The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Summary covering the Chatswood area is now available. It raises a number of questions and the opportunity for comments. We are seeking feedback on these issues from West Ward residents.

WHAT IS THE SYDNEY METRO SOUTHWEST?

The new METROs (NORTH & SOUTH WEST) are (for Sydney) a new form of transport. Metros are driverless trains operating every few minutes. Existing TransportNSW rail lines need to be modified to allow Metros to operate. This means that standard rolling stock can longer use these line (including from Chatswood to Epping).

Metro trains will arrive at Chatswood Station from Epping (and beyond) and then continue toward the city via a ‘dive site’ into a tunnel with new stations at Crows Nest, Victoria Cross (North Sydney), Barangaroo, Martin Place, Pitt Street, Central on to the southwest.

ISSUES

The issues are presented in the order of the EIS. The order does not imply relevance or seriousness.

DO WE NEED A METRO?

The EIS assumes that the Metro is a fait accompli (and it probably is). However, the opportunity exists to comment generally on this issue.

INTEGRATING THE METRO IN SYDNEY’S TRANSPORT NETWORK

For many years, Sydney’s transport network consisted predominately of heavy rail trains and buses. Even then, achieving effective interchanges between the two modes was difficult. Now, in addition, we have the Sydney Light Rail and the new Metro network. This increases the complexity of interchanges.

We will advocate that intense consideration be given to minimize time taken at interchanges.

OVERSTATION DEVELOPMENT

 The EIS proposes development above the new stations. However, Chatswood is not mentioned. Since such development is subject to a separate planning approval process, this does not preclude future over station/line development within West Ward. Apart from over Chatswood Station, there is possibility that the tunnel construction site at the intersection of Pacific Highway and Mowbray Rd could also be slated for development.

 We should formalize our position on development at these two location!!!

POWERING THE METRO

The decision of where the new electricity cable to power the Metro should run is separate to issues canvassed in this EIS.

TUNNEL BORING MACHINES

Operational access to the site will be via Nelson St.

PROPERTY ACQUISITION

The site bounded by Mowbray Road, railway line, Nelson St and the Pacific Highway is being acquired as the western construction site. This is where the tunneling begins.

The Nelson St Bridge is to be removed (and not replaced).

 Why is the bridge being removed? Why cannot the bridge be re-installed?

 Has a traffic study been undertaking on the impact. What was the outcome?

 TRAFFIC MATTERS & HAUL ROUTES

New right-hand turn on Pacific Highway:

The removal of the Nelson St Bridge will result in the need for right turn lanes (south-bound) for traffic needing to get onto Mowbray Rd West. Originally there was talk of two right turn lanes. The EIS mentions just a single lane.

What is our position on this proposal?

Ingress/Egress to the construction site: Access to the site will be from Nelson Street and Mowbray Rd. Egress will be from Mowbray Rd. Spoil haul trucks will need to turn right onto Mowbray Rd then right at the Pacific Highway. So you can envision the chaos with traffic controllers stopping traffic on Mowbray Rd to allow trucks to exit.

 What is the destination for spoil?

 Could an alternate haul rout be considered that does not require trucks to cross Mowbray Rd?

 Mowbray Rd & Pacific Highway

Due to the removal of the Nelson St Bridge, It is proposed to install a right hand turn for Pacific Highway traffic southbound into Mowbray Rd West. Previously the plan was to install two right-turn lanes.

Is this proposal supported?

 Is the preference for one or two right turn lanes?

 Hamden Road & Mowbray Rd.

Proposal for new traffic lights

 Supported?

 Orchard Road & Mowbray Rd.

Proposed change to phasing of lights.

What do the changes entail?

 NOISE AND VIBRATION

There will be noise barriers along the rail corridor (Why?).

Existing noise barriers will be increased in height to about 4 metres Chapman Avenue/Nelson St, Frank Channon Walk, Nelson/Gordon Sts. A 2 metre barrier will also be built to the south of Mowbray Rd on the western side of the line.

Should noise barriers be installed at other sides of the site such as Nelson St and the Pacific Highway?

OPERATIONAL MATTERS

Demolition & excavation

Monday to Friday 7AM to 6 PM & Saturday 8AM to 1 PM. All other work 24 hours a day.

Are we OK with proposed hours?

 What type of 24 hr work might pose a nuisance?

 Truck movements

Demolition: 96 per day plus 78 light vehicles

Excavation: 234 per fay plus 248 light vehicles

Tunnel excavation: 286 per day and 248 light vehicles

Tunnel fit out: 254 per day and 248 light vehicles

It is claimed that spoil removal by freight train is not feasible as the T! North Shore line is not currently rated for freight transport.

Consideration should be given to upgrading the T1 line to freight capability.

Please refer elsewhere about our request to alter right turn egress from the site onto Mowbray Rd.

Can we please be provided with some comparative information to allow us to understand the potential impact of these movements?

 HERITAGE ASSESSMENT

The heritage-listed Mowbray House School site is shown (hatched) on the construction site diagram. It is proposedto retain the building. However, archival recording and reporting will be undertaken before works starts

Mowbray House: Direct impact: Minor (physical impact). 􀂃 Potential direct impact: Minor (vibration) – the closest façade of this item would experience vibration above the 7.5mm/s screening level for cosmetic damage. 􀂃 Indirect impact: Minor (views and vistas)

 What steps will be taken to protect the building from potential vibration damage?

 What guarantee is given that, if damaged, the building will be repaired?

 Can a copy of the report on Mowbray House be given to the Willoughby/Lower North Shore Council and the Willoughby District Historical Society?

 It is reported that the heritage sites such as the Great Northern Hotel, the Garden of Remebrance, the Water Tanks, the South Uniting Church the Electricity Sub-station and the house on the eastern side of the line will mainly suffer from visual impacts.

OTHER MATTERS

 Frank Channon Walk

It is proposed to extend Frank Channon Walk to Mowbray Road. During construction, there will be short-term (weekend closures).

Trees

Trees will be removed within the rail corridor between Nelson St and Mowbray Rd.

Why can’t a 2 for 1 tree replacement process be implemented across all work areas?

 Onsite parking

Provision for 300 cars (but only predicting 248 movements per day).

The estimates for movements appears to be understated and should be reviewed.

 It is reported that contractors MAY CONSIDER ‘park & shuttle’ services to transfer workers to and from the site.

Problems (particularly parking) with site workers occur on every major construction site. Parking arrangements for workers and contractors should be implemented as a Condition of Consent.

 Bus stops

Temporary re-location of the 575 bus stop on Pacific Highway (between Bryson and Mowbray Rds)

 Clarify current and proposed locations.

 RELATED PROJECTS

 METRO NORTWEST

Issues relating to the temporary closure of the Chatswood to Epping rail line and replacement of train services by buses during the construction period.

Issues relating to potential overcrowding on Chatswood station if the Southwest Metro does not proceed.

Power Transmission cable

Route between Artarmon and Chatswood north

The recent review of local government areas involved a Delegate making a report to the Boundaries Commission about various aspects of merged Councils.

The Delegate addressed the issue of a popularly elected Mayor and considered that electing the Mayor from among the Councillors would provide enhanced stability for the first period of the new council.

Over a decade ago, Willoughby residents were part of a poll they voted in favour of directly-elected (popularly-elected) Mayors.Since then Willoughby has had directly-elected Mayors. The majority view has been that popularly-elected Mayors have been well received by Willoughby resident. With a stroke of the pen, the Delegate has overwritten the community view. It is believed that doing away with popularly-elected Mayors is politically motivated. In this Editor’s opinion, based on first hand experience the process of electing a Mayor by their peers is fraught with petty corruption.

In relation to the issue of Wards for the merged Councils, the Delegate found:

“that Mosman currently has no ward structure with six councillors and that North Sydney and Willoughby both have four wards with three councillors in each. The Delegate stated that representation should be maximised in the first instance and recommended a ward system dividing the area into five wards, each served by three Councillors. To help ensure suitable representation levels, in drawing ward boundaries the Delegate considered that the following principles should be used as far as possible in addition to the population criterion in the Act:

 new wards should cross existing Council boundaries, and

 to the maximum extent possible, suburbs and centres should not be divided by ward boundaries”

To achieve the first criteria, we could be faced with five “ribbon wards’ running from Boundary St to the Pacific Ocean.

The Baird Government today announced details of a number of Council mergers within NSW. However, due to legal challenges by Mosman and North Sydney Council their proposed merger with Willoughby Council is not proceeding, at this stage.

The Government has indicated ‘in principle’ support for such a merger subject to court challenges being resolved.

We are pleased to announce that today the next stage of Sydney Metro City & Southwest is underway with the community asked to provide input to the Chatswood to Sydenham Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The EIS provides a first look at Sydney Metro’s seven new stations that extend from Chatswood to Waterloo – providing detail on how the new stations will be constructed and how we plan to minimise impacts on the community, businesses and other stakeholders.

As we move forward with the project’s design and development, feedback from the community and stakeholders is critically important in helping us shape the delivery of Stage 2 of Sydney Metro, Australia’s biggest public transport project.

Sydney Metro will provide a fundamental shift in how people will get around the city by taking 30 million cars off the road every year by 2036 and moving more people across the Harbour in the busiest hour of the peak than the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Tunnel combined. A metro trip from Chatswood to Central will take 15 minutes, about 10 minutes faster than the existing suburban railway system.

During the EIS period we encourage you to review the detailed information available regarding the Chatswood to Sydenham component of the project This information can be found at http://sydneymetro.info

The EIS will be on public exhibition until Monday 27 June, 2016 submissions must be made to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment by this date.

During the EIS exhibition period a series of community information sessions will be held between Chatswood and Sydenham. You are invited to attend these sessions and meet expert members of the Project team who will be there to answer any question you may have. There is no need to make a booking.

Details on how to make a submission and information session details can be found in the newsletter attached.

We will be back talking to the community later this year regarding the Sydenham to Bankstown EIS.

This is an exciting new phase of the project and we thank you for your ongoing interest.

Sydney Metro City & Southwest
Transport for NSW

T: 1800 171 386

E: sydneymetro@transport.nsw.gov.au

W: sydneymetro.info

Former Willoughby Councillor for West Ward, Judy Navin OAM has died aged 91.

Judy and her husband Ern ran the news agency on the western side of Chatswood Railway Station for about 20 years and were stalwarts of the West Ward Progress Association. She also served on the Board of the Willoughby Retirement Village.

In the Australia Day Honours List in 2007 Judy was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for service to the community of the City of Willoughby through aged care and service groups and to local government.

Judy served four terms on Willoughby Council between 1978 and 1991.

During her terms on Council Judy and Councillor Greg Bartels would present joint reports on Council matters to the Progress Association. Ern Navin was Secretary of the Association for 20 years.

Judy was involved in a variety of local groups, including Chatswood Red Cross and the Chatswood Liberal Party.

She is survived by Ern, aged 99, daughter Alexia and sons Peter and Christopher, four grand children and four great grandchildren.

Her Funeral Mass will be held at Our Lady of Dolours Catholic Church, Archer Street, Chatswood on Tuesday May 3, 2016 commencing at 10.15am, followed by a cremation in the Palm Chapel at Macquarie Park Cemetery & Crematorium, Delhi & Plassey Roads.

Bob Lawrence & Terry Fogarty

Council is calling for suggestions for upgrading two parks:

Campbell Park

Chatswood Park

You can find details at www.haveyoursaywilloughby.com.au

Willoughby Council last night (Council Meeting of 29 March) resolved to not support the State Government’s three-council merger proposal of Willoughby City Council, Mosman Municipal Council and North Sydney Council. (Council had previously determined to support a Willoughby/North Sydney merger).

Council does not support a merger proposal which includes Mosman Municipal Council because of its high rates, concerns about its asset base and, in particular, limited community connectivity between Willoughby and Mosman.

Council also endorsed a submission based on research, data, publicly available information and community feedback, including that given by attendees at a Council-held Public Meeting on Monday 21 March and the two Public Inquiries held on Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 March.

Authority has been delegated to the General Manager to finalise the submission by the closing date of 8 April.

Background

On 25 February 2016 a new merger proposal for Willoughby, North Sydney and Mosman councils was released on the NSW government’s Council Boundary Review website. The new proposal resulted from the Minister for Local Government accepting the legitimacy of a community initiated boundary proposal to create a ‘Northern Beaches’ Council (Warringah, Pittwater and Manly).

The new proposal is separate to the State Government’s Willoughby/North Sydney merger proposal, which Council endorsed a submission for at its meeting on 22 February 2016. Council had previously indicated its preference for a Willoughby/North Sydney voluntary merger to the State Government in November 2015, as part of the Fit for the Future review.

The Willoughby/North Sydney Delegate, Ian Reynolds will also assess the Willoughby/North Sydney/Mosman proposal. The two proposals will be assessed independently of each other.

 The Submission

In addressing the three-council merger scenario to the inquiry Delegate, the submission:

• reflects community sentiment
• provides commentary on the veracity of estimated savings
• recommends due diligence for the merging entities to independently establish their financial, liability, risk and asset baselines at the time of the merger presents options to address community concerns regarding local representation which include options for the number of Wards and indicated Council’s preference.

Three different options for Ward boundaries are explored (covering four, five and six wards), taking into account competing factors including:

• creating completely news wards or wards that follow existing boundaries;
• the number of Councillors;
• creating wards with increased diversity versus wards with similar communities; and
• developing boundaries around Census, planning, infrastructure and transport factors.

Like the previous Willoughby/North Sydney proposal submission, this submission also makes recommendations regarding the unification of St Leonards and Roseville Chase. The St Leonards CBD and suburb are currently split across three councils, namely Willoughby, North Sydney and Lane Cove. Council seeks to unify the suburb within one local government area to improve strategic land use and infrastructure planning through the extension of the boundary to include that part of St Leonards currently contained in the Lane Cove Council. Residents in Roseville Chase could also be united in the one council area, if they wish.

The draft submission can be viewed as Item 15.1 on the Agenda of Tuesday 29 March 2016’s Council meeting at www.willoughby.nsw.gov.au

The State Government has announced that Councillors of merged (amalgamated) Councils will need to apply for a variety of roles when their Council is merged mid-year.

When Councils are amalgamated an Administrator will replace elected Councillors until the next election in March 2017.

Councilors have until April 15 to apply for various roles under the control of the Administrator. These include:

• Administrator
• Councillor on new Council
• Member of a Local Representative Committee
• Member of an Implementation Advisory Group

This move by the State Government is generally unprecedented. It smacks of a ‘jobs for friends’ of the Government. Incumbency in Local Government is a distinct advantage come election time.

Between the amalgamation of a Council until the next election, the Administrator performs all the functions of the Mayor and Councillors. Will former politically aligned Mayors or Councilors be favoured as Administrators for some Councils?

Perhaps the strangest job would be that of a Councillor on the merged Council under the control of an Administrator. They would no longer be involved in the oversight of the day-to-day operations of the new Council.However, the Government has suggested some other activities. They have recommended that the newly merged Council:

Establish collaborative working arrangements within, and preferably between, councils. It will be particularly beneficial for councils working together to form a working group or committee to lead preparation for a potential merger. This could include councillors and/or senior cross-organisational representation from all councils working together. A transition working group could be chaired by one of the General Managers or Mayors for the entirety of the preparation phase—or by each of the General Managers or Mayors on a rotating basis.  A transition working group or committee could have a range of functions, including overseeing: • preparation of an Interim Transition Plan • preparation and initial delivery of communication and engagement plans for the community and staff • preparation of an Information and Communications Technology Plan • a wide range of due diligence activities. Councils may also want to form sub committees focused on preparing for key areas like human resources or finance.

Source: Preparing for Change: Guidance for Councils, NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet, February 2016.

The Minister for Local Government has announced:

 

“We have made it very clear in relation to proposing council elections that if a council is a merger proposal then those council elections are scheduled for March of next year; and we have told other councils that it is business as usual and to prepare for an election in September this year …”

As it is proposed to merge Willoughby with North Sydney and possibly Mosman as well, our next election will be i March 2017.