Moorebank Avenue Realignment

Jonathan,

Thank you for your submission of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the above development (Moorebank Avenue Realignment) to Fire & Rescue NSW (FRNSW) for agency review and comment.

It is deemed that the proposal has limited scope and application in regard to fire and life safety, and as such FRNSW submit no comments or recommendations for consideration, nor any requirements beyond that specified by applicable legislation. It is requested that the Applicant undertake consultation with FRNSW should more detailed information regarding the fire and life safety aspects of the development (Moorebank Avenue Realignment) becomes available.

FRNSW request that access be maintained during and post construction 24 hours per day 7 days per week to enable Emergency Service response.
If restrictions to access during construction are going to occur, FRNSW requests advice of the restrictions at the earliest time to enable contingency plans to be created.

If you have any queries regarding the above please contact the Fire Safety Infrastructure Liaison Unit, referencing FRNSW file number BFS21/1012.
Please ensure that all correspondence in relation to this matter is submitted electronically to [email protected].

Kind regards,

Superintendent John Hawes

ES4 Likely environmental impacts
Many potential environmental and social impacts were avoided through the selection of the preferred route and design refinements during the project development process. Despite this, there will be some temporary and permanent environmental impacts associated with the construction and operation of the Project

Objection: If we compare the two options stated in ES3 Alternatives, I don’t accept that many potential environmental and social impacts were avoided through the selection of the preferred route. It makes sense to simply upgrade the current Moorebank Ave, which will reduce noise on the surrounding suburbs, instead of increasing it.
Realigning Moorebank Ave around the eastern side of their site will in fact increase the environmental and social impacts on those residents living in close proximity of Qube’s eastern side.

12st April 2021
Submission 2 4 pages

Exhibition of State Significant Infrastructure Application Moorebank Avenue Realignment. Application SSI-10053 Moorebank realignment
Submission by Allan Corben 13 Woolmers Court Wattle Grove 2173 Email address [email protected] Phone number 0451 998 774
I have been in opposition to this development since its commencement. I’m no engineer, but what I am is a retired Transport and Logistics Manager who has full knowledge of the negative impacts of this type of operations particularly surrounding residential housing.
From day one of this development it’s been all about the developer’s requirements and no one else. This includes many thousands of residents living in the surrounding suburbs. From day one, Qube have claimed it’s the most suitable site for this type of operation regardless to the fact of the number of modification applications made to suit their needs, IE hundreds of thousands of tonnes of fill being transported into the site to increase its level by two metres and to create an island type of site to mitigate against flooding of the sites and obviously to bury the existing harmful fire foam existence. This area of Moorebank sits on the edge of the Georges River which has a history of flood intrusion in the event of major flooding.
I hereby request that NSW planning take a real hard look at my comments which totally questions the application, which should be totally rejected.
Below is my submission showing the subject, with my objections.
Volume 1

ES1.1Overview of the Moorebank Avenue realignment
The Project would take up to 16 months to construct and have an estimated capital investment value of approximately 300 million AUD. The completed road asset and corridor would be transferred to TfNSW as a public road
Objection: My question is who will be paying for this diversion, Qube or taxpayers. Qube wanting to develop this unsuitable site, they should be picking up the full cost.

ES1.3.1 Key features
The key features of the project include
:• realigning a section of Moorebank Avenue from a point approximately 130 metres (m) south of the Anzac Road/Moorebank Avenue intersection to the bridge over the East Hills railway;
• constructing approximately 3 kilometres (km) of new road to bypass the MLP to the east, comprising:
- a four-lane road (two lanes in each direction) in the vicinity of MPE, commencing from a point approximately 130 m south of the Anzac Road/Moorebank Avenue intersection to the south-eastern corner of the MPE site;
- a two-lane road (one lane in each direction) from the south-eastern corner of the MPE site to a point immediately north of the bridge over the East Hills railway;
Objection: With Qube proposing a four lane wide realignment from the eastern of their site to its southern end, and then to reduce It back to two lanes from the end of their site onto the original Moorebank Ave and up to the railway bridge, which is only two lane wide is, absolutely ridiculous. One can only imagine the massive congestion south bound at peak hour.
This plan may suit Qube’s needs, but certainly won’t suit the hundreds of people travelling to and from work at peak hour, having to join a que while cars blend from two lanes to one.
This a massive potential problem that can’t be ignored.
Another question that should be asked of Qube is, how they are going to get the through traffic over or under their rail line, which is near level to original Moorebank Ave ?????

• noise mitigation in the vicinity of the Defence Joint Logistics Unit (DJLU) site (chainage 600-800);
Objection: It is interesting note Qube are prepared to provide noise mitigation to Defence Logistics Unit, from the start of the realigned road from Moorebank Ave to some distance south along the eastern side of the site for approximately one + kilometres.
If they are prepared to protect Defence area from noise, they have accepted that the noise level are going to be more than the appropriate levels.
If Qube are prepared to provide noise protection to the defence site against excessive noise, they must then be required to do the same to the eastern side of Wattle Grove down some distance past the Southern the boundary of the MPE site.
It should also be noted that the south east end of the realignment will as close as 400- 500 metres Wattle Gove.
Having personally experienced the high noise levels of these types of operations, I have great concern at the impact the excessive noise will have on that part of that suburb.
To view the area that Qube propose to provide noise mitigation to, refer to the current site map.

ES1.3.2Construction footprint the construction footprint area is approximately 18.96 hectares, and is generally bounded by the DJLU, MPE, Boot Land and the Sydney Trains (TAHE) owned land adjacent to the East Hills Railway.
Objection: I assume the developer expects to gain this 18.96 hectares of land for free? If is the case, as previously stated above, if the Qube want to build on this unsuitable site, they should pick up the full cost, not the taxpayers.

ES2 Why is the project needed?
The Project would deliver operational efficiencies to the terminals within the MLP. Moorebank Avenue currently provides a barrier to east-west movements within the MLP thereby significantly restricting the operational efficiency of the precinct. The relocation of Moorebank Avenue would:
• provide for shorter, more efficient and direct travel route for container-carrying vehicles between the rail link and terminals, contributing to the achievement of precinct throughput targets;
• minimise secondary and non-value creating freight movements by facilitating a direct access between MPE and MPW;
• facilitate future automation of the precinct (ie it would promote the use of the most efficient modes of transport for a given task); and
• result in positive time/cost implications for the MLP
Again all about the developer’s needs.
Objection: Diverting M/B avenue wont in anyway separate heavy vehicles from the through traffic as Qube plan to have 3 heavy vehicle entry and exit points along the proposed realigned Moorebank Ave, allowing heavy vehicles to either enter or exit the warehouses by either the realigned Moorebank Ave or Cambridge Ave, disrupting the through traffic.
Assuming that there will be traffic lights at the intersection of Moorebank Ave north and the south end of the realigned Moorebank Ave, will create traffic congestion at the intersections, with lights continually changing to allow all traffic to move towards the M5 or Cambrige Ave Further, the situation will be much worse if Qube have traffic lights at their three entry and exit points.
This Qube having four sets of traffic lights at their entry and exit points into their warehouses, will further increase the traffic congestion.
ES3 Alternatives considered
The Planning Agreement provides for two development outcomes, comprising:
• relocate Moorebank Avenue to the east of the MPE site (the Project); or
• upgrade Moorebank Avenue to a four lane road from south of the entrance to MPE freight terminal to a point approximately 120 m south of the MPE site.
It further provides that Qube is obliged to upgrade the existing Moorebank Avenue (South), should all approvals not be achieved for the realignment by December 2021.
Objection: Having read the above subjects, and seeing the negatives impacts that the realignments of Moorebank Ave will have on the general population, I’m of the opinion that to approve this application would be a massive error. The simple answer would be to simply upgrade Moorebank Ave, both financially and for the health and welling of the local residents.

I refer to the current exhibition concerning thye Moorebank Avenue realignment and object to it on a number of issues

1 The realignment would make the Moorebank Avenue move to much closer to the Wattle grove community of 9000 and closer to other suburbs like Hammondville Holsworthy Moorebank which would pose massive risk to residents with the diesel emissions involved in the vehicles.I was told that container trucks would not use this road but many of the small vehicles are diesel vehicles and the closer they are to residents the greater risk to the health of residents like cancer etc
2 The realignment will cuse traffic mayhem as it is estimated that up to 20000 use that road daily to avoid the congestion on the M5 and use it as a rat run
3 Thehealth and saftety of residents is continually ignored and one wonders how our elected representatives thoroughly ignore their responsibilities
4 During the last 12 months I have travellede extensively on our roads and irrespective of the time am or pm all I see is massive traffic gridlock which is frequently highlighted in the media which makes me upset and angry
5 There are about 5 or 6 locations which would be better for a Intermodal and with a small part of the goods destined for this area it is definately in the wrong locationj
6 the traffic pollution noise visual amenity will be a big issue in this realignment and shows how little regard they have for residents with a 100000 in a 5 km radius6
6 During the last 12 months there has been much concern from politicians about the welfare of residents due to the covid virus and this project shows how hyopercritical this is when they completely disregard the health and safety of local residents
John Anderson

A copy of the TfNSW response letter is attached.

EES Group advice attached. GIS data will be emailed as it cannot be upload to this portal.

Response is attached