Plans for the Beaches Link motorway exposed in secret NSW Government document
A leaked document has exposed secret plans for the Beaches Link motorway — including using an entire golf course as a construction site.
Manly
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ONE of the most popular public golf courses on the northern beaches could disappear to make way for construction of the controversial Beaches Link motorway tunnel, a leaked secret NSW Government document reveals.
Details contained in draft “Cabinet sensitive” plans now have the 500 members of Balgowlah Golf Club concerned they may lose their nine-hole course forever if work on the $8 billion link begins in 2020/21.
The project update for the 11km of three-lane, twin tunnels and 5km of surface roads from Cammeray to Seaforth and Balgowlah suggests that the golf course would become a major construction site.
After the tunnel is built it could accommodate a ventilation outlet, a motorway facilities office and a new link road between the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation and Sydney Rd.
The plan also suggested there was an opportunity to turn the course into community open space, including sporting fields.
Golf club president Bill Colwell said the club had been advised by a government representative in the past that there would be no loss of green space if the tunnel went ahead.
“Now we see that a new link road will go through and residual land will be turned over for sports fields,” he said. “We were told we’d be able to operate a golf course after construction.
“We’ve known for a while that if the tunnel goes ahead the club would be impacted.
“What we didn’t know was the extent of that impact.”
The clubhouse is also used by community groups, as well as the nearby Balgowlah Boys High School to hold meetings and events.
Mr Colwell said that even though the leaked document revealed detailed plans, there were still a number of uncertainties about whether the project would go ahead.
In March the Manly Daily reported that the government’s latest state planning document called for the motorway to be put on the backburner in favour of other transport projects.
The State Infrastructure Strategy 2018-2038 suggested more focus be put on more public transport options.
“The other major uncertainty is that if the government loses the next election in March, Labor would cancel it,” Mr Colwell said.
“But we, as the board of the Balgowlah Golf Club, have no other option than to keep operating for the time being, at best practice, for our members and the people who play on our course. We would like some certainty in the not too distant future.”
Balgowlah Suns junior AFL club, which uses neighbouring Balgowlah Oval, welcomed the news as a chance to gain improved and expanded facilities for its more than 350 players. Club president Haydn Sheehan said extra fields would help the club to expand even more.
The government would not confirm that the leaked document, dated May 30 2018, and which contained the Reference Design for the motorway that was supposed to be released mid-year, was a final draft.
Manly state MP James Griffin declined to comment until the formal release of the Reference Design.
A spokesman for Roads Minister Melinda Pavey said the community would have a chance to comment on the project later in the year when an environmental-impact statement was released.