R
A P S
> Residents Against
Polluting Stacks Sydney Australia
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http://www.nostack.8m.com
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nEWS........nEWS........nEWS........nEWS........nEWS........nEWS.....
SUBSCRIBE to this e - letter, and CONTACT RAPS here
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+ RTA DERAILS M5 EAST AIR QUALITY
COMMUNITY LIAISON COMMITTEE AND REFUSES TO ANSWER VITAL QUESTIONS
+ ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENDER’S OFFICE ALERTS
GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS OF POTENTIAL BREACHES
+ QUEUES AND TRAFFIC FINES BUILD UP AT
M5 EAST TUNNEL AS RTA TRIES TO DEAL WITH TRAFFIC AND POLLUTION OVERLOAD
+ MINISTER SCULLY ANNOUNCES M4 EAST AND
ANOTHER REVIEW OF TUNNEL FILTRATION
+ INNER-WEST RESIDENTS AND COUNCILS
FUMING AT M4 EAST OPTIONS
+ M4 EAST PUBLIC MEETINGS AT LEICHHARDT
(16th Feb) AND CANADA BAY (26th Feb)
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Following months of avoiding giving straight answers to key questions on air quality issues, the RTA started the first 2004 M5 East Air Quality Community Liaison Committee by refusing to “comment in any way” on key issues such as pollution levels, stack and portal emissions, the inadequate complaints handling process and the refusal of the RTA to put up warning signs for drivers.
The excuse this time was the announcement that the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources had (finally!) decided to do its job and carry out a compliance audit.
Read the RTA’s statement
here:
What other business, let alone a government department, pulls down its shutters on customers and stakeholders just because it is being audited? What does the RTA have to hide?
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+ ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENDER’S OFFICE ALERTS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS OF POTENTIAL BREACHES
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The EDO has
written to the RTA, DIPNR and the EPA alerting them to potential breaches of
conditions of approval relating to air quality and complaints handling. EDO and
RAPS have had productive meetings with DIPNR and the EPA, and received a
disappointing letter from the RTA’s solicitors, Clayton Utz. The EDO is
continuing to assist RAPS reach a constructive resolution.
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Unable to cope with traffic and pollution overload in the M5 East tunnel, the RTA has this week introduced ramp metering at the Kingsgrove entrance to the tunnel. Only the front car in the queue can go when the light turns green! The new rule is expected to add to congestion in Kingsgrove Road, which is already packed at peak hours.
Read the RTA notice here….
Most
drivers don’t realise that the RTA regularly reduce speed limits and close
lanes to manage pollution levels inside the tunnel.
Variable
speed signs and lane closures without apparent reason are leaving many
confused, and sometimes a lot poorer and crankier. Read
a letter from disgruntled driver fined $760 for driving at 77kphr at
11.15pm who would like to hear from others affected.
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On 16th
December, Min. Scully’s announcement of the proposed M4 East was upstaged by
chaos in the M5East leading to its closure.
Instead of an easy
interview on 2UE, there was lively and spirited discussion about the hazards of
pollution from road tunnels, the availability of filtration systems and
government spin doctoring.
Min Scully also
announced he’d asked for another review of tunnel filtration systems, “having
become apprehensive about accepting RTA advice” and found that experience in
Japan with filtration was “leading edge” and “promising”. He expected to make a
decision after the end of January.
Challenged by Prue
McSweeny and John Mangos, Min Scully tried to pass complaints about the tunnel
as coming from “activists”. This may be in line with the RTA’s spin doctoring,
but not the confidential Health Department reports of “prima facie evidence of
adverse health effects”.
Hear the
full interview,
followed by a stack of “wound up” callers: http://www.raps.bur.st/20031216/index.html
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December
seems to be the RTA’s favourite month for dumping bad news on residents. This
time it was its three options for the M4 East- a short tunnel, a long tunnel
and a slot road starting at Concord and running East either to
Haberfield/Ashfield, or onto Lilyfield, with TWO or FOUR unfiltered stacks,
locations unknown!
People
from Ashfield, Leichhardt, Canada Bay, Strathfield, Burwood and Marrickville
council areas will be dramatically affected by extra pollution and traffic,
with RTA predictions of a doubling in road and air traffic in the Inner-West
over the next few years, with the expansion of Port Botany, the airport and
South Sydney.
The
three RTA options have so far been soundly rejected by Ashfield, Leichhardt,
Canada Bay, Strathfield and Burwood councils, with calls for an extension of
time for submissions and more information. After a lot of pressure, the RTA has
agreed to extend the submissions date to April 1.
At an overflowing meeting of around 1000 people in Ashfield, where the RTA did not deem it “productive” to attend (familiar, eh?), Ashfield council voted that the only option it would support going to an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) stage is a 'long' filtered tunnel without a portal on Parramatta Road.
An M4 East Tunnel Action grouped has formed to fight for more sensible options.
Media articles and releases here:
02.02.2004 - Plan shrouded in secrecy. (Inner
West Courier)
04.04.04
Tunnel vision stirs anger (The Glebe and Inner Western Weekly)
Feb 2004. "It stinks" (Village Voice)http://www.villagevoice.com.au/index.htm
M4 East Tunnel Action Group Media release
See www.rta.nsw.gov.au/m4east for full details of the M4 East options. How can the public trust the RTA to build more unfiltered tunnels and toxic stacks given the daily mess and problems of the M5 East?!
Please make a submission and encourage family and friends in the area to contact their local member and attend public meetings.
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Leichhardt
Council M4 East Public Meeting Monday 16th February 2004 at 6.30pm,
Leichhardt Town Hall, Norton and Marion Sts Leichhardt.
Canada
Bay Council M4 East Public Meeting Thursday 26th February 2004 at
6.30pm, Concord RSL, Nirranda St, Concord West.
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RAPS Inc is an incorporated community group representing residents affected
by the M5 East Stack at Turrella in Sydney's inner west. We meet every second
Tuesday night at Earlwood Bowling Club, Doris Ave Earlwood NSW.
RAPS Inc is a member of GASP, Groups Against Stack Pollution,
a coalition of groups with similar aims and objectives affected by similar
stacks from around Sydney's planned Cross City and Lane Cove tunnels.
tel: (AUS) 02 9558 8863, 02 9559
1278
email: raps@cominc.com.au
web: http://nostack.8m.com/
Our email list is maintained in confidence at the sending address only. To
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