Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link

Council's position

Council strongly opposes the Western Harbour Tunnel and Warringah Freeway Upgrade project and objects to both how the project is being delivered and the negative impact it has our community. 

The negative impacts include loss of open space, loss of urban forest tree canopy and habitat for wildlife, increased air pollution and increased traffic on local streets.

While these impacts are more concentrated in some areas, all of the North Sydney LGA is negatively impacted in some way. 

On 24 January 2022, Council resolved:

1. THAT COUNCIL reinstate its strong opposition to the WHT/NBL projects due to the devastating impacts of the proposed projects on the North Sydney Local Government Area and the absence of any public benefit to be gained from the projects and for the following reasons:

a. the lack of a business case for the project
b. the lack of meaningful community consultation
c. the lack of alternative transport options including public transport
d. the lack of filtering in the proposed exhaust stacks
e. significant and devastating loss of public open space and future open space, loss of sporting facilities, loss of trees and canopy, loss of stormwater harvesting and water treatment infrastructure
f. significant adverse impacts on public health and wellbeing, particularly on schools, school children and residents
g. devastating environmental impacts on waterways, reserves, flora and fauna
h. inappropriate and untested mitigation measures
i. significant adverse impacts on aboriginal heritage and maritime environment
j. the substantial increase in traffic flows through arterial and surface roads in the North Sydney CBD, including Berry Street and Miller Place, and LGA more generally. 

2. THAT Council continue and escalate the current campaign informed by the position set out in Part 1 above.