‘It’s a great concern’:Sydney residents sound alarm on motorway plan

Residents in Sydney’s north have sounded the alarm on plans to dig a new harbour tunnel close to dozens of schools and parks,warning construction of the project poses potential safety risks to thousands of students.

Councils and community groups seized an opportunity to voice their opposition to the Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link during a NSW parliamentary inquiry scrutinising the multibillion-dollar projects on Monday.

An upgraded Warringah Freeway will be linked to the new Western Harbour Tunnel.

An upgraded Warringah Freeway will be linked to the new Western Harbour Tunnel.James Brickwood

Stop the Tunnels convener Larissa Penn,who said the community group represented “mums at the school gate”,told the inquiry that concern about the project was high among residents and parents in Sydney’s inner north.

“It feels like when they were planning this project they didn’t quite realise the sheer volume of children moving across the area,” Ms Penn said.

“It’s a great concern in terms of the number of parks and schools,and the number of construction facilities going in very close to those children and where they’re moving around.”

The group’ssubmission to the inquiry estimated 10,000 children who attend schools close to the route would be directly impacted by construction and operation of the tunnel,and more than 40,000 children who travel through,or attend activities in,the project zone between Rozelle and Balgowlah would be indirectly impacted.

Residents’ concerns about the project centre on possible contamination risks,air pollution from emissions stacks,loss of public open space,and heavy traffic during the construction phase,the inquiry heard.

Stop the Tunnels member Kristina Dodds said parents were also “pretty concerned” about early works that had started at Cammeray Golf Course.

“We understand there’s quite a bit of contamination there because it was once thought of as being a landfill area,” Ms Dodds said.

The proposed route of the Western Harbour Tunnel.

The proposed route of the Western Harbour Tunnel.Supplied

“It butts right up against the skate park and right up against Cammeray Oval,and that’s where our kids participate in school sports.”

Inner West mayor Rochelle Porteous told the inquiry the tunnel linking North Sydney and Rozelle could render the newly reopened Dawn Fraser Baths swimming pool at Balmain “unusable”.

“The Western Harbour Tunnel construction plans include dredging contaminated sediment from the harbour floor,” she said. “Toxic plume from this sediment will most likely escape into the harbour where it will impact on dog walkers,fishers and swimmers,including users of Dawn Fraser Baths.”

Residents have previouslyraised concerns about contamination linked to the tunnel,prompting Transport for NSW to insist it would be built according to strict conditions of approval,including strong mitigation measures.

North Sydney Council’s director of city strategy,Joseph Hill,said the area’s scant amount of public open space would take an “extraordinary hit” from the plan.

Not all local councils were opposed to the project.

Northern Beaches Council’s transport networks manager Phillip Devon told the inquiry the project would take cars off the congested Warringah Freeway and fill the need for a rapid connection to North Sydney and the CBD.

“Council views the project as ‘catch-up infrastructure’. We haven’t had any major road connectivity projects connecting our area to the rest of Sydney ... since the Warringah Freeway was widened in the 1960s and 70s,” he said.

“The population has grown significantly since then.”

Mosman Council’s environment and planning director,Craig Covich,said the council’s in-principle support for the project was contingent on the government not lifting housing targets for the area above existing strategies.

“Our submission is ... the council supports the tunnel but doesn’t want any surprises on the matter[of increased density],” he said.

The NSW government hasditched a search for a private partner for the tunnel more than a year after it began,sparking fears that construction of the project will be further delayed.

The government’s most recent timetable for the start of major construction has beensometime next year.

The tunnel will eventually be connected to the Beaches Link motorway to Balgowlah and Seaforth,whichis likely to be completed two years later than first anticipated,in 2027-28.

The government has yet to reveal the estimated cost of the Western Harbour Tunnel. Leaked government documents in 2017 estimated the combined cost of building the tunnel and the Beaches Link at $14 billion.

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Megan Gorrey is the Urban Affairs reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.

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