Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway Connection

Dear Mr Stokes,

I write to you about my concerns for the Northern Beaches Tunnel project.

I realise your mind is already – and has been for years – made up to proceed with the construction of the Tunnel. Even from the initial public showing of plans etc years ago, we noted your importance in achieving such an outcome.

However, I write to you today about my concerns. Why haven’t you released the business case for the Tunnel? Has one even been made?

Living in Wanganella Street, I know 7-9 years of construction involving continual drilling and pollution will be a nightmare, with huge impacts on traffic. Imagine the bottlenecks & congestion at Seaforth over the years.

Do you have recent records of investigating other means of transport for the Northern Beaches, such as alternative mass transport methods?

Have you made a more recent calculation of traffic flow after 2017? Perhaps you need to take into account the introduction of the yellow buses and the ideas that people are increasingly working from home.

Regarding the exhaust stacks – I understand they are to 7 to 9 storeys high and why aren’t they to be filtered? I understand expense may come into the decision, but how much Government money will be involved for hospitalization of local inhabitants? Which is cheaper?

I look forward to your reply to the above questions,

Kind regards,
Elizabeth Stuart

I am a long term resident of Naremburn, live near the beautiful Flat Rock Reserve where I walk, ride my bike and generally enjoy the beautiful ambiance of the locality. I have lived here long enough to have seen many changes including the moonscape result of dumping fill on the east of Flat Rock Drive and the hardworking volunteers slowly bring back the bush for us all to enjoy. I was also there when the community very forcefully made it clear that the eastern side of Flat Rock Drive must be for casual recreational use, not sporting fields.

I have also borne witness to the final stage completion of the Warringah Freeway and its devastation on the Naremburn community, splitting the suburb in half, followed by two iterations of the Gore Hill Freeway. There were only two benefits I saw from all those motorway works. One was to ameliorate the first mistake of dumping traffic from the City at a local road in Naremburn by connecting the freeway to major roads at the Pacific Highway and Longueville Road. The other was the construction of a wonderful traffic free pathway alongside the Gore Hill Freeway - a most wonderful connector for walking and cycling between Naremburn, Artarmon and Lane Cove. Never could I see any benefit of 'removing traffic congestion' claimed to be the benefit for these proposed motorway projects. Any reduction in traffic was quickly replaced by more vehicle journeys now seen feasible as there is more road space. My observation over those years taught me that you cant build your way out of traffic congestion by building more roads. You can only reduce the issues of road congestion, and parking issues, by removing the need and attraction for people to drive their cars by increasing and improving public transport and by ensuring active transport is safe, easy and effective to use. And so I became a transport planner with a emphasis on active transport.

I totally object to this proposal to build this motorway as it relies on a complete fallacy that it will solve the problem of traffic congestion. It will simply provide an argument to build even more roads, a never ending cycle. It will be of very little value for a very limited time to the northern beaches and of no value whatsoever to those who live on the lower North Shore. Even worse it will reek havoc on my local area both during construction and once the roads are in operation, drive more vehicles onto back roads, destroy the beautiful bushland and parks, pollute the air, create health issues especially for our children, create more physical divides in our suburbs ... and with all that, destroy the one great asset that came out of the last upgrade to the Gore Hill Freeway - the pathway connecting Naremburn with Artarmon and Lane Cove. What a travesty.

I object to this motorway proposal AND I totally object to the proposal regarding the impact on the previously mentioned pathway. The detour route envisaged can only have been designed by a masochist, with absolutely no understanding the needs of the young and old people, families and individuals who use the path. Absolutely no appreciation of what a safe bicycle or walking route is and how inappropriate to put path riders, children, inexperienced riders, elderly and all, onto the roads through a busy, highly trafficked, heavy vehicle set of roads...

I support and recommend that you take on board all the concerns and recommendations detailed in the submissions by Bike North and Bicycle NSW as well as that from John Hawkins, board member of Bicycle NSW, with his detailed knowledge of the northern beaches. I recommend that both Bike North and Bicycle NSW are listed as stakeholders on this project and no approval is made for this project until proposed walking and cycling route, whether as a detour or final are fully designed with full consultation with these stakeholders.

Please see attached objections from the residents of Pickworth Avenue, Balgowlah.

As a resident of North Balgowlah I am writing this to lend my support to the objections raised by P&C Letter of Objection for Balgowlah North Public School.

I am really upset about the planning of this project. There is emotion in this application - not usually anything I would submit academically, however this is personal. For me, my kids, the surrounding bushlands and animals (who don't have a voice, cannot put an objection in and will just die as collateral damage due to this project...), my friends and neighbours who live in this area.

When I first moved to North Balgowlah, it was for the location - not just in relation to access to the city and the beach, but mainly the peaceful location, surrounded by bushland and right next to Manly Dam. This is my home. My children have grown up here and have gone to school here. My husband died here at home two years ago. Surrounded by greenery, peace and the squawk of swarms of black cockatoos. This is our home. We do not intend to move.

The house is facing south and looks at Sydney Road in the distance. With the construction that has occurred for the B-line many trees were already felled - this has increased the noise coming from Sydney road quite considerably. The light pollution from cars (as in from their headlights) coming up the spit hill shine directly into the house now, as a result of the few felled trees for the BLine. I do not want to even imagine the noise and ugly view the proposed tunnel exit will give me over the years of construction and beyond. It is a disgrace that such poor planning can go ahead. The pollution due to no filters will increase and we will be in the middle to the two exhaust towers. No matter from where the wind will blow we will be a target. You may argue that these pollution levels do not exceed legal limits and that one can absorb the amount that these exhaust chimneys will diffuse. However, environmental factors certainly contribute to increased disease in the medium to long term.
With working from home and de-centralised office space type work happening this year due to COVID19 and working forward, I will be working from home more. The Government is NOT supporting better public transport into the city (I work as a lecturer at UTS in Ultimo and as a researcher at St George Hospital in Kogarah). My son attends University at UTS, my daughter takes PT to high school. The majority of the busses we were able to take last year have all been discontinued. Only one route has been created and it is inconvenient. So this is just the start of absolute poor planning. With the privatisation of busses in the air this is going to be a further loophole and communication wall. I have since these busses have been discontinued, been driving into work, which is absolutely frustrating and so unnecessary but I cannot get to work in time without leaving hours prior to starting work. So, I now drive. It is quick and I have no issue being 'stuck' in traffic on the days that I do go to work (when not working from home). I will NEVER think of taking a tunnel here just to get to work 10 mins earlier. I would rather have much better PT solutions actually which this proposed project also fails to deliver. 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.

Manly Dam has been very popular - always- for runners, bike riding, walking and other recreation. The wildlife is absolutely stunning and it makes me feel rage inside and absolute DISBELIEF that in this day and age where climate change, nurturing the nature we have left , switching to renewable energy et al, this kind of monster of a project is even considered.
I understand that town planning and growth etc needs to accommodate better interconnection and access. But work habits are changing and this need and greed for growth and highways and tunnels in the city is incredibly disappointing.

I object to this project because 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.
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.

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 bushland around it will die.

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 (mind-blowingly insane)
- a four lane road to connect the tunnel to Sydney Rd (insane - what for!!?)
- an 8 storey high chimney to discharge tunnel fumes (disgusting and a health hazzard)
- a 3 storey service building built 8m into the ground, with sloping ground around it (for admin staff to push pencils in)
- a car park for the service building and park (not necessary)
- a large toilet block (we already have some at Seaforth Oval - plenty!)
- a stormwater drain (which we wouldn't need without this whole project)
- a soccer pitch (have you seen the soccer pitches? We have some already - also in all that fume exhaust - I would NOT want to be exercising there)
- a small park (we have plenty of parks and BUSHLAND - I do not see how this amazing bushland can be replaced by a small park - a token park)

HOW IS THIS IN ANY WAY OK???? How can planners be so absolutely BLIND. This is absolute rape of bushland and nature - for the benefit of what!? And who? And please do not say 'it will create jobs' - sure but this is ridiculous. 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.

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. AND they will be UGLY! Believe it or not, people actually look around.

This project is absolutely crushing. I can tell you now the impact on mental health of the residents in this area will also take a toll. Another 'trow away term' to add to climate change, right...? That noone can quantify or calculate regarding the economic impact it may have - especially when such a small geographical area targeted. It will be forgotten in a few years. No it won't. This is our home.
Anyway, if you're still reading, well done. I hope each point will be addressed.

Here are some more points regarding the economic impacts. They may resemble other applications, however I add them here because I agree and because I believe these are reasons that seem to be overlooked. 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. WHY!!??

The list would go on but you have limited the submission in word count.
I object to this project and I also object on behalf of my children who also call this home and who will suffer the impact of this project well beyond my years.

As a resident of North Balgowlah with 2 young sons I’m compelled to ask for review and consideration to ensure any development is an investment that adds new and meaningful value to the community. We do not travel to the city or airports at a rate the business case may have been based and COVID19 has triggered significant and ongoing change in our employers expectations about office and working from home arrangements.

This development strangles our north Balgowlah suburb to the west and east on burnt bridge deviation. We read of 3000 workers and operating all hours within the space of 500m from my bedroom window and down in the valley. This will interrupt our environment temporarily for seven years and then with more permanent negative consequences to the air quality and the local and broader northern beaches environment going forward studies show.

Can we ask that for the sake of the young children of our suburbs - their health and their environment that the business case for this section of development be reviewed and if the investment in best in class air filter vents and system occur so not to add risk and pollutant to our children’s environment, schools and playground? To our east and to our west the plans seem to indicate we may be rained on by dust and destruction without escape - surely there are options with some balance and better reprieve for the community here in north Balgowlah who will bear all of the consequence, disruption and toxic environment without any advantage.

Thanks for your consideration of our objection.

See attached.

EES response on EIS attached on 3 March 2021

see attached.

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.

1) This tunnel and associated freeways will annex large parts of Manly Warringah War Memorial State Park in contrast to the sacred values, principles and purpose this unique one hundred war memorial was dedicated…..a shameful and dishonourable proposal….it results in great loss to Australia’s wartime heritage

2 ) The ultimate sacrifice - and service, by so many personnel in times of conflict is not only diminished but reduced to crass “ convenience “….( so much for the grand rhetoric on ANZAC Day by many )

3 ) This proposal would be seen from all parts of the unique war memorial - a special place for finding peace, for contemplation and reflection….the impacts on these endearments are immeasurable .

4 ) The environmental degradation and destruction from this proposal from surface and subsurface water is huge….it dramatically alters the hydrology of MWWMSP, it’s numerous gullies, creeks and waterways….the renowned distinctive Manly Dam will suffer changes to it’s many sources, that will adversely impact on the water quality of the dam.

5 ) There are many fragile threatened and endangered fauna and flora that without doubt become extinct - yes extinct - as a consequence of the building and operation of this flawed planning proposal….this is not necessary !

6 ) Traffic noise twenty four hours each day will be a burden on residents, powerful lighting needed, ventilation stacks ( nearby schools ) are all health hazards.

7 ) Clearly, as a society we must make the necessary changes - present and visionary changes - for sustainable life on earth….climate change is the greatest challenge however, there are other factors that mean there must be less use of individual vehicles and logically concerted use of public transport …in all forms.

8 ) I respectfully urge, that planning and the principles associated be based on society reaching our Net Zero Emissions target ….this tunnel will only make it more difficult.

I wish to formally register my objection to this project.
Having been a resident for decades, I am opposed to the proposed Northern Beaches link tunnel project for the following reasons:

1. The draft plan is just that, there is no certainty that the tunnel will follow the route shown, absolutely. This is a cause of great angst in the community.

2. The destruction of Balgowlah Public Golf Course is utterly disgraceful. This open green space is a much used community resource. Local schools use it for sport. The area is a beautiful green space with wildlife, and is needed by the community. With the increasing density of our suburbs, Council is actively encouraging the maintenance of open public green space. To destroy this flora, fauna and recreational facility is totally unacceptable and will have a major adverse impact on our community.

3. Providing a tunnel for cars is utterly ridiculous. All it does is shift traffic further north and south! If the tunnel was for public transport - buses, trains, light rail etc that might be acceptable. But for cars? What a joke! I raised this years ago at the original community consultation. The northern beaches needs better public transport, not a tunnel at a huge cost, financially and environmentally, that will be outdated in a few years.

4. Following Covid, there have been drastic changes in the way people travel and work, with vast vacancies in CBD office space with people working from home. Additionally a lot of people who are actually returning to offices in the CBD are doing so via private vehicles, because they have not had the Covid vaccine yet AND because the public transport on the northern beaches is woefully inadequate. Instead of funding a road tunnel for largely private vehicles which will only cause traffic congestion at Manly Vale and other points, a sensible solution would be to concentrate on the funding of improved public transport. Currently public bus routes in our area are being cancelled and re routed with little or no public consultation, again causing a lot of community anger and angst.

If the NSW State Government thinks that this tunnel proposal is the way forward then we are very sadly governed, studies show that countries overseas have abandoned this type of project, with its exhaust stacks etc. If nobody will listen now then the only option residents have to institute considered and meaningful change is at the next polling booth.

The Hon. Robert Stokes,
Minister for Planning Industry & Environment,
4 Parramatta Square,
12 Darcy Street,
PARRAMATTA NSW 2150

ATTENTION: Ms. Belinda Scott

Via: www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/project/10456

RE: OBJECTION to Beaches Link & Gore Hill Freeway (BL) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

Having reviewed some of the documents, concurrence with the North Sydney Council officer’s report, meeting held on 22 February, 2021 - Item 8.6 Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway Connection EIS Submission, as well as the letter of OBJECTION, dated 26.2.2021, from Councillors Zoe Baker, MaryAnn Beregi and Tony Car, of North Sydney (NS) council.

The following is especially of grave concern to members of our community.
These issues are grounds for refusal:

1. Lack of time for community consultation and engagement, outside of Covid restrictions and over Christmas holiday periods, to allow community to be able to assimilate the information in the several thousand pages of very technical documents, with no public meetings to be able to ask questions and review the details in person, vs online. HENCE, the notification and community consultation times should be significantly extended.

2. Failure to meet the SEAR’s as a state significant infrastructure applicant, as the EIS has failed to give analysis of “how alternatives to and options within the project were analysed to inform the selection of the preferred alternative / option”, which should have included Public transport options. In fact, if you are building a car tunnel, then build a train tunnel adjacent, so that you have sustainable public transport being built at the same time, with one lot of tunnelling costs, and missing existing services.
This project facilitates ease of journeys undertaken by private vehicles, which will lead to increased demand, which will have a flow on to other environmental impacts including increased traffic movements, pollution, loss of amenity to NS residents.

3. Loss of green open space for upto 7 years, of nearly 29,000 sq.meters of land in Cammeray at the golf course, along with North Sydney council’s wonderful water harvesting facility for maintaining the watering of sports fields and parks. This is not acceptable, nor is the fact that you plan to have the required tunnel’s facility buildings placed above ground, vs putting them below ground in this area, and returning the limited open space to the residents of NS. DPIE approval document for WHT&WFU states E157, which should be applied to BL-EIS too.

E157 The CCSI must result in a net increase in usable open space. Replacement space must be in the general vicinity of the loss, unless agreed to by the Planning Secretary.

4. Air quality is currently poor in NS LGA, due to the Warringah Freeway, and NS being the pinch point or through point for all traffic to get into the city, - buses, trucks, cars, bikes, cyclists, pedestrians. This is only getting worse, especially with the approved, Western Harbour Tunnel and Warringah Freeway upgrade project. The location of unfiltered ventilation stacks close to schools and hospitals can not be supported. This is grounds for refusal. The soon to be revised NO2 (Nitrogen Oxide) standard for National Environment Protection Measure (Ambient Air Quality) should be applied to the project to re-evaluate the potential impacts of the proposal.

5. If unfiltered stacks were to be built for either projects, then they should be built so that they can be retro-fitted for filtration at a time in the future. All Sydney tunnels, (which are not as long as these proposed tunnels,) advise motorists to close windows, put recycled air on, so that you keep the fumes out of the car while driving through. This shows that the air quality within tunnels is not appropriate for human health. So why should the residents of NS, be submitted to the health risks of having the heavy metal particulates come out of these unfiltered stacks, and tunnels following the cars, to then disperse out over our community before falling back to the ground.

6. Impact on NS roads especially the arterial traffic function of Berry Street, Pacific Highway, Miller Street & Falcon Street is of grave concern. NS Council has numerous adopted and draft strategies for NS CBD - public domain initiatives for Miller St., Berry St and Ward Street, The NS Integrated Transport Plan (NSITP) and the requirements being placed in the WHT & WFU Approval instrument by the DPIE should be upheld in these BL documents, but fails to be so. Being:

E162 TheCritical State Significant Infrastructure (CSSI) must not preclude the delivery of the objectives proposed by the North Sydney Integrated Transport Program (NSITP) in consultation with the Government Architect NSW and North Sydney Council.

7. Transport movements: North Sydney will become the terminus for 350 morning peak hour buses from the northern beaches, which will be using this BL tunnel, and coming out onto Warringah Freeway, then NS roads at Alfred St., High St, to then cross over Pacific Highway to drop passengers to NS train station in Blues St followed by Victoria Cross Metro stations, in Miller St. This situation should be ameliorated via a tunnel direct to an underground bus terminus / transport interchange, similar to Tokyo city. These buses should not be adding to the already congested traffic of North Sydney.

Conclusion:
In summary, we urge you to refuse the application for the following reasons:
This application will not deliver any amelioration to traffic congestion and will have
devastating environmental, health and social impacts.

a) the lack of a business case for the project;

b) lack of meaningful community consultation

c) the lack of alternative transport options including public transport

d) the lack of filtering in the proposed exhaust stacks

e) significant and devastating loss of public open space and future open space, loss of
sporting facilities, loss of trees and canopy, loss of stormwater harvesting and water
treatment infrastructure


f) significant adverse impacts on public health and wellbeing, particularly on schools, school children and residents

g) devastating environmental impacts on waterways, reserves, flora and fauna

h) inappropriate and untested mitigation measures

i) significant adverse impacts on aboriginal heritage and maritime environment.

For all of the reasons set out above this application should be refused.


Thank you for considering the matters raised in this submission, and await a response.

Yours faithfully,



Jillian H. Christie



Please Do Not Disclose the following personal details:

XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXX,
Kirribilli NSW 2061

Mobile: XXXXXXXXXX

Email: XXXXXXXXXXXXX

This submission is an objection to the Beaches Link Tunnel Project.
An analysis and a proposal of a better option in terms of lowering costs and increasing benefits is outlined, including the introduction of electric buses.
See enclosed attachment.

see attachment.

I object to the project for the reasons given in the attachment.