of motorists ahead of pedestrians and cyclists. The proposed pedestrian bridge further north up the City West Link creates an unnecessarily long walk for pedestrians and an unnecessarily high climb of 5+ metres. RMS and the contractors should reconsider other design options for a continuous green link from Rozelle Goods Yard, across the City West Link into Jubilee Park, including a link to Annandale and the Rozelle Bay light rail stop.

This modification would remove the option to turn right out of Johnston Street into the Crescent which will increase traffic through local streets including Piper Street and Booth Street. These changed conditions will mean increased noise and emissions for residents in Annandale.

For all of these reasons I STRONGLY object to these modifications and require RMS to revert to the conditions of consent given for the project in the first place.

Dear Director Transport Assessments Planning Services,

I write regarding the proposed modification to M4-M5 Link, Mod 2 The Crescent overpass and changes to pedestrian infrastructure in North Annandale, Rozelle and Rozelle Bay Foreshore area.

I am an Annandale homeowner and have invested in the area due to its being a safe environment to raise a family and its close proximity to Sydney’s beautiful harbour foreshore. I was supportive of the pedestrian infrastructure, and especially the GreenLink, included in the approved design for the Rozelle interchange. Needless to say, I am extremely disappointed with the proposed modifications and appalled that so many fundamentally important conditions of the original approval have been utterly disregarded.

I request RMS work with the community to explore alternate design options to the proposed new car overpass design and the changed pedestrian and cyclist links. I am seeking the reinstatement of the safe, direct access from the approved EIS GreenLink to create a continuous green open space connection from the Rozelle Rail yards and Annandale to the foreshore. The GreenLink was more than just a walkway - it put people central to the design, maximising safety, and providing much needed accessible open space for the community now and into the future Bays Precinct design.

I am requesting RMS put people back into the plan. I want you to reinstate your own vision as laid out in Transport for NSW Future Strategy 2056. Work with the community to design a feasible option that brings the best elements from the approved EIS design into the modification.

My key concerns with the M4-M5 Modification are:
● The significantly reduced safety and increased risk for pedestrians and cyclists with removed access over The Crescent to Bicentennial Park and the increased traffic along Johnson Street.
● Being required to cross five sets of pedestrian lights at The Crescent as my option to reach the foreshore from Annandale or from Rozelle light rail stop.
● Removal of direct active links to the foreshore, cutting the community off from the area and the proposed revitalisation of the entire Bays Precinct, including linking the Light Rail and Bus stops to a Ferry wharf and Metro station.
● Urban and landscape design that is being built before a finalised Masterplan for the area.
● Traffic changes that limit movements around the suburb and create further congestion in the local streets of Annandale, Forest Lodge, Glebe, Lilyfield and Rozelle with no planning to deal with these.

My submission is asking RMS and the Project Team to:
● Reinstate the GreenLink connecting communities and green open space from Rozelle to Bicentennial Park.
● Relocate and design pedestrian and cyclist connections that are continuous, safe and direct.
● Design the modification infrastructure and active links in response to the character of the suburbs, the location of the foreshore and it’s potential future development.
● Provide pedestrian and cyclist paths that maximise people safety and do not force us onto busier streets, unsafe concrete plazas and caged walkways.
● Integrate active and direct connections to all active transport – including the future Metro West and Foreshore Ferry Wharf.

I look forward to a constructive, considerate and open-minded response from your Department, which will bring NSW into the 21st century with its approach to urban planning, and which can help to unlock the enormous untapped potential of Sydney Bays Precinct.

Yours Sincerely,

Tim Cronin

43 Pritchard St
Annandale NSW 2038
0424 432 487
[email protected]

Thank you for the opportunity to submit. I just wanted to clarify that I don't object to the wider project but I object to the proposed modification.
Kind regards

Director, Transport Assessments Planning Services
Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
GPO Box 39 Sydney, NSW 2001
Application: SSI 7485
17.9.19
Dear Director Transport Assessments Planning Services,
I write regarding the proposed modification to M4-M5 Link, Mod 2 The Crescent overpass and changes to pedestrian infrastructure in North Annandale, Rozelle and Rozelle Bay Foreshore area.
I request RMS work with the community to explore alternate design options to the proposed new car overpass design and the changed pedestrian and cyclist links. I am seeking the reinstatement of the safe, direct access from the approved EIS GreenLink to create a continuous green open space connection from the Rozelle Rail yards and Annandale to the foreshore. The GreenLink was more than just a walk way - it put people central to the design, maximising safety, and providing much needed accessible open space for the community now and into the future Bays Precinct design.
I am requesting RMS put people back into the plan – I want you to reinstate your own vision as laid out in Transport for NSW Future Strategy 2056. Work with the community to design a feasible option that brings the best elements from the approved EIS design into the modification.
My key concerns with the M4-M5 Modification are:
• The significantly reduced safety and increased risk for pedestrians and cyclists with removed access over The Crescent to Bicentennial Park and the increased traffic along Johnson Street.
• Being required to cross five sets of pedestrian lights at The Crescent as my option to reach the foreshore from Annandale or from Rozelle light rail stop.
• Removal of direct active links to the foreshore, cutting the community off from the area and the proposed revitalisation of the entire Bays Precinct, including linking the Light Rail and Bus stops to a Ferry wharf and Metro station.
• Urban and landscape design that is being built before a finalised Masterplan for the area.
• Traffic changes that limit movements around the suburb and create further congestion in the local streets of Annandale, Forest Lodge, Glebe, Lilyfield and Rozelle with no planning to deal with these.
Alongside these issues my other concerns include:
• Children at Annandale North Public school, who regularly use Bicentennial and Jubilee Parks for sporting events and recreational activities, now have to cross 5 sets of lights to access these areas - it is extremely unsafe for a whole school of children to walk down to the park with the new proposal.
• Children living in Annandale who attend Sydney Secondary College Balmain are considered too close for free Goverment Opal card to catch the bus to school, and with the new proposal, will be forced to walk or cycle above and across multiple lanes of traffic being exposed to horrendous amounts of air pollution everyday they attend school. The relocation of the Green Link and replacing access to the other side of the city west link with a concrete walkway makes travelling to school much longer than neccessary, unpleasant to walk or ride along, not safe and a danger to their health.

My submission is asking RMS and the Project Team to:
• Reinstate the GreenLink connecting communities and green open space from Rozelle to Bicentennial Park.
• Relocate and design pedestrian and cyclist connections that are continuous, safe and direct.
• Design the modification infrastructure and active links in response to the character of the suburbs, the location of the foreshore and it’s potential future development.
• Provide pedestrian and cyclist paths that maximise people safety and do not force us onto busier streets, unsafe concrete plazas and caged walkways.
• Integrate active and direct connections to all active transport – including the future Metro West and Foreshore Ferry Wharf.
• Moving the roads back underground as initially planned so as to preserve the vista of the city and Sydney Harbour - the first view of both of these as people enter the city from the west.

Yours Sincerely,

Name: Melitza Liu
Address: 32 The Crescent, Annandale NSW 2038
Email: [email protected]

As a resident of Annandale I strongly the proposed modification to the M4-M5 Link (Mod2) and in particular the proposed overpass for the Crescent, the greenway and changes to pedestrian infrastructure in North Annandale, Rozelle and Rozelle Bay Foreshore area.

My house is within 60 metres of the westconnex tunnel and one of the supposed benefits of having to live with this was the parklands at the Rozelle rail yards and the green link to the foreshore. We have just lost one part in Annandale due to westconnex and this proposed modification – which seems to have been slipped in with minimal community engagement - will further denigrate the area.
As well as the loss of the greenlink, I am particularly concerned about the scale of the proposed overpass on the Crescent, the fact that the green open space will now link to tram stop and not directly to the foreshore, the increased traffic that will be pushed through Annandale because of changes to the Johnston St intersection, and separation from the forsehore. As a someone who walks and rides to work to the city I see this as a backward step and one which places car traffic above all else.

My key concerns with the M4-M5 Modification are:
• The proposed changes to the Crescent and particularly the use of an overpass that will divide the Annandale and Rozelle from the foreshore and the main open spaces. This is the type of development that is completely out of scale for a residential area.
• Removal of the Greenlink. Losing the Park near the light rail stop was supposed to be compensated for by the Greenlink but this proposal seeks to get rid of that as well. This makes a mockery of the previous consultation.
• The changes to the Johnston St intersection, and the increased traffic fed north on to Johnston St. Westconnex is said to remove traffic from residential streets, but this will have the opposite effect making streets off Johnston street a rat run. Removing the right turn facility at Johnston St means access to Glebe will be via circuitous residential backroads
• The lack of planning for additional traffic that will be created in Annandale.
• The additional noise that will be created by the overpass
• The changed access to the foreshore from Johnston St. Pedestrians will have to cross five sets of pedestrian lights at the Crescent to reach the foreshore from Annandale or from Rozelle Bay light rail stop. The foreshore and Bicentennial Park is heavily used by families and young kids. Annandale is suburb where a lot of people walk. Westconnex is supposed to reduce the impact of traffic but this is doing the opposite. The RMS should be encouraging pedestrians not turning suburbs into places where only cars belong.

My submission is asking RMS and the Project Team to:
• Remove the proposed overpass.
• Reinstate the GreenLink connecting communities and green open space from Rozelle to Bicentennial Park
• Relocate and design pedestrian and cyclist connections that are continuous, safe and direct.
• Provide pedestrian and cyclist paths that maximise people safety and do not force them onto busier streets, unsafe concrete plazas and caged walkways.
• Please listen to the people who live here rather than paying us lipservice. Consultation should not be a token phase in a project like this seems to be.

It appears that the latest changes increase the space and capacity for motor vehicles, while worsening the access for people walking and cycling.

It looks like cars can move safely and directly on the roads in each direction, whereas this is not the case for active travel modes.

Increasing road capacity will induce more cars and trucks, and more congestion. This is a poor outcome, especially so close to the city centre. The economy, environment and society will suffer.

I therefore oppose the modification.

My concerns include:

• The significantly reduced safety and increased risk for pedestrians and cyclists with removed access over The Crescent to Bicentennial Park and the increased traffic along Johnson Street. 

• Being required to cross five sets of pedestrian lights at The Crescent as the only option to reach the foreshore from Annandale or from Rozelle Bay light rail stop.

• Removal of direct active travel links to the foreshore, cutting the community off from the area and the proposed revitalisation of the entire Bays Precinct, including linking the Light Rail and Bus stops to a Ferry wharf and Metro station

• Urban and landscape design that is being built before a finalised Masterplan for the area.

• Traffic changes that limit movements around the suburb and create further congestion in the local streets of Annandale, Forest Lodge, Glebe, Lilyfield and Rozelle with no planning to deal with these.

• The concrete plaza / bridge looks barren and uninviting.

• The various flyovers seriously impact urban amenity. Building big grey concrete road bridges to accommodate traffic flow near the CBD is even worse than Los Angeles, and they are now seeing the error of their ways.

• I see very little effort to retain the value of ‘place’ in the area. Annandale and Bicentennial/Federal Park are very much people places, and this proposal cuts a very large wedge between them.