WestConnex M4-M5 tunnel update

M4-M5 Tunnel Route

This is the M4-M5 tunnel route map which allows you to zoom into your street address and see whether tunnelling will occur under your property and what the proposed depth of the tunnel will be. Just hold your mouse over your location and you will see the information appear in a pop out box.

Sub-Stratum Acquisitions

If your home is directly above the tunnel route, the Government will compulsorily acquire the land underneath the property. You will be sent a Property Acquisition Notice (PAN) under the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991 before any tunnelling commences. This compulsory acquisition does not prevent a property owner from selling/buying/re-mortgaging their property.

You can contact RMS for more information about substratum acquisitions by calling (02) 8849 2308 during working hours.

Property precondition assessments 

If your home is above or within 50 metres from the proposed tunnel, you should receive an offer for a free property pre and post condition assessment from the RMS. 

Independent Property Impact Assessment Panel

This panel is responsible for independently reviewing condition reports, resolution of property damage disputes and the establishment of ongoing settlement and vibration monitoring requirements. Either party can refer a dispute to the Panel with all costs borne by the RMS. For information on this panel contact RMS. 

WestConnex Community Reference Groups

Local community members can have issues raised via the WestConnex Community Reference Group and the Inner West Council's WestConnex Community Liaison Forum meetings. You can contact the Inner West Council for more information on these groups. 

Community groups such as the WestConnex Action Group, Newtown Residents Against WestConnex, Leichhardt Against WestConnex and Rozelle Against WestConnex also provide information about local campaigns and developments. 

How to complain

• Contact WestConnex for general information and the complaint line - 1800 660 248
• Contact the NSW Environment Protection Authority about out-of-hours works, noise, dust, fumes, odour or any form of pollution.
• Contact the Department of Planning, Industry & Environment's WestConnex Compliance Officer about construction work, workers, traffic or pedestrian changes - 1300 305 695.

The Greens are calling for

• The redirection of funding from WestConnex and the M4-M5 Tunnel and Rozelle Interchange into world class public transport
• Deeper tunnelling
• Expansion of the zone of influence to 250m
• Vibration monitoring at homes within the zone of influence
• Deployment of ground movement detection and satellite technology to confirm causation of property damage
• Commitment to compensating property owners for compulsory underground acquisitions

Additionally here are some of my speeches in parliament about WestConnex and these are a range of Questions on Notice on WestConnex that our office has submitted over the years. The Greens in the NSW parliament succeeded in establishing an Inquiry into WestConnex and the Findings and Recommendations of this NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into the Impact of WestConnex are here. Further information is available via our Stop WestConnex website.

Please feel free to contact our office via email [email protected] or phone us on 95172800 should you require any further information on the impact of WestConnex.

Community Impact

In December 2018 details of the latest WestConnex M4-M5 route and tunnel depths were published on an interactive map which showed a large number of locations where the proposed tunnel depths would be far shallower than previously indicated. 

Depths of between 16-25 metres under many residential streets in St Peters, Camperdown, Annandale and Leichhardt are unacceptable given the severe impacts which have already been seen on homes in other areas at deeper tunneling depths. 

The Greens and affected community members are calling for the following: 

• Scrap WestConnex and redirect money into public transport
• Deeper tunnelling
• Community representative on the RMS damage assessment panel
• Expand the zone of influence to 250m
• Vibration monitoring at homes within zone of influence
• Deploy ground movement detection technology to confirm causation of property damage
• Commit to compensating property owners for compulsory underground acquisitions
  
  

Our office wrote to the Premier,  Planning Minister Roberts and WestConnex Minister Ayres in December alerting them to the unacceptable tunnel depths and lack of consultation on the new route and the shallow tunnel depths and called on them to ensure that the new plans were considered properly.  The response we received in February is unsatisfactory and did not address the issues our office raised in relation to the changed tunnel depths.

You can take action and call on the Premier to act to ensure that the proposed tunnel depths through Leichhardt, Annandale, Stanmore, Camperdown,Newtown and St Peters are reconsidered as a matter of urgency and that the community is given a formal opportunity to respond to these tunnel depths as well as the new route.

You can download a hard copy of this letter and share it with your neighbours.