Community gathers to send strong message to State Government about opposition to tunnel stacks in St Leonards Park

A STRONG community message has been sent to the Roads and Maritime Services saying St Leonards Park should be left out of Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link plans.

Nicole van Barneveld (foreground, seated) and her community group who are campaigning to stop a ventilation building and smoke stack being built in St Leonards Park. Picture: Julian Andrews.

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A STRONG community message has been sent to the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) saying St Leonards Park should be left out of Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link plans.

A petition with more than 550 signatures requests that the North Sydney green space should not be considered as a ventilation building and smoke stack site.

It comes after concerned Save St Leonards Park members saw leaked Cabinet in Confidence documents which appear to show a proposed ventilation building outside the North Sydney Bowling Club and a vent nearby.

Residents want the popular park to be maintained as a green space.

Nicole van Barneveld of the community group said she was not against the tunnel, but green space should be left alone and the building would take over a large portion of the park.

“The proposed location is on parkland facing the harbour which is heavily used by residents for New Year’s Eve fireworks, by dog walkers and boot campers,” she said.

“It will block the views of the harbour and restrict any public free usage of that part of the park.

“While we appreciate that the motorway has many benefits, it should not come at the expense of our parkland and open space, in particular public land with beautiful harbour views.”

Hundreds of local residents have signed a petition demanding the park be kept as it is.

Hundreds of nearby residents posted comments, pleading with the RMS to place the ventilation facilities elsewhere.

However, the RMS said it was committed to releasing the reference design by mid-2018, which will contain more detail on the project, including, including ventilation facilities.

“The project is currently in its very early stages, and our land-based geotechnical testing program is only about half way through,” a spokesman said.