Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway Connection

Please see attached document with reasons for my objection.

Objections are in the attached PDF, a summary of which is that I object for the following reasons:

1. The impact the project will have on the local sporting facilities during construction. In particular, Bicentenial Reserve Oval at Willoughby and Cammeray Oval. These facilities are used extensively by my children, and while they may remain open during the construction, the risk of contamination is too high. It will force me to remove my children from local sporting clubs for the duration of the project.
2. The risk of contamination to Flat Rock Gully and Middle harbour. The fact that the EIS states the risk of contamination in these areas is medium to high is very concerning. Both areas used regularly by thousands of families in the lower north shore, including my own.
3. Risk associated with an increase in heavy vehicles using Brook Street and Flat Rock Drive. Many school children walk along and cross this road each day to get to and from school. More generally, many children use this road for travel in their local area. I am very concerned that a child could lose their life as a result of a significant increase in traffic directly linked to the construction work.
4. The noise levels during the 5 year construction area, both at Flat Rock and Cammeray. Both locations are in residential areas and an extended period of increased noise levels is very concerning.

I would ask that alternate construction sites be selected for this work. This could include nearby industry areas in Artarmon. This would keep families and children safe, protect the fragile ecosystem in Flat Rock Gully, whilst allowing the work to continue.

See Attachment

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Northern Beaches Tunnel
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13:03 (3 hours ago)


I am concerned about the building of this tunnel.

This tunnel was suggested some years ago as a "solution" to the very heavy traffic heading into the city during the morning rush hour. The planning was done before 2020 i.e. before the Covid 19 Pandemic.

During the pandemic particularly during lock down, the traffic flow was significantly lighter. I live in North Narrabeen and walk daily along Pittwater Road. The frequent bus services were shooting past with barely anyone inside. Many people were of course working from home. During the last 12 months traffic has built up again but the bus services are still little used. I personally know many people who now work from home at least part time.

Once confidence in public transport improves hopefully more people can be encouraged to use it. Perhaps some encouragement can be given eg cheaper fares /or increased fees to drive over the harbour bridge during the am rush hour. What about a congestion tax.? London successfully introduced this.

We are continually being reminded about the changes we have to make as a result of the pandemic. We are economically in difficulties. Surely the horrific cost of this tunnel could be better used.

I am of course very worried about the effects of the tunnel on our environment. Rob Stokes is introducing some protection of Green Spaces in NSW. Why destroy the existing bush? Our wildlife and human life has suffered dreadfully due to the bush fires. Can we accept the extinction of more flora and fauna? Australia is already regarded worldwide as extremely backward in it's approach to conservation and climate change.

The cost of the tunnel is to be offset by an increase in population and industry. Consider all the vacant blocks in the city as a result of Covid 19. Our beaches, lakes and bush are the envy of people around the world. Visitors love to visit us. Can we"afford" to lose these treasures?

How many people will find the tunnel an advantage? I am afraid that this grandiose scheme will disadvantage many many more in so many ways.

Please reconsider this proposal particularly in the light of Covid 19 which has so dramatically changed our lives. Think of our future generations, how do you want to be remembered!

Yours faithfully,

xxxxxxxxxx

I am concerned about the building of this tunnel.

This tunnel was suggested some years ago as a "solution" to the very heavy traffic heading into the city during the morning rush hour. The planning was done before 2020 i.e. before the Covid 19 Pandemic.

During the pandemic particularly during lock down, the traffic flow was significantly lighter. I live in North Narrabeen and walk daily along Pittwater Road. The frequent bus services were shooting past with barely anyone inside. Many people were of course working from home. During the last 12 months traffic has built up again but the bus services are still little used. I personally know many people who now work from home at least part time.

Once confidence in public transport improves hopefully more people can be encouraged to use it. Perhaps some encouragement can be given eg cheaper fares /or increased fees to drive over the harbour bridge during the am rush hour. What about a congestion tax.? London successfully introduced this.

We are continually being reminded about the changes we have to make as a result of the pandemic. We are economically in difficulties. Surely the horrific cost of this tunnel could be better used.

I am of course very worried about the effects of the tunnel on our environment. Rob Stokes is introducing some protection of Green Spaces in NSW. Why destroy the existing bush? Our wildlife and human life has suffered dreadfully due to the bush fires. Can we accept the extinction of more flora and fauna? Australia is already regarded worldwide as extremely backward in it's approach to conservation and climate change.

The cost of the tunnel is to be offset by an increase in population and industry. Consider all the vacant blocks in the city as a result of Covid 19. Our beaches, lakes and bush are the envy of people around the world. Visitors love to visit us. Can we"afford" to lose these treasures?

How many people will find the tunnel an advantage? I am afraid that this grandiose scheme will disadvantage many many more in so many ways.

Please reconsider this proposal particularly in the light of Covid 19 which has so dramatically changed our lives. Think of our future generations, how do you want to be remembered!

Good afternoon,

We live on Maretimo street and have two boys who attend the Balgowlah Boys campus school; class of 2025 and class of 2027. One of our boys has dyslexia and ADHD which already makes school studies a little more effort than that of his peers. We specifically moved to this neighbourhood and school zone so that our kids could have a good educational basis for their future by attending a reputable school.

After reading the EIS we have concerns about the project which we hope will be considered.

* Noise. It is our interpretation from your papers that the construction associated with the tunnel and ventilation stacks will create a continuous intermittent noise at pretty much the level of a gas powered lawnmower operated without hearing protection. This noise level would never be acceptable for a regular worker in a daily workday. And school children obviously cannot wear hearing protection during classroom instruction. What mitigation for the school day noise levels does this project have to offer? This level of noise will have significant impact to health and wellbeing of students trying to function in the adjacent area to your construction as well as significantly retard the students ability to focus in learning.
* The concrete batching facility is to be located across the Sydney road from the school, which is incidentally down the street from our home. What mitigation will be provided to school students at a minimum during the midday lunch and recess periods, and to homeowners who either wish to have outdoor dinner time, swim in the pool, or otherwise breathe outside air, dry laundry etc. when the air is contaminated with the dust and other inflammatory allergen particles associated with concrete and filler mixing materials?
* We also are concerned with the traffic. The EIS states that 1,195 light truck movements, and 495 heavy truck movements per day will occur at the corner of Sydney Road, Maretimo Street, and the link road. We have been living at the far end of Maretimo street for 2 years now. Without the construction started, it is a good 5+ minute wait to exit Maretimo road onto Sydney road, and that is assuming you are outside school hours. The intersection of Maretimo street and Sydney road is at, or above, capacity already without the additional 1690 daily vehicles. This is not acceptable planning and not a sustainable venture for the stated 5 years that residents are being “asked” to endure.
* In addition to the stress on family quality of life and safety that this addition of 1690 vehicles to daily traffic, there also are the human health impact of air quality degraded by the fumes emitted by these heavy construction vehicles.
* I myself have had major inflammation issues from the poor air quality on the Northern beaches and have had little relief from medication. Time has shown that spending as little time outdoors as possible and using only recycled and filtered air brought relief. My boys have only begun to show the beginning signs of these same health issues with daily headaches which subside only at the peak of the day. The further reduction of air quality due to construction vehicle emissions and traffic will have significant impacts to all of our health and to the boys’ ability to achieve the education which forms the basis for their adult lives.

We are not favourably impressed that the EIS plan and comment collection for this plan has largely been posted for comment during the summer vacation when families are most stretched either with travel or with summer camp activities on top of work schedules, and thus it feels as if this has been timed to reduce feedback.

* The comment period to this EIS should be extended and a information campaign conducted to inform the local residents (at a minimum to all residents and businesses located on Maretimo street).
* A working group for the school and Maretimo street and surrounding streets would be advisable.
* Live websites or regular public information meetings should be held to inform the public of any contractor design changes and should not be implemented without at least a 1 month public comment Collection prior to any implementation of change
* A board should be established for local citizens and businesses for the reporting and collection of statistics regarding health impacts (asthma like, allergic, dust and air quality, mental health from stress, traffic or noise level aggravation, and safety to pedestrians or from increased traffic incidents). The statistics should be maintained on a live count on a public website for the entire public to see.

I apologise that these comments are not better articulated. My husband and I both are very pressed for time. We felt it best to submit the broad strokes of our concerns rather than to miss the comment opportunity deadline. We hope you will consider the impacts to the local environment and community and al the comments which we, the school, and our residential community have provided.

We strongly object to the dive site...
I own a business and residential property - 44 Sailors Bay Road Northbridge (100m's away from the Dive site). We will loose our tenants due to the 24/7 noise levels. I will have to close my business due to the traffic congestion caused by traffic lights at the bottom of Flat Rock drive so trucks can enter/exit 24/7 and 7 days a week. The traffic will be at least 45% greater than it is now. The business will not survive the traffic congestion as client will avoid the area all together. In turn the value of our property will decrease significantly.
* The original plan to have the "dive site" Artarmon Tip/landfill makes much more sense. This is NOT a residential area and has easy access in and out.
* Loss of bush/noise 24/7 and dust - eg Pyalla/Baringa/Baroona/cliff etc -
* EIS was done on 25% design only - not satisfactory.
Regards
Martine Vanderspuy (Martine Gallery)

Attached.