THE COALITION Against WestCONnex (CAW), a network of community groups opposed to WestConnex, will today, 16 October 2017, submit more than 10,000 objections against the WestConnex Stage 3 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
At 11.30am today, CAW representatives will hand deliver more than 10,000 written submissions on the M4-M5 Link EIS to the Dept of Planning head office at 320 Pitt St, Sydney.
“This unprecedented number of objections to the Stage 3 EIS represents the strength of opposition to WestCONnex, and the traffic inducing M4-5 Link. We are confident that thousands more objections have been lodge on-line” said Anne Picot, spokesperson for WestCONnex Action Group and No WestConnex: Public Transport.
The EIS has over 13 volumes, 24 Appendixes and more than 7,000 pages. The Dept of Planning only allowed 60 days for public comment on the proposed 3rd stage of WestConnex.
“When you consider that public had to wade through more than 7,000 pages of technical details, and had only 60 days, this is a clear statement to the Government that Sydney doesn’t want this polluting, toxic toll road.”
“We are hand delivering the submissions to the Dept of Planning to demand that it reject this EIS. It has insufficient detail and certainty to constitute a proper statement of the true impacts of this terrible project, which is not the solution to Sydney’s transport woes”, said Ms Picot.
Jennifer Aaron, spokesperson for Leichhardt Against WestConnex, said: “The EIS only contains an indicative design for a 3-level underground interchange at Rozelle, an engineering world first. The Government has so far been unable to find a suitable contactor to build the interchange.”
“Serious concerns have also been revealed over the probity of the acquisition of the Dan Murphys site in Leichhardt for a dive site, and the Premier has been referred to ICAC in relation to the transaction. This EIS cannot be approved until this has been independently cleared, and the Dept of Planning is satisfied that the Rozelle Interchange can be built,” said Ms Aaron
The following community groups are members of the Coalition Against WestCONnex:
Camperdown Residents Against WestConnex (CRAW)
Leichhardt Against WestCONnex (LAW)
Newtown Residents Against WestConnex (NRAW)
No WestConnex Annandale
No WestCONnex: Public Transport (NoWPT)
Rozelle Against WestConnex (RAW)
Save Ashfield Park (SAP)
Save Newtown from WestConnex
Stop WestConnex - Glebe and Forest Lodge
WestCON Community Action Group Haberfield/Ashfield
WestCONnex Action Group (WAG)