Residents plea for planning on road tunnel to northern beaches to stop
RESIDENTS have called for an immediate halt to planning on the proposed Beaches Link toll tunnel until more details about the effects of are revealed.
Manly
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RESIDENTS have called for an immediate halt to planning on the proposed Beaches Link toll road until more details about the effects it will have on the northern beaches are revealed.
Concerns are mounting that the 7.2km tunnels, from Cammeray to Balgowlah and Seaforth, will lead to overdevelopment on the peninsula, destruction of public open space, increased air pollution and traffic “rat runs” near schools.
A community forum at Balgowlah RSL on Wednesday night, hosted by Northern Beaches Council, heard from more than 20 speakers, most of them worried about the tunnel’s impact on the community.
Mayor Michael Regan, deputy mayor Candy Bingham and councillor Sarah Grattan also heard that the tunnel should be used for light rail, not cars.
But the forum, set up to allow residents to provide feedback to the council as it prepares its submission on the project to Roads and Maritime Service, was also told the Beaches Link was desperately needed to cut down commuter travel times to the CBD.
The NSW Government is currently in the planning phase for the twin, three-lane tunnels and is accepting submissions from the public on its draft reference design until November 9.
Jo Casserly, of the Beaches Tunnel Group (How It Impacts YOU), which represents concerned residents in a 5km radius of the Balgowlah Golf Course, told the meeting that the draft plan had caused considerable community anxiety.
“As a group we seek a moratorium, a call to action to stop now and assess all of the community feedback and the need for the tunnel.”
Ms Casserly said planning should halt while public transport options were examined.
Resident Michael Cook said the plan appeared to be hastily constructed and prepared without meaningful community consultation.
Mr Cook said the community called on the NSW Government, with the co-operation of the council, to halt the development process to allow for a suitable review of the project’s ongoing impacts and alternative mass transit transport options.
Lucy McLelland, of Balgowlah, who backed the call for a moratorium, said research by UTS transport expert Michelle Zeibots suggested that when new roads were opened they were used far more heavily than anticipated and quickly reach traffic capacity.
“This project isn’t doing what we were promised it would,” Ms McLelland said. “It’s not actually giving us effective results for the northern beaches in the way of infrastructure,”.
“It’s not a done deal.
“We actually need to push pause on this and look at what would be a better option.”
A number of speakers who supported the tunnel, were opposed to the construction of the “Link Rd” planned to cut through the golf course from the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation to Sydney Rd.
Other objections raised at the forum included why the golf course was to be used as a construction site; the use of unfiltered exhaust emission stacks at Balgowlah and Seaforth and the tunnel funnelling more weekend traffic on to the northern beaches.
Lee Furlong, of Fairlight, who drives to his office near Sydney Airport each day, backed the Beaches Link plan.
“For as long as I can remember governments in NSW did nothing for the northern beaches. We became the forgotten people.
“Finally the people of the northern beaches are getting the infrastructure we actually need.
“The time for the tunnel is now (but) I am concerned the council will only listen to the small but vocal minority the population who completely oppose the tunnel and not the tens of thousands of commuters who are wondering why this is taking so long to do.”
Mayor Michael Regan said after the forum that the council valued the community’s input and was happy to provide a forum to their voices were heard.
Earlier this year Mr Regan said the council welcomed efforts to improve transport times and travel options for “our long suffering residents.
“The project should only be about resolving existing pressures and problems, and we will be working to ensure the project does not have any adverse environmental, social or other impacts,” he said.
Cr Grattan will be a meeting at the Totem Club in Balgowlah on Saturday at 3pm, hosted by the Save Balgowlah Community Group, to discuss tunnel issues
A meeting of experts to answer question about the tunnel project has been scheduled by the Beaches Tunnel Group to be held at Balgowlah Boys High School on Sunday, November 11, at 4pm.