Eds: This is a sample submission which focuses the impacts of the construction of the Rozelle interchange. The first thing you need to know about the Rozelle Interchange is that the Sydney Motorway Corporation has not been able to identify any other similar underground interchange project anywhere in the world. The exchange was originally planned to be overground but because of the strong community anger about this proposal, an underground interchange was proposed. Both options are unacceptable. This EIS should be rejected because it would be absurd to approve such a design concept without evidence that it could be constructed.
This sample submission is written in the first person but you can easily change it for a group submission or use part of it for an information sheet. You can:
- copy and paste whole or part of this submission for your own submission or share it with others
- use it to trigger your own ideas
- use some it and mix it with objections on other topics relevant to the EIS ( for example Air Quality).
When you have finished drafting a submission, here’s the link to our online submission. Remember you can make as many submissions as you like.
Submission to WestConnex New M4/M5 EIS, project number SSI 16_7485
Rozelle Rail Yards and Rozelle Civil Site.
Rozelle is the proposed site of a massive interchange that would be built underground. This submission focuses on the disastrous construction impacts of this site.
The sections of the EIS that deal with this site are not sufficiently detailed to be regarded as an EIS. What is presented is only a concept design. SMC has been unable to point to another similar underground interchange anywhere in the world. No engineer has been available at the EIS sessions to discuss how three levels of crossing tunnels could be built under densely populated streets of old houses in Rozelle.
There is no evidence that the Sydney Motorway Corporation or its potential contractors have the experience that would be required to build the concept in the EIS.
Construction Impacts
I am upset that already the Rozelle railyards are being torn up on the basis of this flimsy EIS. If construction was to begin, the impact on the area would be devastating.
Considering the simple problems of dust management, noxious gasses and the handling of toxic materials like asbestos that have been so inappropriately dealt with on Stages 1 and 2 by Westconnex, this intersection of Stage 3 is a disaster waiting to happen. It should not be allowed to proceed without a massive investigation.
What is shown in the EIS, certainly does not provide a basis on which this project could be approved. There are indications in the EIS of what could be expected in the Rozelle Rail Yards construction site and the Crescent Civil site. But the EIS states that only after Construction contractors have been engaged would project designs and methodologies be worked out. This may result in major changes to the project design. The community will have no input into this process, so the community is totally powerless to be able to comment on what will actually be proposed, how it will be carried out and what will finally be built. This is not acceptable.This is just another example of the lack of public consultation for the project.
Parking
According to the EIS the Rozelle Rail Yards would have 400 car parking spaces for workers. There would be no car parking spaces at the Crescent Civil site. The daily workforce for these sites is stated to be approximately 550. This means that there would be approximately 150 additional vehicles that would not be able to park in the Construction sites on a daily basis. The EIS suggests workers would use public transport. If not, they would have to park on local streets in the area. Parking is already at a premium in the surrounding suburbs and is worsening all the time with the success of the Light Rail and out of area commuters daily leaving their cars at light rail stops.
It is totally unacceptable that the local streets accommodate constractors extra vehicles on a daily basis over a 5 year construction period in an area where parking is already very scarce. This impact on local traffic has not been sufficiently taken into account in the ‘cumulative impacts’ report. The Rozelle Yards site will generate an enormous amount of traffic in an already congested area. I think this has been underestimated in the EIS and ask that the assessment of the impact be independently evaluated.
Traffic congestion gets worse
The EIS shows that traffic on the City West Link, Johnston St, the Crescent, Catherine St and Ross street would greatly increase during the construction period and also be greatly increased if Stage 3 were ever completed. It states that Stage 3 would do nothing to improve traffic congestion in the area, in fact it will add to the problem. Many of these areas are already congested at peak times. Even the EIS recognises that this would have a negative impact on the local area as more and more people try to avoid the congestion by using rat runs through local streets.
There would be 5 entrances/exits to the Rozelle Yards site off Lilyfield Road for light vehicles and 2 entrances/exits for heavy vehicles off the City West Link. The 2 entrances on the City West Link, one opposite the exit of the Crescent and one 400 metres further West on the City West Link will have to have traffic controls set up to allow trucks to access and exit. There will be a big increase in traffic congestion in this area, the main route to Anzac Bridge and Victoria Rd.
Criss-crossing Tunnels under homes
According to the ‘concept design’, the tunnels under Rozelle/Lilyfield are going to be in three levels. SMC engineers have told residents that the top one of these will only be 15 metres from the surface. The EIS does not explain how such an exchange would be built. It does not explain what safety procedures would be undertaken to deal with situations like serious congestion, accidents or fire if it should be built. With a serious hold up on the deepest of these tunnels, the air quality will very quickly become toxic unless substantial air conditioning is a major part of the design.
See also Air quality.
It would be socially irresponsible to approve this project.
For more important material on Rozelle watch EcoTransit’s video on the https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FEcoTransit%2Fvideos%2F1935106089838434%2F&show_text=0&width=560“>Rozelle Railyards. Watch more EcoTransit Videos here.
The People's M4/M5 EIS 