Our Objectives
Our Objectives
(a) To seek the installation and operation of air pollution treatment systems in the M5 East tunnel, and any other effective methods of reducing the impact of air pollution and stacks on the local area
(b) To seek fair and equitable infrastructure planning and pollution assessment processes and regulations.
(c) To support ecological sustainability in all projects affecting the local area.
(d) To share information, and offer advice and assistance to individuals and groups with similar objectives.
(e) To disseminate information to the public on issues related to urban air pollution and planning.
We are not against the M5E road tunnel, but we have very serious concerns about the pollution, and real health risks associated with the single exhaust emission stack.
The single smoke stack sits at the bottom of a valley, right next to precious bushland that was last year declared a Regional Park At 35metres high, . the stack will be below, or just at the height of hundreds of homes in Earlwood, Turrella, and Arncliffe. It is situated only metres away from homes in Turrella, and a so called industrial area of 200X300 Metres, much of which is now being redeveloped into housing.
There has been no EIS on this single stack proposal, we believe it has been a political rather than an engineering design decision. The smoke stack will not be filtered and its concentrated pollutants will have long term health effects in this area putting even more pressure on our already poor air quality, and very stretched health system, yet we know there are better ways of doing this. The RTA has claimed that this stack will be world's best practice. The fact is that by putting it in an urban area, concentrating all the emissions and not filtering them, it is in fact third world practice. Other countries such as Norway and Japan can manage to build roadways without stacks at all, why can't we ??
And what about the risk factor for those using the tunnel? With one intake vent
and one exhaust stack, the tunnel is likely to be a real safety risk, as tragic accidents in Austrian and Swiss tunnels have shown.
R.A.P.S. is made of up people from people in affected areas such as Earlwood, Turrella, Bardwell Park, Arncliffe, and Marrickville, and we are about saving our health, and that of our families. We want to enjoy our environment with our friends and families without fear of sickness. We want to look out our windows and enjoy the valley for its beauty without a constant smoke halo and a noisy hum hanging over it. .
We want to know that our property values are going to remain as they are now. All we want are the same rights to life, lifestyle, and livelihood as the rest of Sydney, and we will continue to fight on until our rights as a community are respected and met. This is not just a local issue, if the government can change local planning dramatically without consultation or regard for people's health and property values here, It can happen anywhere!!