Eastern Creek Precast Facilities REF Vol 1
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Sydney Metro West Eastern Creek Precast Facilities Review of Environmental Factors Volume 1 Main Document and Appendix A November 2020 Cover: A precast facility used on the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project. Executive summary Sydney Metro is proposing to construct and operate two adjacent precast facilities to support the construction of the proposed Sydney Metro West. The proposal is located in Eastern Creek within the Blacktown City Council local government area. The proposal would be located on Lenore Drive, Eastern Creek (the proposal site). Sydney Metro West would connect Greater Parramatta with the Sydney CBD (central business district), and involve the construction and operation of around 24 kilometres of twin tunnels, between Westmead and Sydney CBD. The precast facilities which are the subject of this proposal would manufacture precast concrete segments for the purpose of lining the Sydney Metro West tunnels. The precast facilities would be able to be operated independently of each other. It has been identified through detailed construction planning that additional precast facilities would be required to enable the efficient delivery of Sydney Metro West (including the section from The Bays to the Sydney CBD). Due to the scale of Sydney Metro West, the tunnelling and station excavation works have been separated into geographically-specific contract packages between Westmead and the Sydney CBD. Based on the delivery strategy for Sydney Metro West, multiple tunnelling packages would be in delivery at the same time and separate precast facilities would be required for each tunnelling contractor. Additional precast capacity at the proposal site would provide the ability to align the production of precast segments with the delivery strategy, while supporting multiple tunnelling contractors concurrently. The proposal would create around 120 jobs during construction and around 120 jobs during operation of the proposal. Sydney Metro, a NSW Government agency, is the proponent and determining authority for this proposal under Part 5, Division 5.1 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act). The purpose of this Review of Environmental Factors (REF) is to describe the proposal, to document potential impacts of the proposal on the environment, and to detail mitigation measures to be implemented. Description of the proposal The proposal would comprise the following key features and activities: • Site establishment at the proposal site at Eastern Creek including vegetation clearing, remediation, and earthworks • The establishment and operation of two separate and adjacent precast facilities on the proposal site, the northern and southern precast facilities. Each precast facility would include: • A precast yard including a shed for construction of precast concrete segments and storage laydown areas • Boiler, aggregate bins and consumables • Office facilities • On-site parking for up to 60 light vehicles • Internal roads (one lane in each direction) with entrances to each facility from the Western Access Road located between the northern and southern precast facilities (external roads would be subject to separate approvals). Sydney Metro is working with Transport for NSW to provide access to the proposal site from Lenore Drive, via a new section of Archbold Road and a Western Access Road between the northern and southern precast sites. An Addendum to the Archbold Road Upgrade and Extension REF (Transport for NSW, 2017) details this work and is subject to determination by Transport for NSW. As a result, the proposal does not include any external road works. Further extensions to Archbold Road would be completed at a later stage • Ancillary supporting infrastructure, including utilities installation (power, water, sewerage, gas and communications), lighting, signage and landscaping. The facilities would operate concurrently, 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the majority of the lifespan of the project. The proposal would be temporary, operating for an approximate timeframe of four to five years, subject to the delivery strategy and construction program for Sydney Metro West. The proposal site would be subdivided to create two separate lots, one for each precast facility. A small portion located in the south-west section of the proposal site at Eastern Creek would be conserved as an environmental protection area associated with the presence of Cumberland Plain Woodland and Shale-Gravel Transition Forest. Vegetation within this area would be retained and protected during construction and operation of the proposal. Sydney Metro West Eastern Creek Precast Facilities | Review of Environmental Factors i Executive Summary Key features of the proposal are shown in Figure 0-1. Figure 0‑1: Indicative site layout Need for the proposal Sydney Metro West would involve the construction and operation of a metro rail line between Westmead and Sydney CBD, including about 24 kilometres of underground twin tunnels. These tunnels would be lined with precast concrete segments which are erected by tunnel boring machines as they move forward. The need for Sydney Metro West is detailed in the Sydney Metro West Westmead to The Bays and Sydney CBD – Environmental Impact Statement (Sydney Metro, 2020a). Stage 1 of the works for Sydney Metro West includes the tunnel and station excavation works from Westmead to The Bays. Future stage(s) of works, including tunnel excavation between The Bays and Sydney CBD, would be subject to future Environmental Impact Statement(s). While the design of major civil elements between Westmead and The Bays is well progressed, further planning is underway on elements such as tunnel alignment east of The Bays and through the complex Sydney CBD, and the overall delivery strategy for Sydney Metro West. It has been identified through detailed construction planning that additional precast facilities would be required to enable the efficient delivery of Sydney Metro West (including the section from The Bays to the Sydney CBD). Due to the scale of Sydney Metro West, the tunnelling and station excavation works have been separated into geographically-specific contract packages between Westmead and the Sydney CBD. Based on the delivery strategy for Sydney Metro West, multiple tunnelling packages would be in delivery at the same time and separate precast facilities would be required for each tunnelling contractor. ii Sydney Metro West Eastern Creek Precast Facilities | Review of Environmental Factors Executive Summary The precast facility at the Clyde stabling and maintenance facility construction site proposed as part of Stage 1 of the works for Sydney Metro West would not provide sufficient space or be able to meet the productivity requirements to support the Sydney Metro West delivery strategy. Furthermore, while tunnelling works are still underway, the precast facility at Clyde would need to be decommissioned for the land to support future construction activities, including fit out of the tunnels. Additional precast capacity would provide the ability to align the production of precast segments with the delivery strategy, while supporting multiple tunnelling contractors concurrently. Precast facilities separate from the Clyde site would also be able to be used over the entire duration of Sydney Metro West tunnelling works, as they would not be required to be decommissioned to allow future construction activities to commence. Options considered Options considered to provide precast segments for Sydney Metro West included a ‘do nothing’ option, the establishment of additional precast capacity within or adjacent to proposed Sydney Metro West construction sites, or the option of establishing and operating additional precast facilities at a new location. The ‘do nothing’ option would not support the efficient delivery of construction works. The establishment of additional precast capacity within or adjacent to Sydney Metro West construction sites would require additional property acquisition, likely to be the acquisition of private residential, commercial or industrial land. Constructing and operating additional precast facilities in a new location would allow the selection of a site with sufficient size to establish two standalone precast facilities, to meet precast segment production requirements for Sydney Metro West. This option would ensure Sydney Metro West has the capacity to meet the precast segment production requirements identified during the detailed construction planning phase of the project. This option would also minimise the need for private property acquisition as it would allow for the selection of government owned land for the proposal site. Undertaking the proposal was identified as the preferred option, and is the subject of this REF. Statutory considerations The EP&A Act provides for the environmental assessment of development in NSW. Part 5, Division 5.1 of the EP&A Act generally specifies the environmental impact assessment requirements for activities carried out by public authorities, such as Sydney Metro, which do not require development consent. The proposal is categorised as a temporary facility, operating for an indicative timeframe of four to five years, for the management of railway construction (the construction of Sydney Metro West) that is in a rail corridor, pursuant to clause 79 clause 2(a)(v) of State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) 2007 (ISEPP). Under clause 78, the proposal site is considered a rail corridor as it is land owned by a public authority (Sydney