After inflicting eight months of dust, noise and odours on St Peters, WestCCONnex has given its residents only 3 days’ notice that excavation works will continue next to their homes from 8am to 10pm on Saturdays, and 8am to 6pm on Sundays, for 3 weekends in a row, with no break at all for 18 days.
It was only this Tuesday 25 July that a Work Notification was posted on the WestCONnex website, advising that 20 hours of major excavation works are to be done on 3 consecutive weekends in the St Peters residential area. Equipment to be used includes excavators, compactors, concrete saws, vacuum trucks and rock breakers.
However, residents were not provided with a copy of the notification, instead being letter boxed with a notice that 3 information sessions (1pm, 5:30pm, 7pm) would be held the next day, Wednesday 26 July, at which "...the project team will update residents about upcoming construction work on Campbell Street/Road and surrounding side streets." No information was provided about what that work would be or when it would be done.
Tamara Regan, who lives with her family next to the construction site, said: “At the meeting we were told by the New M5 construction joint venture, CPB Contractors, that they would be digging up utility, gas, water pipes for the next 18 days straight, including every weekend for the next 3 weeks, from 8am until 10pm on Saturdays and 6pm on Sundays.”
“I don’t know how much more of this we can take. We’ve had demolition dust, noise and vibrations for more than six months, trucks idling outside our house at nights, the sickening odour from the old landfill site and now they want to work all day every day for the next 3 weeks. We got 3 days’ notice and they didn’t offer residents any alternative accommodation”
“Only 2 weekends ago, WestCONnex worked until 10pm on Saturday having started at 7am, even though they were supposed to finish at 6pm.”
“St Peters is a densely populated area with lots of young families, and people who work from home. Residents have complained over and over again, but they take no notice.” said Ms Reagan.
“Sydney Motorway Corporation and CPB have continued to ignore the impact of WestCONnex construction on a community that have been living with it all this year. Three weeks on-stop construction is cruel. Residents were told to expect work Monday to Friday and Saturday morning. We can't see any justification for subjecting residents to even more health risks” said WAG spokesperson Janet Dandy-Ward.
“It is completely unacceptable for the NSW government to subject residents to non-stop construction. How would Premier Gladys Berejiklian like to be given three days notice that 18 days of excavation would happen non stop outside her house? If WestCONnex can’t be built without torturing residents, and putting their health at risk, then it shouldn’t be built at all. That’s why we are calling for halt to these works and demanding that the Premier tep in to protect residents and order an independent review of WestCONex,” said Ms Dandy-Ward.
Contacts: Janet Dandy-Ward 0411 633 676; Tamara Regan 0413 056 655