Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc.

Action for Public Transport is a transport consumer group, operating around Sydney. Our funds derive from membership fees. Our members are users and beneficiaries of public transport.

We object to the proposal.

The chequered history of toll tunnels in Sydney and Brisbane shows clearly that they are very costly to build. Funding them by toll collections seems to be quite difficult, requiring tolls which are so high that many motorists avoid the route even if free alternative routes are made less attractive somehow. Because of this, tunnels like the proposed NorthConnex should be evaluated very carefully.

In this case, relatively small numbers of vehicles are expected to use the NorthConnex tunnel. Note that several recent cases highlight the risk of overstating expected road tunnel traffic, so we cannot assume that large volumes of traffic would be attracted to use NorthConnex.

Unfortunately, the purported justification in Chapter 11 of the EIS is devoid of any quantitative detail. In particular, there is no analysis given to justify the $810 million offered by the NSW and federal governments, making one wonder why the governments don't seek better use of the money. Worse, the EIS contains patently false claims such as that the proposed tunnel would assist in the development of public transport. Rather, it will encourage the peak-hour motorist.

We urge that this project be suspended unless and until proper justification is produced. If the aim is to reduce congestion, spend the money on public transport rather than on expanding urban highways.


Jim Donovan
Secretary
Action for Public Transport (NSW)
jimd@aptnsw.org.au
0428-609-208