By Angus Dalton and Megan Gorrey
Balgowlah mother Rachael Robinson has been living in limbo for months as she rents one of dozens of homes marked for demolition to make way for the multibillion-dollar Beaches Link motorway in Sydney’s north.
She’s spent the past year not knowing when her family could be forced to leave their home on Dudley Street, where the state government previously said it would acquire 31 homes for the project. After a stressful 12 months, Robinson said she was relieved to learn construction of the underground motorway had been put off.
“We’re really pleased,” Robinson said. “Just from a personal perspective. I know there’s a lot of people that want [the Beaches Link] because of quick access.”
Good news for some: Rachael Robinson with her son Lewis on Dudley street, Balgowlah. Credit: Edwina Pickles
The Perrottet government has put plans to build the toll-road on ice, citing independent advice that several major infrastructure projects should be delayed due to surging construction costs and global labour shortages.
The decision represents a major shift for the Coalition state government, which has forged ahead with the construction of significant public transport projects and its ambitious motorways agenda in the past decade.
Premier Dominic Perrottet insisted the government remained committed to building the motorway, but said it needed to prioritise building infrastructure in fast-growing locations, such as western Sydney.
Another Dudley Street resident, Jessie, who lives in community housing, wants the project cancelled.
“If it goes ahead we lose our homes,” she said.
Northern Beaches mayor Michael Regan acknowledged the Beaches Link was “a divisive issue in the community”, but he was unimpressed with the decision to delay it.
“By and large, the community will not be happy. We’ll hold the government to their promise that they will deliver this. I want to see some preparation work begin,” he said.
The seven-kilometre Beaches Link tunnels will extend from Balgowlah and Seaforth to the Warringah Freeway at North Sydney, where the toll road will connect to the Western Harbour Tunnel.
Proposed route of the Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link.Credit: Roads and Maritime NSW
Opponents have criticised the project due to plans to bulldoze homes, take over Balgowlah Golf Club for a construction site, and dig up contaminated sediment from the bottom of Middle Harbour for the road tunnel.
Robinson said the decision to stall the project had raised hope her family could possibly purchase their house.
“Because I mean, what are the government going to do now they’ve got all these houses that they’ve bought? They’re going to have to sell them aren’t they?”
Dudley Street resident Rowan Romuld, whose home was marked for demolition, said he was preparing to move to North Manly despite the project being delayed.
“We feel like it’s done and dusted. We’ve moved on,” Romuld said.
“That’s government. Things come and go and projects come on board and projects get cancelled. And that’s just the way it is.”
Romuld said at first, he was excited at the prospect of the government buying him out of his home of seven years, but the process “wasn’t much fun”.
“It definitely felt unfair. I don’t necessarily feel like it was valued fairly.”
The Perrottet government says it remains committed to building the motorway to reduce congestion on Military Road.Credit: Brook Mitchell
Mosman mayor Carolyn Corrigan said the lower north shore council was “very disappointed” the project had been paused given it was intended to mitigate long-term congestion on the Spit Bridge and Military Road.
“While council respects the independent recommendation, we strongly urge the NSW government to continue looking for alternative solutions, such as boosting transport links between Dee Why and Chatswood.”
In his remarks to the Herald’s Infrastructure Summit last week, Perrottet also said residents on the Northern Beaches should “for sure” be prepared to accept higher density development should the project be built.
Infrastructure and Cities Minister Rob Stokes, who is Pittwater MP, said the motorway would be “retrofitting for growth that has already occurred”.
Regan said the council would “fight tooth-and-nail” any attempts to increase housing density.
“Any government or opposition that tried that shit on would have an absolute nightmare dealing with us,” he said.
Corrigan said further lifting housing targets in Mosman would be inappropriate.
The Beaches Link was expected to be completed in 2027-28. Leaked government documents in 2017 estimated the combined cost of building the Western Harbour Tunnel and the Beaches Link at $14 billion.
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