Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway Connection

Please attach this to previous submission.

Attatched document

I object

Please see the following concerns:
1. Will the tunneling be happening under my house? To what depth will this go to and what proximity will that be to my house.
2. Will we feel any vibration whilst tunneling is occurring?
3. Will there be any possibility of any residual damage to my house?
4. If so what type of damage could occur?
5. If so how will this be managed?
6. Will there be noise as a result of the construction?
7. If so, over what period – actual hours and over what range of days, months & years?
8. What measures will be taken to minimize this noise, my home being so close to the seaforth end of the project for the whole 7 years?
9. We have been told previously that all trucks carrying spoil will be routed going North along Wakehurst Parkway towards Frenchs Forest. Is this still in the planning?
10. What vehicle traffic can we in Kirkwood Street expect to experience during all of the construction period? The previous planning had Kirkwood Street made into a cul de sac being closed at the junction of Wakehust Parkway.
11. With heavy vehicle spoil trucks projected movement to be 1-2 every minute it would make it impossible to live in Kirkwood Street. It would ruin our amenity totally.
12. And the residual dust could easily end up being a health hazard, let alone have other unpleasant things to deal with.
13. Parking in local streets is limited. How will this be managed? Taking into account the large numbers of vehicles which will require parking.
14. Air exhaust management
15. Over such a lengthy tunnel I would expect that just emission stacks would need to be at several intervals along the tunnel. The present design is relying on stacks just at each end of the tunnel to ventilate and extract harmful air. There is no precedent in tunnels built elsewhere which relies on this design so what proof is there that this design is best practice & will do the job efficiently and achieve the health standards that we require? Also we must really question that these emission stacks will give the best results in air quality. There are several schools closeby and also communities as well. Many residential properties involved. So we must ensure that our air quality is kept clean and there not being any chance of it being compromised in any way at all.

Yours sincerely,

I am particularly concerned about the plans for the Beaches Link Tunnel and how it impacts the Seaforth Public School community and surrounding areas.

Earlier plans for the tunnel – shared with the Seaforth Public school community – indicated that the tunnel entrance would be further from the school. Now the Environmental Impact Statement indicates that the tunnel entrance, including 12 lanes of traffic, smokestack and related construction works, with impacts for air quality, noise and vibration, will be directly parallel with the school. And close proximity to our home.

There is a lack of clarity on which route spoil trucks will take, though there is clarity about their massive volume -- as frequently as once every 1-2 minutes at peak construction. This could be disruptive for learning at Seaforth Public and other nearby schools, such as Balgowlah North Boys.

Most importantly, while modelling indicates air quality may improve slightly for the school area, that is based on expected traffic patterns. Actual traffic patterns will depend on many factors, such as whether good public transport options are created through well-designed and well-used express bus services through the tunnel, which has yet to be determined.

This tunnel project will increase traffic lanes from 6 to 12 near the school, including a traffic light, and add a nearby smoke stack. International studies have shown the dangers to health, particularly in children, of being near many open lanes of traffic. I'm worried about the children's development and my own Asthma with idling vehicles and the double in volume with the 12 lanes.

Earlier plans, noted in the Environment Impact Statement, make clear that alternative arrangements are possible that position the tunnel entrance further North up Burnt Bridge Deviation. Those plans would ensure that all traffic is within the tunnel before it reaches the school, helping to ensure air quality safety no matter what the eventual traffic patterns will be.

It feels to me that we need something halfway. Where the new plans have landed is right on top of the schools and the risks are too high. Not to mention the impact on the residence.

I am extremely opposed as laid out in my attachment and would expect the appropriate communication.
I am opposed to the business case premise and the misrepresentations of height of structure throughout the document.
On behalf of XXXXXXXXX

Dear Sir/madam
I wish to strongly object to the proposed tunnel link to the Northern Beaches.
The tunnels are very long by average standards and the stacks must be filtered to prevent pollution of nearby areas and schools. You are not planning to do this.
The number of truck movements per day are eye-watering. There will be morning and afternoon peak hour traffic chaos for years and the government will never be forgiven for putting all of the suburbs north of the Harbour Bridge through this. And, for no proven long term benefit! The developers are already rubbing their hands with glee.
And I am also very concerned about the toxic sludge polluting the harbour. So many young people and children swim in Northbridge Baths.

I strongly object to this project on the grounds of potential environmental impact on marine life in the Middle Harbour area including the Spit, Clontarf, Beauty Point and Sailors Bay. The construction of two cofferdams and the laying of two immersed tunnel tubes is likely to pose significant risk by disturbing the highly sensitive ecological interaction of marine life. The disturbance of sediment and more turbidity will spread accumulated toxins and affect the seagrass and the microscopic organisms within which will threaten the survival of larger animals such as the White's seahorse, several fish species and consequently the Little Penguins (Eudyptula Minor). As a citizen scientist who lead the Penguin Wardens project in Manly from 2004 to 2014, I know that the endangered Little Penguins (Eudyptula Minor) feed on small organisms, which only exist within sea grassed areas of the harbour, for the period of feeding their chicks and larger species for adults. Every night for 10 years, I observed the Harbour Penguins foraging in seagrass patches in shallow waters all around Sydney Harbour. At the Manly Wharf there was a small nesting colony of 3 nests to which the male penguins returned every June for the 9 months breeding season. Because of the increasingly busy, noisy and boat-trafficky location, translocation was addressed, however, it was not possible, even though comfortable nesting boxes were installed at more secluded beaches, these penguins came back every year to nest under the wharf. Sadly. Apart from dog predation, we noticed that excessive noise was impacting negatively on the breeding results, as well as the introduction of fast ferries which caused increased turbidity and, when turning around over the seagrass patches, contributed to diminishing foraging areas. There are now no more penguins left at the Manly Wharf Habitat which is a great shame since it was a perfect location for informing the public as well as educating the students at local primary and high schools (Taonga Zoo’s Project Penguin). Even though all the nesting is located within the protected bays of Manly, the penguins travel all over the harbour for foraging. Many sightings have been reported from the Middle Harbour areas as well as Northbridge, I am deeply concerned that all the disturbance through dredging the sea beds as well as construction side effect such as potential fuel leaks and under-water noise will kill the seagrass patches and with it the foraging opportunities of our last remaining Penguin Colony. I do not accept the EIS's claim that the impact will be "minimal", even if the impact were to be minimal, it would be a hugely significant risk to the survival of the highly sensitive organisms in the seagrass and consequently the survival of our world-famous Little Penguins.
I implore you to consider my concerns and take the miraculous existence of this endangered colony of Little Penguins, the last one in NSW, seriously. In my opinion, the possibility of curbing private car traffic is much greater than undoing the extinction of such a vulnerable species. Education and more emphasis on public transport should always be trialed first! In the light of exponential Species Extinction and Climate Change, everything ought to be done to avoid the destruction of our natural environment.

Hello Belinda,

I feel grateful to be able to write to you this weekend,
My family and I were at a barbecue this afternoon in North Balgowlah and we all discussed Project SSI-8862.

I would like to find some time possibly meet for a coffee and discuss the attached detail below.
Daxing Airport in Beijing, the largest airport in the world want to roll out Futran around the airport to make it the most important and modern service in the world. 175km area in total with a 170km Futran line roll out.

Secondly, Ningbo City forms a triangle with Shanghai and Hangzhou to form the greatest industrial area in the world. Ningbo is a major development focus area and home to one of the largest car factories in the world and also has the biggest green factory in the world. Tesla is also moving here next year. Futran Global is now implementing the first phase of a 28km track & system that will run here.

Please see our website below and the video attached below, the green lights indicate where the Futran Elevated System will run.
We start construction next year.

Look forward to hearing from you and potentially meeting to discuss Futran and the issues surrounding Project SSI-8862.

Kind Regards
Ryan



Regards
Ryan


Ryan Cousins
Director

+61 415 225 726

+61 2 9002 4107

Futran Global

Futrangroup.com

Hello
“I object to the project”
I object to the project for the following reasons

A road tunnel is a bad idea because they come to the surface and that’s where the problems start.
The Beaches Link makes Wakehurst Parkway one of the two main feeder roads into the tunnel. It will
be widened to 4 lanes for about two-thirds of the length of the project and 5-6 lanes for the other
third.
Since it runs along a narrow ridge between two environmentally sensitive regions, Manly Dam
Reserve and Garigal National Park, widening Wakehurst Parkway means it will be built above the
bushland in a number of places.
The road will be visible throughout Manly Dam. Noise from the bigger road with its construction
trucks, lights from cars and street lights, and water runoff from the road will all significantly impact
upon flora and fauna in the region, not to mention turn a quiet area into an unpleasant industrial
highway.
There are many other problems with the tunnel as well, such as the destruction of Burnt Bridge
Creek, ventilation towers near schools, toxic mud in Middle Harbour and more traffic and less
parking. Against this, the project only stands to offer minimal time savings in travel and little
economic benefit for an enormous investment.

I am strongly opposed to the construction of the tunnel and to the rush and speed with which this feedback process is being handled.

Direct impact on Manly Dam Reserve
• Wakehurst Parkway cannot be widened to 4-6 lanes without destroying the bush at the top of
Manly Dam and Garigal National Park. The ridge is simply too narrow for such a wide road.
• The edge of the road in many places will be either a steep cliff or artificial slope. It will be higher
than the trees and visible throughout Manly Dam Reserve and in a lot of Garigal National Park.
• The road is too wide to have adequate runoff water treatment. Untreated water from the road will
pour through the bush, scouring the land and filling streams below with sediment every time there is
heavy rainfall.
• Street lighting along Wakehurst Parkway will significantly affect both nocturnal and diurnal
animals, causing them to die out from that area. Pygmy possums will be affected.
• Without street lighting, a 4-6 lane road with trucks, bicycles and pedestrians will be a safety
hazard. If lights are not installed when the project starts, the accidents that follow will lead to street
lighting.
• Light from the road will be visible all through Manly Dam and Garigal National Park. The road is on
a ridge, so light from the road will be visible for miles around.
• Encouraging articulated trucks and construction vehicles to use Wakehurst Parkway could result in
accidents and spills that will have significant environmental impacts on Manly Dam and Garigal
National Park. A spill of toxic liquid will pour downhill directly into the bush and be extremely
difficult to clean.
• There will be a lot of traffic on Wakehurst Parkway. Heavy construction vehicles going 80km/h will
dominate the road for the next 30 years. Traffic noise will be heard all across the bush, particularly
at night.
• Construction will destroy a large area of bushland at the top of Wakehurst Golf Course around the
two water tanks. This area was declared by Sydney Water to be rich in endangered plant and animal
species and worthy of conservation.
• The Aboriginal carvings along Engravings Trail will be under threat from road runoff.

Impact on Burnt Bridge Creek and Balgowlah Golf Course
• Burnt Bridge Creek will effectively end as a naturally flowing creek. Water flowing down the creek
will be drained (flow reduced 96%) and underground water pumped out to a depth of 11m. This is
necessary to stop water dripping into the tunnel.
• The creek and area around it will be dried out and incapable of supporting tall leafy trees and
riparian bushland.
• The creek through the golf course will be turned into a cement stormwater drain, wider than the
current creek and deeper into the ground. This is to remove water more quickly to keep the land dry
and prevent water entering the tunnel. This will kill trees and water-loving plants.
• The bat colony will be unable to survive once the creek and water retention dam on the golf
course are removed. Other animals will likewise have no water.
• The quick discharge of water into Manly Creek will increase sediment and send road runoff into
the creek without the current filtering process, lowering water quality in Manly Creek and out to
Queenscliff beach.
• Instead of a creek, we will have a cement stormwater drain. It will probably need a fence around it
to prevent people falling in. It will be ugly.
• The golf course will be destroyed. It will be replaced by:
- Burnt Bridge Creek Drive widened to 12 lanes,
- a four lane road to connect the tunnel to Sydney Rd,
- an 8 storey high chimney to discharge tunnel fumes,
- a 3 storey service building built 8m into the ground, with sloping ground around it,
- a car park for the service building and park,
- a large toilet block,
- a stormwater drain,
- a soccer pitch,
- a small park.
• Pollution from cars all along the tunnel will be collected and discharged from the 20m (8 storey) chimney on
Balgowlah Golf Course, one 26m one on Wakehurst parkway and one on the other side of Middle Harbour.
These chimneys are close to a number of schools and will cause problems in air quality when the wind blows the wrong direction.
The chimney itself will be an eyesore.

Impacts on Middle Harbour
• The tunnel will pass under Middle Harbour in what is effectively an underwater bridge. The bridge
will be supported on four pylons. Building these pylons will take several years and displace mud,
possibly laced with toxins from industrial activity, into the harbour.
• The technology used to build the pylons is ancient. Modern technology would build the supports
offsite and require only a few days to weeks to put in place, causing less impact on the environment,
on traffic and the lives of people in the area.

Economic impacts
• The project is economically negative: the cost of investment is larger than expected benefit.
• The Beaches Link is a much more expensive project than the Harbour Bridge and Harbour Tunnel
but also much more expensive. Not a good value project.
• The project only generates 1500 temporary jobs in construction. Offset against this are job losses
in the Northern Beaches for businesses affected by road closures, loss of parking etc during
construction.
• The Beaches Link is designed to allow massive construction at Frenchs Forest. Frenchs Forest will
be the only major development in Sydney without a railway. Its feasibility for anything other than a
commuter village is doubtful.

Overall design
• Beaches Link is a 6 lane underground highway. It is 50% wider than the Harbour Tunnel but with
much less traffic. Is this width necessary?
• Beaches Link is the deepest road in Australia and one of the steepest highways. It has underground
hills. The road should be as flat as possible.
• No dedicated bus lane.
• There is not enough parking in the Northern Beaches already. The tunnel will add to the traffic. We
need better public transport first.
• The tunnel does not allow bicycles, electric scooters, one wheel boards etc or pedestrians. There is
little thought about future transport that might be different from today.
• Commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050 (30 years away) may see great changes in the way we
travel. The tunnel could be obsolete soon after finishing if the rest of the world stops producing cars.
• There are no side exits off Beaches Link along the Lower North Shore. This will mean some traffic
for Mosman etc will travel to the Northern Beaches and return West to avoid Military Rd peak hour
traffic.
• Entrances and exits to the tunnel are too wide: Crows Nest 20 lanes, Balgowlah 12 lanes, Seaforth
6 lanes.
• The Balgowlah exit is poorly designed. Cars turn 180 degrees then go through two traffic lights to
get onto Sydney Rd, then another set of lights to go past Burnt Bridge Creek Drive. It’s setting up for traffic jams.

Thanks for reading every single issue.

Rosanna Perillo-Boutin
Freshwater resident
Love bats, birds, leaves anything that is nature...stop pouring cement down and over our precious environment.

I object to the construction of the beaches link tunnel based on the following:

1. The EIS was written pre-covid and data is no longer current. More people will continue to work from home, with jobs no longer tied to an office location. An up to date, post-covid EIS needs to be written and resubmitted for community consultation.
2. The beaches tunnel has been declared ‘worlds best practice', however ‘best practice' would mean zero emissions. Unfiltered stacks are a far cry from best practice.
3. Greater consideration should be given to a metro service that extends to the beaches, much like the successful metro that has connected Sydney’s north west to the greater Sydney public transport system.
4. The project actively encourages car travel and further tolling in sydney. Major global cities are actively discouraging even penalising car usage...but not here!
5. The high concentration of schools in the area means that many of our young citizens will be exposed to the toxic emissions from the tunnel.
6. Digging at sites like Flat rock gully will disturb contaminated substances from the old dump. The area is home to many native flora and fauna catalogued by Willoughby wildlife group WEPA.
7. The government has recently declared an 'open space' initiative/policy in which it seeks to protect precious open green spaces; this project is not in alignment with policy. The project will result in bulldozing at flat rock gully to make way for dig site and truck turning circle, plus destruction of various golf courses eg cammeray and Balgowlah.
8. The plans for the tunnel are incomplete at this time, therefore the EIS can not provide a comprehensive impact study. The EIS must be re-done and submitted for further consultation.

The world has changed since the project was first drafted, the EIS is out of date, the business case doesn't hold up, the primary objective for the tunnel is biased away from public transport options and the project is too expensive and environmentally damaging for Sydney's precious natural habitat and waterways.

There are better investments of $15B to be made than this out of date and environmentally damaging project.

Thank you,

• Destruction of High Value Bushland and Green Open Space

Groundwater flows into the Burnt Bridge Creek will be reduced by around 80% while the tunnels are being built and up to 96% after completion of the project. This means that the creek will become a storm water drain – reliant only on rainwater. This will impact on the vegetation along the creek (and including the valuable Baringa Bush Reserve), the grey-headed flying fox colony, and on properties bordering the creek as the water table falls. In addition, the quality of water that flows into Manly Lagoon and into the ocean at Queenscliff Beach will fall – and during times of reduced rainfall the water will be polluted.

The grey-headed flying fox colony are presumed not to be impacted by noise because they currently live next to a busy road. The EIS states that when noisy roadworks occur at night, the colony will be OK because most bats will be away from the colony foraging. This ignores the fact that juveniles are left behind while their mothers forage at night, and will be exposed to this increased noise. An expert in the animals’ behaviours will be employed to assess impacts on the colony, but this is of unknown regularity or time of assessment.

• Rat Runs through Balgowlah on Balgowlah Road, Wanganella Street, Rickard street
Increased traffic on BBCD in lead up to tunnel entrance resulting in increased pollution and increased noise – yet there is no noise wall planned to protect residents on Balgowlah Road alongside this stretch from the significant increase in traffic.
• Inaccurate traffic modelling

Plans don’t take into account the shift to more people working from home and not commuting to the city. While this may fluctuate in the short term, the trend will be for this to increase, not decrease or remain at levels upon which the traffic modelling for this project was based.
• Air pollution

As a resident who bought into the impacted area prior to the tunnel conception, I do not accept the risk imposed on me and I do not want to be exposed to any additional pollution coming from the emission stacks, no matter how low TfNSW might consider those associated health risks might be.
• Risks to public safety:

Increasing the volume of heavy vehicle (HV) traffic on what is already a congested road network, and very close to a number of schools, poses an unacceptable risk to the public.
• Noise pollution and dust during construction
Construction is to take place in a densely populated residential area that will be impacted for seven years by noise and dust pollution – trucks moving throughout the area constantly, drilling, tunnelling, and roadworks – significantly affecting quality of life and home values in the area.



I support the project but note that there will be a significant increase to traffic and noise from traffic along the BBCD between the intersection of Condamine St and Kitchener St overpass, as many more cars travel down to access the tunnel entrance. I would like to see the installation of a permanent noise wall along BBCD in this area, protecting all the residents who live along Balgowlah Road up to Condamine Street from the increased noise pollution resulting from this project. There should be a noise wall there now, but it especially should be part of the plans given the impact of the tunnel on traffic on this stretch of BBCD.

I’m using this email address as I have been informed by transport NSW that their system is down today for planned systems maintenance . I find this unacceptable - the last day for any objections to be lodged & NSW gov does this to their constituents. Down right disgusting. I’ve been informed I can still lodge an objection manually but there is no information as to how I can do this. Shame on you all. I’ve been a liberal voter all my life & I’ll be reluctant to vote liberal unless the community concerns are addressed. You are throwing Seaforth & Balgowlah residents under a bus - not just during the 5-7 years construction period but also for perpetuity with 24/7 poisonous exhaust fumes.
The legacy that the Premier & Minister Constance are seeking will be totally overshadowed by the chronic sickness in our school children who will be within 400m of the ugly proposed stacks. Who would want their children playing on the “new sports grounds” where poisonous pollutants will be breathed in?

I strongly object to the Beaches Link Tunnel on the following basis;

1. No economic case. The total cost of this huge project is being supported by pre- COVID figures. Even then the economic case was very thin. Work patters have changed during COVID & will continue to a lesser degree post- COVID. My 4 working children & their partners have had it confirmed with their employers. So the projected pre-COVID traffic numbers are flawed.
2. Tolls & more Tolls. Sydney was the most “tolled” city in the world prior to Westconnects & this proposed tunnel. How can the average family afford to drive around Sydney without using rat runs & clogging up our neighborhood.

3. Health of our children. There are two schools within 400m of the proposed stack at the golf club plus numerous day care centers. I know the Premier hasn’t any children but to us, they are our future. With no filtering of these stacks, it is inevitable that our children will get sick from the pollutants. You are now proposing to move the stacks even closer to these schools & arrogantly state it’s safe. Why then, do international specials state otherwise? Why do other countries filter their stacks? Is it because they treasure their children?

4. 5-7 years of local turmoil.
It’s easy for residents of the northern beaches to say “get on with it”. The mayhem that this construction site at the golf club will cause to the residents of Balgowlah & Seaforth will be soul destroying. Tunneling 24/7 - blocked roads for 5-7 years, not to mention the deafening site noise. You only have to look at the Annandale tunneling site to see & hear the severe impact that such a large project has on a local community. No one can sell their house & if they do, they only get around 50% pre- construction value. We have also seen the “insurance company” mentality of the gov when residents try to claim damages from the tunneling. Simply put - you don’t care. You haven’t listened to our issues & you have deliberately underplayed the impact to the local community. Your schematics of the work site & in particular showing the height of the stack at the same height as a telegraph pole is deceitful at best.

5. No focus on public transport.
Surely the objective of any large scale project like this is to move large numbers of people economically via public transport. There is little focus in the proposal to do so.
Forgive me for being cynical, but I do question why the gov has terminated so many bus services around our area. Is it perhaps to make more locals get into their cars to help justify the economic case for the tunnel?

I have absolutely no trust in the planning process/people or the local council or government.
This project is being rushed in with no regard to the residents at Seaforth & Balgowlah.

I again strongly object to the proposed tunnel & I request that you confirm by return email that my objection has been lodged with Transport NSW.

Sincerely,

Michael Baker
[Roads and Maritime Services]

EIS response to Beaches Link Tunnel Project
I object to the Beaches link tunnel for the following reasons:

The EIS does not reflect a tunnel “done right” to quote Zali Steggall.

Traffic objections:
I own and run a veterinary clinic located on Sydney road between Wanganella street and Pickworth avenue and I will be severely impacted by the changes in traffic conditions and parking impacts.
Congestion will increase on our local roads, both during and after construction. New sets of traffic lights on Sydney Road and Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation will quickly cause queues to build up in areas already jammed with cars.
500 heavy trucks per day will trudge past my office during 6+ years of construction.
The tolls will be too expensive for most and this will encourage rat-racing and more traffic on local roads with drivers trying to avoid the construction chaos.
It will be impossible for my customers to find parking anywhere near my office location due to construction workers securing parking spaces early in the morning until late at night, 7 days a week

Air quality resulting from the unfiltered ventilation stack.
Unfiltered exhaust stacks in Balgowlah and Seaforth would emit double the maximum limit of particulates recommended by the World Health Authority, covering a 1.2km radius per stack.
I am very concerned about the air quality in and around the oval next to the construction site for myself and my customers. During construction there will be dust and fumes from trucks exiting the access road ‘one every minute’ and after construction an unfiltered ventilation stack will be located in the artificially created green space which is close to both residents and my office.
The non-filtered emission stacks will spew forth the products from the 15 km tunnel over the suburbs of Balgowlah, Seaforth, Balgowlah Heights and other close suburbs depending on wind direction and in these areas there are a number of childcare and primary schools. This is a huge health risk as this increased car and diesel truck exhaust fumes will contain several extremely toxic substances including tiny particles that are hazardous for human respiratory and circulatory health. This effect is much worse in the respiratory systems of babies and young children. It is completely unacceptable that the tunnel emission stacks are not to be filtered and will be located in such close proximity to schools, residents, and businesses.

Green Space:
The government has recently declared an 'open space' initiative/policy where it seeks to protect precious open green spaces. Given this is a key driver how can this project be endorsed and deemed to be the best solution to traffic issues when this project will result in bulldozing Balgowlah golf course and green space to make way for construction hub and cement plant.
This will impact on my customer’s ability to exercise in green space before and after attending an appointment. If the current access road design is not modified the road will have to cut through the edge of the cricket nets in the oval which will make it unsafe and unpleasant for my customers and their dogs to exercise in the oval.

Water quality:
Toxic chemicals in the harbour sediment will be disturbed during dredging, posing a major threat to the marine environment, swimmers and the amenity of Clontarf and Sandy Bay. Many of my customers use these dog friendly beaches and it will have an impact on the mental health of my customers and their dogs if they are not able to exercise in the fresh open air. Beach access is especially important for some of the animals needing to exercise to aid recovery following operations to build back muscles and tissue damage.

EIS data accuracy:
The EIS is not current and much of it was written pre COVID and has not been updated to reflect the current situation. There is now much less dependency on peak hour travel with many more people continuing to work full time from home, or only going into the office 1-3 days a week. This change in work conditions is likely to continue as employers have become more flexible and recognised that employees can actually achieve more working from home than going into the office.
A new updated post-COVID-19 EIS must be written and released for review and community consultation for this to be an effective and genuine process where feedback is actually considered and is not just a ‘tick in the box’ exercise. This concern is felt by many in this community.

Project cost:
Given the huge cost of this project estimated to be in excess of $12,000 million ($12 billion) this is an unethical use of public money to construct a private Toll road which will not benefit the wider community.

The environmental impacts are so objectionable it defies any logic or reason:
Wakehurst Parkway will be a 4-6 lane freeway across a narrow escarpment, causing ongoing pollution into sensitive creeks and waterways at Manly Dam and Garigal National Park. 39 football fields of bushland will be cleared as well as 2,000 trees. The road will be raised several metres in some areas - making it audible and visible, day and night, for miles around.
The Burnt Bridge Creek will die as its flow is to be reduced by 96%, destroying a delicate ecosystem that supports threatened species including the flying fox colony.
During construction, 425,000 litres of wastewater will be washed into Manly Lagoon at Queenscliff every day. This will mean that the beaches will often be closed due to unsafe pollution levels. This could very negatively impact tourism in this area which is struggling to recover from the impacts of COVID.
Balgowlah Golf Course site will be completely cleared of vegetation and native habitats to allow for the creation of a construction hub and to allow for parking for some of the 3000 workers daily, enormous road headers, a concrete batch plant, rock crushers and acoustic sheds.
Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation will end up 12 lanes wide near Seaforth.

There is not a dedicated public transport lane in the tunnel, no new bus services are guaranteed and the EIS does not promise quicker trips on public transport. This is because it is not in the operator’s interests to “turbocharge” public transport when they will secure lower toll revenue. This and the push to encourage the development of the northern beaches are the key drivers for this project and not to address traffic issues. Traffic volume has not changed in recent years and significantly diminished in COVID. At the moment people are currently jumping in their cars more as space on public transport is restricted. Once restrictions lift on spacing on buses, allowing them to accommodate more people, traffic data should again be measured to highlight that this tunnel is not justified and why no publicly transparent business case has been shared to justify the most destructive and expensive infrastructure project that Sydney has ever seen.

To whom it may concern

We are residents located at the entrance of the proposed beaches tunnel link; hence wish to lodge our objection on the following grounds:
• Health and safety - emission stacks are located very close to our house including our children’s school and we understand that the stacks/ tunnel ventilation will not be filtered. Furthermore, we are concerned that the land at the dig site contains asbestos and toxic gases which will release noxious fumes contributing to unacceptable levels of air, noise and traffic pollution. How will we be compensated? We assume alternative accommodation during noisy periods and double glazing at the very least!
• Traffic - In the absence of good public transport options, this project encourages car travel. The tolls will likely be too expensive for most which will encourage ‘rat-racing’ and more traffic on local roads; hence the tunnel will not reduce traffic and is not in line with Sydney’s long term interest. Reducing traffic along congested streets including Military Road is very short sighted. Have public transport options been properly explored as a solution to traffic congestion, including rail (from Dee Why to Chatswood)?
• Noise and disruption - We work from home and have a daughter at St Cecelia’s (and our son will start school next year). Since we are directly impacted, we would like to understand how we will be compensated throughout the build stage?
• Wildlife – The native wildlife corridor is home to many protected and endangered species and will be destroyed; we thought the Government wanted to protect open green spaces. This project is environmentally damaging.
• Cost – Has the cost of the tunnel been appropriately analysed to cost benefit? We understand the cost is $15,000,000,000 and the travel data is out of date by 5 years! There is no assurance of best value spending of public money; can you explain why public money is being used for a private toll road? This seems unethical! Improving current roads and public transport should be investigated further.

We look forward to hearing from you.

To whom it may concern

We are residents located at the entrance of the proposed beaches tunnel link; hence wish to lodge our objection on the following grounds:
• Health and safety - emission stacks are located very close to our house including our children’s school and we understand that the stacks/ tunnel ventilation will not be filtered. Furthermore, we are concerned that the land at the dig site contains asbestos and toxic gases which will release noxious fumes contributing to unacceptable levels of air, noise and traffic pollution. How will we be compensated? We assume alternative accommodation during noisy periods and double glazing at the very least!
• Traffic - In the absence of good public transport options, this project encourages car travel. The tolls will likely be too expensive for most which will encourage ‘rat-racing’ and more traffic on local roads; hence the tunnel will not reduce traffic and is not in line with Sydney’s long term interest. Reducing traffic along congested streets including Military Road is very short sighted. Have public transport options been properly explored as a solution to traffic congestion, including rail (from Dee Why to Chatswood)?
• Noise and disruption - We work from home and have a daughter at St Cecelia’s (and our son will start school next year). Since we are directly impacted, we would like to understand how we will be compensated throughout the build stage?
• Wildlife – The native wildlife corridor is home to many protected and endangered species and will be destroyed; we thought the Government wanted to protect open green spaces. This project is environmentally damaging.
• Cost – Has the cost of the tunnel been appropriately analysed to cost benefit? We understand the cost is $15,000,000,000 and the travel data is out of date by 5 years! There is no assurance of best value spending of public money; can you explain why public money is being used for a private toll road? This seems unethical! Improving current roads and public transport should be investigated further.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Please see attached:

Dear Ms Scott, Please find attached Council's Submission for review please. Should you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact our Director City Strategy Mr Joseph Hill via Ph 9936 8300. Thank you Kind Regards North Sydney Council