NWRL and Richmond Airport

An article in the Daily Telegraph on 11 November discusses a study into the use of Richmond Airport for civilian operations to assist with congestion at Kingsford Smith airport.  It includes the statement "passengers could get to Parramatta twenty minutes quicker from Badgery's creek than from the Richmond air base".  But if Richmond is to serve as a secondary airport to Sydney airport many of the people using Richmond would want to get quickly to Sydney airport, not Parramatta.

Did the study consider the effect of the North West Rail Link on the viability of Richmond?  If the NWRL was extended to Richmond, the viability of Richmond as a local hub airline would improve dramatically.

At present the NWRL is to stop at Rouse Hill, 20km short.  But an extension to take it on to Richmond, above ground the whole way, would be relatively cheap to build, especially if built as part of the existing 24km build programme, most of which is underground.  However you could not expect tired airline passengers to stand all the way between Sydney and Richmond.  So the viability of this extension is called into question by the NSW government's plan to build a metro style train, or specifically to build the tunnels with too small diameter to service full size passenger trains if Richmond does become a commercial airport.

Another argument against the Mickey Mouse Railway!

NWRL Changes

At a meeting of most of the Trust Committee yesterday the following issues were agreed to be most significant in relation to the downgrading of the NWRL to metro size tunnels and trains.

a. No planning approval has been granted for the changes.

b. Key data in relation to the volume of passengers was reduced without changes made to the business case. The economic evaluation was never redone.

c. The project team did not resubmit the metro proposal to the government for approval after the changes were made

d. It appears that at least one person was requested to fudge figures for metro operation to make metro trains seem viable.

 

Radio Towers at Beecroft and Cheltenham

Cheltenham residents have alerted the Trust to the above proposals, outlined below.  The above rail radio network is being upgraded across the whole metropolitan area, as a response to the 2003 Waterfall Rail accident Commission of Enquiry. 

See the main 2119.org.au website for details

F3-M2 Tunnel Project

Information pamphlets have been sent out by Roads and Maritime Services.

The proposal is for twin tunnels each two lane with provision for future widening to three lanes.

Community Information events are being held in Turramurra on 22 October, Muirfield Golf Club Barclay Road North Rocks on 23 October, and Hornsby War Memorial Hall 2 High Street Hornsby on 24 October, all from 6:30pm to 8pm.

Further information is available at www.rms.nsw.gov.au/f3tom2.

This blog will update as more information becomes available.

Beecroft Forum

Guest Speaker for the next Beecroft Forum Dinner is Professor Tim McCormack, Professor of Law at University of Melbourne, and Special Adviser on International Humanitarian Law to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. 

 

Date:               Thursday 7 November

Venue:             Pennant Hills Golf Club, Copeland Road, Beecroft

Time:               7.00pm for 7.30pm

Cost:                $50 per adult

Payment:         Cheques to “MIAT” and mailed to 52 Hannah Street, Beecroft 2119

Electronic:       Commbank Account Name MIAT – BSB 062 113 – Account 10132308 – please remember to give your name as the reference.

ETTT Meeting with the BCCT Committee

Three representatives of the ETTT attended before last night's BCCT committee meeting and the following issues were discussed.

1. Trust is very concerned by ETTT’s recent extreme tree and habitat clearance along rail corridor;
2. Trust Arborist presented ETTT reps with professional report on how to save historic 100 year old Bunya pines opposite Beecroft Station
3. Need for an Arborist to be part of ETTT team
4. Trust Architect noted it is also essential to avoid the shotcrete walls – like that South of Eastwood Station
5. Shotcrete walls are subject to graffiti – gabion walls are not
6. Gabion walls would save long term maintenance
7. Trust Doctor noted need for integrity of process to be transparent, engaged and environmentally-cognisant
8. Trust Architect and Arborist pointed to suitability of gabion walling to preserve above pines (recent example RTA at Wentworth Falls – road and rail)
9. One metre clearance from catch drain on walls could be obviated by gabion walling in station precinct
10. James is being assailed by NTTAG misinformation
11. No Beecroft lift proposed – new ‘old bricks’ wing walls at western end of pedestrian underpass at Beecroft Station
12. Trust Architect requested definite lines of fencing along the section of work between Copeland Road and Chapman Avenue
13. Fence planting of vines like Kennedia (Tennis Club)
14. Trust to take photos of playground in use by locals
15. Engineering design / AECOM urban design team – under ETTT supervision
16. April 2013 consultations undertook to respect the cultural plantings
17. Sydney Blue-gum high forest offset plantings – to be finalised 12 months after Office of Env & Heritage approval – website has Bio-baking ratios.
18. Hornsby Shire Council is yet to look at local sites for Bio-banking
19. Electrical stanchions [1500vDC] will not impact wall and environment set-backs
20. How to better address notable recent loss of vegetation and its effective restoration
21. Site management has been severely lacking – the ETTT Lawson team should enhance restoration
22. Revamped Wongala Crescent car-park needs to be IN at top and OUT at bottom for better local traffic flows
23. Trust Doctor provided a report to the ETTT team on the local habitat of the rare and endangered Gang-Gang cockatoo.
24. Beecroft Cheltenham History Group website is www.bchg.org.au

Beecroft Shopping Centre Development

The developers who had been trying to buy up all the properties in the Arcade, in order to develop them as five storey mixed developments, have sent a letter saying that insufficient parties have signed up so they have withdrawn their offer to purchase.

Meanwhile nothing more has been heard of the parallel Module development, whose DA is with Hornsby Shire Council.