12 schools — primary and high, public and private — on the lower North Shore have come together and signed a letter that has been sent to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Robert Stokes, the Premier and other local members. Cammeraygal P&C is one of those who’ve signed the letter.
There are 26 schools along the alignment of the Western Harbour and Beaches Tunnel route and an estimated 20,000 school children who will be impacted by heavy construction over a 5 year period (10 years in total beginning with the Western Harbour tunnel that has already been approved).
We have asked for an extension to comment on the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) which is 12,000 pages long and outlines what we can expect in terms of local traffic implications, impacts on the environment and pollution. It takes a bit of time to read. We suspect an extension won’t be granted so that means submissions close 1 March.
Cammeraygal P&C will make a submission and we urge you as parents to make an individual submission and object to the project based on issues to do with contamination, biodiversity, traffic, ground impacts and health (there are twin unfiltered pollution stacks less than 600m from the Cammeraygal senior campus, and about 300m from ANZAC Primary School).
Whether you support the concept of the tunnels or not, this is your last chance to provide any feedback on aspects of the project- such as the stacks being unfiltered or on ensuring that once the project is finished that the bushland is restored, or any myriad of mitigations for the benefit of our kids.
The more the impacted communities speak up, the more seriously our concerns will be taken.Objections lead to conditions that have to be taken into account when contracts are signed. It’s the only opportunity that the community has to have a voice. Once contracts are signed that’s it.
As an example, even though the Western Harbour Tunnel Warringah Freeway upgrade was approved, it came with 75 conditions asked for by the community. So make sure your voice is heard.
A video has just been launched to save Flat Rock Gully which is in our school catchment zone and this will help you understand what is in the EIS and help you make a submission if you so choose. Have a look today as there is only 28 days in February and you need only submit a few dot points on your area of concern by the end of the month. Get the kids to write it for you.
Watch the Flat Rock Gully impact video here and learn how & where to submit your feedback on the project here.
