Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link dredging needs care: councils
Dredging the harbour to build the Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link road projects could seriously affect waterway users and marine life if not done sensitively, a group of councils have warned.
Dredging the harbour to build the Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link road projects could seriously affect waterway users and marine life if not done sensitively, a group of councils have warned.
The Sydney Coastal Councils Group (SCCG), which comprises nine local government areas, has written to Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) and outlined its concerns.
The councils are Bayside, Inner West, Northern Beaches, North Sydney, Randwick, Sutherland, Waverley, Willoughby and Woollahra.
Sydney Coastal Councils executive officer Sarah Joyce was wary of workers disturbing heavy metals left in the harbour floor from industry if care was not taken.
“Dust and dredging works … could have detrimental effect on water quality and biodiversity,” she wrote.
“SCCG believes rigorous controls and safeguards need to be put in place to reduce any adverse impacts upon our beautiful waterways.”
Poor water quality could affect those who fish and spend time in the waterways, as well as marine life.
Ms Joyce asked for talks with RMS on how dredging procedures are being devised.
Preliminary designs show the tunnels’ roads would be about 30-40m below sea level.
The 6.5km, six-lane Western Harbour Tunnel would connect the Warringah Freeway to the Rozelle Interchange, while the 7km Beaches Link tunnel would connect the Gore Hill and Warringah freeways to Balgowlah on the northern beaches.
A spokesman for RMS said the projects would have rigorous and comprehensive environmental assessments.
These would include assessing activities such as sediment removal and management.
Roads and Maritime Services has undertaken detailed surveys to understand the marine ecology and conditions in Sydney Harbour and Middle Harbour, he said.
There was a significant body of knowledge and experience available domestically and internationally on excavating contaminated or sensitive marine environments, he said.
Marine excavation happened regularly at Botany Bay, Sydney Harbour, Newcastle and Port Kembla as part of maintenance and capital works projects, he said.
The most recent feedback phase for the roads projects closed on December 1.
The government will next prepare its environmental assessment reports.
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