How the $15.4b WestConnex highway will affect Sydney residents
HERE’S everything you need to know about WestConnex’s M4 East and the impact the $15.4b super highway will have on Sydney’s residents.
THE Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for WestConnex’s M4 East has confirmed what many dreaded: that no in tunnel filtration would be necessary for the $15.4 billion super highway.
Much contention in the lead up to the report’s release has been about the placement of the stacks, and the effects on the local community including several nearby schools.
It also revealed 203 homes, 20 businesses and 16 historically locally heritage list items will be demolished to make way for the motorway, while 10 road reserves and three parks will be affected.
The report, which comprises of 89 lengthy online documents, was released on Wednesday morning.
The Inner West Courier have prepared a list of the 12 things you need to know from the EIS including the impact from the lack of filters on the stacks, construction noise for four years, and the impacts on traffic congestion.
1. No filters on the stacks
The EIS states that the provision of a filtration system “does not represent a feasible and reasonable mitigation measure”.
The reasons for not providing filtration are:
■ of the systems that have been installed at other similar sites, the majority are switched off or infrequently operated
■ air treatment systems have very high capital and operational costs
■ a significant increase in the size of tunnel facilities would be required to accommodate equipment
■ M4 East in-tunnel air pollutant levels, which “are comparable to best practice and accepted elsewhere in Australia and throughout the world, would be achieved without filtration
■ emissions from the ventilation stacks of the M4 East tunnel would have negligible impact on existing ambient pollutant concentrations
2. Construction noise for four years
It predicts that noise levels for the worst-case construction scenarios, for example all equipment operating at once, will mean most areas will exceed acceptable levels, particularly during site establishment works and surface roadworks.
“Where noise exceedances are expected during both standard work hours and out of hours, a range of noise mitigation measures including temporary noise hoardings would be implemented,” the document reads.
“Construction traffic is not predicted to significantly increase traffic noise.”
But Strathfield Labor MP Jodi McKay said that the EIS only highlights the noise and vibration problems that the construction of the project will cause.
“There will be 2000 truck movements during construction,” she said. ”They will be tunnelling 24/7 for the next four years.
“I’m reading now that vibrations are going to impact on nearby houses.”
3. Impacts on traffic congestion
By 2031, traffic volumes in the M4 and Parramatta Road corridor, including along the motorway and the existing surface road network) are predicted to increase. However, the project would still reduce traffic volumes on Parramatta Rd by about 47 per cent on Queens Rd by about 25 per cent.
Analysis indicates performance levels along Parramatta Rd would significantly improve between the end of the M4 at Concord and Dalhousie St at Haberfield, with small deteriorations elsewhere.
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4. Social impacts of property acquisitions
Based on the preferred design, full and partial acquisition of 182 properties and 10 road reserves would be required.
In addition, 98 properties owned by Roads and Maritime, of which 21 were acquired through voluntary acquisition would be needed to construct the project.
One additional property, Bill Boyce Reserve at Homebush, would be leased during construction.
Homebush — residents living in properties acquired on Ismay Ave, Allen and Short streets and Underwood Rd are not considered to be vulnerable and the project will not disproportionately disadvantage residents in the area
Concord — Two of the properties are public housing and these tenants may be at greater disadvantage and more vulnerable to health issues associated with relocation
Wattle St — large number of properties to be acquired on Wattle St, Parramatta Rd, Wolseley Northcote, Ramsay and Martin streets and Walker Ave and would impact on cohesion of local community
Parramatta Rd — primarily from the front side of Parramatta Rd and adjoining areas of Chandos St are at greater social economic disadvantage and may be more vulnerable to health issues associated with relocation
5. Significant delays at some intersections
While the motorway would improve delays at most intersections, some that already experience significant congestion would be affected in the following ways:
■ Parramatta Rd and George St will experience significant delays, with the risk of queued vehicles reaching the Concord Rd intersection
■ Concord Rd would continue to experience high levels of delay due to significant increase in volumes. By 2031, northbound delays through Patterson St could lead to lengthy delays and formation of queues on the northbound off-ramp and potentially through the congested Parramatta Rd intersection
■ Substantially higher traffic between Parramatta Rd and Shaftesbury Rd could lead to a significant increase in delays in 2031 AM peak
■ Capacity restrictions at Dobroyd Parade/Timbrell Drive and Parramatta Rd/Hume Highway intersections are likely to block through adjacent intersections and lead to significant queuing on the project off-ramps in 2021
■ Opening of M4-M5 link and the provision of ramps on Wattle St significantly reduces congestion east of Bland St, but reintroduces significant delays at Parramatta Rd and Wattle St intersection
6. Threatened species lose homes
Vegetation used for foraging by two threatened species — the grey-headed flying-fox and Eastern Bentwing-bat — will be removed during construction of the motorway. But the EIS said food trees would be planted once the project was complete, so would not significantly impact on the animals.
7. Air quality said to improve
The assessment of ambient air quality impacts concluded that there would be a general improvement in air quality along Parramatta Rd as a result of the project, due to the reduction in traffic volumes and the improved dispersion of emissions from diverted traffic through tunnel ventilation outlets.
For some pollutants the EIS stated that there would be exceedances of some air quality criteria and that they are predicted to occur at a small proportion of receptors along the project corridor, both with and without the project.
The EIS stated that these exceedances would the project largely be as a result of increased surface road traffic associated with future population growth. However, overall there would be a decrease in the number of receptors that would experience air quality criteria exceedances as a result of.
8. Heritage buildings demolished
A number of buildings will be demolished in the construction of WestConnex, including 16 locally listed heritage items, and a further nine items of heritage significance.
“After the heritage houses are levelled, residents are going to have to put up with heavy vehicles driving in and out of the construction sites, the sound of explosives blowing up rock to build the tunnel and constant noise and vibration from road headers,” Summer Hill Labor MP Jo Haylen said.
Burwood Mayor John Faker also expressed concerns about damages to heritage items, saying:
“I’m greatly concerned about the impact the tunnel will have to the surrounding landscape in the northern parts of Burwood and Croydon, which include two heritage conservation areas.”
Heritage items and areas above the proposed tunnels and in the vicinity of construction works maybe subject to vibration impacts.
The report states these vibrations could cause cracking and, in a worst-case scenario, damage the structural integrity.
9. Parks acquired or used during construction
Arnotts Reserve at Homebush(south of the existing M4 and currently fenced off and inaccessible by the public): temporary lease during construction of about 19 per cent of the total area of the reserve, and permanent partial acquisition of about an additional seven per cent to accommodate the Powells Creek M4 westbound on-ramp
Cintra Park at Concord: permanent acquisition of land which contains the Cintra Park hockey field (which is currently being replaced with a new facility at St Lukes Park on the northern side of Gipps Street, including additional car parking) and an overflow car park on the northern side of Concord Oval (which would be upgraded). This site would be used during construction, and would also accommodate the fresh air supply facility, the operational water treatment facility and a distribution substation during operation. A significant proportion of Cintra Park would be rehabilitated and returned for use as open space following construction. The nature of this future open space would be determined in consultation with Canada Bay Council.
Reg Coady Reserve at Haberfield: temporary lease during construction of about six per cent of the total area of the reserve south of Dobroyd Canal (Iron Cove Creek), and permanent partial acquisition of about an additional 12 per cent to accommodate widening of Wattle Street.
All public reserves leased during construction would be rehabilitated and returned to their owners for use as open space following construction. Construction of the project would result in temporary changes in land use due to the establishment of construction work areas and facilities. Following construction, the majority of land impacted during construction would be used for operational aspects of the proposal. There would, however, be areas of residual land (other than public reserves) which would potentially be available for redevelopment. This would be subject to separate assessment and planning approval. WestConnex M4 East x WestConnex Delivery Authority Environmental Impact Statement The project would result in some
short-term property access impacts during construction; however, these are not expected to be significant
10. Impacts of noise and vibration on local areas
There would be potential for short-term ground-borne noise from tunnelling activities to be an issue at a number of locations along the project, but would only impact for a period of a few days.
For residents, a low risk of annoyance is predicted as a result of tunnelling work.
Vibration impacts would be mitigated through the implementation of appropriate mitigation measures.
Increases in noise levels would be experienced at the Concord Rd, Parramatta Rd and Wattle St interchanges as a result of new noise sources, increased traffic volumes and/or reduced shielding due to demolition of buildings.
Mitigation measures, such as low noise pavement and noise barriers, would be provided as part of the project, which would minimise noise impacts.
In addition, at-property acoustic treatment would be considered where noise exceedances are still predicted.
11. Human health impacts
The project is expected to result in a redistribution of impacts associated with vehicle emissions. For much of the community, this will result in an improvement (or decreased concentrations and health impacts); however, for a number of areas, a small increase in pollutant concentration may occur.
Potential health impacts associated with changes in air quality (specifically nitrogen dioxide and particulates) are low and essentially negligible within the community when measured against existing background air quality.
12. Urban design and visual amenity considerations
To minimise the potential impacts identified, site compounds and work areas would be screened.
Vegetation clearance would be minimised where possible.
The key landscape character and visual amenity impact would be a change from a visually enclosed four-lane motorway with vegetated embankments, to a substantially wider corridor incorporating multiple lanes and the opening up of new view lines to the transport corridor.
Teams of experts will spend the next the next 45 days trawling through the paperwork, before the deadline for submissions on October 23
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