Residents of M9 Outer Sydney Orbital reveal pain
THE mental anguish of residents, whose lives have been thrown into turmoil following the release of the M9 Outer Sydney Orbital draft corridor, has been revealed.
Macarthur
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FEAR. Depression. Uncertainty. Anxiety. Frustration. Stress. The list goes on.
The mental anguish of residents, whose lives have been thrown into turmoil following the release of the M9 Outer Sydney Orbital draft corridor, has been revealed.
An anonymous survey, run by the Outer Sydney Orbital Macarthur Action Group, has highlighted some startling, and very concerning, behaviours caused by the worry.
In the survey, residents talked about prescription drug abuse, gambling, heavy alcohol use and suicidal thoughts.
“The stress of this proposal is impacting people’s sleep, eating habits, family lives and ability to focus at work,” Outer Sydney Orbital Macarthur Action group founder Jess Simpson said.
“We have even seen reports of increased use of medication, alcohol, gambling and thoughts of self-harm. It is extremely worrying.”
The survey received 100 anonymous responses, with 99 per cent of respondents reporting an impact on sleep and 96 per cent revealing it had impacted on their daily work life.
One in five residents said they were completely distracted or unable to work since the corridor announcement on March 27.
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One anonymous response stated: “Due to disturbed sleep patterns I have experienced paranoia. I felt like I am losing my mind.”
Another respondent stated their mental health had been severely impacted since hearing the announcement of the M9 Outer Sydney Orbital.
“Depression. Lost all hope for the future,” they said.
Mother-of-three Mrs Simpson, who discovered on her seventh wedding anniversary the devastating impact of the M9 Outer Sydney Orbital on her family home, said the community’s pain was evident.
“The mental anguish that people are feeling is real and ongoing,” Mrs Simpson said.
“I knew that people in our community were stressed, anxious and devastated by the news, but seeing the responses to this survey was heartbreaking.
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“I hope that the powers that be see these results — which are just a snapshot of one community affected by the M9 and seriously understand the worry and devastation this has caused.”
FULL RESULTS OF OUTER SYDNEY ORBITAL MACARTHUR ACTION GROUP SURVEY: Click here