West The Bays road relocation works Review of Environmental Factors 2020 Cover: Aerial photo of The Bays, Sydney. Executive summary Sydney Metro is proposing to configure the internal port road network at Rozelle in order to facilitate the orderly urban renewal of the Bays West area while maintaining access to the White Bay Cruise Terminal and other port operations at Glebe Island and White Bay. This includes long-term urban renewal initiatives for the Bays West area and works for various future developments within the locality, including critical works for the proposed Sydney Metro West. The proposal also provides the opportunity to improve road safety by reducing conflicting traffic movements along the internal port road network. The Bays has been identified as a location for a future metro station as part of the proposed Sydney Metro West. The proposed station is one of the first major infrastructure projects required to facilitate the long term urban renewal of the Bays West area. As such, Sydney Metro as the proponent is progressing the necessary road network changes to Port Access Road, Sommerville Road and Solomons Way. Sydney Metro, a NSW Government agency, is the proponent and a 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 be completed in two phases and would comprise the following key activities: • Reconfiguration of the intersection at Port Access Road / Sommerville Road / Solomons Way • Relocation of Port Access Road to the south-west • Line marking and signage at Port Access Road, Sommerville Road and Solomons Way to establish one-way flows and remove conflicting traffic movements • Relocation of Cement Australia Truck Parking Licenced Area to the north-east. The final network arrangement at the completion of the proposal is shown in Figure E-1. Figure E-1 The proposal, at completion Sydney Metro Review of Environmental Factors The Bays road relocation works | April 2020 i Need for the proposal Port Access Road, Sommerville Road and Solomons Way provide access to the White Bay Cruise Terminal and other port operations located in the Glebe Island and White Bay destinations. The current arrangement of the internal port road network results in conflicts between construction works proposed as part of the redevelopment of The Bays and ongoing port and maritime uses, including traffic associated with the White Bay Cruise Terminal. There are also several conflicting movements at the intersections of the Port Access Road / Sommerville Road / Solomons Way including heavy vehicles, buses and cars creating potential road safety risks. To allow the internal port road network to remain operational while facilitating the long term urban renewal of The Bays, adjustments to current arrangement of the Port Access Road, Sommerville Road and Solomons Way are required. This also provides the opportunity to reduce conflicting movements and improve road safety at various intersections within the proposal. As the proposed reconfigured intersection directly conflicts with the current location of the Cement Australia Truck Parking Licenced Area, this parking area would be relocated to facilitate these adjustments. Options considered Following the identification of impacts to Port Access Road associated with future works at The Bays, Sydney Metro considered options to minimise disruptions and ensure public safety. Two options were considered, including a ‘do nothing’ scenario or a relocation of the Port Access Road. If the proposed road works were not progressed, there would be conflicts between construction works as part of the redevelopment of The Bays and the need to maintain access to the White Bay Cruise Terminal and ongoing port operations. This would either impact the efficiency of future construction works or result in restricted access to the Cruise Terminal and ongoing port operations at Glebe Island and White Bay. Undertaking the proposed road works 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 development for the purpose of roads and road infrastructure facilities pursuant to clause 94 of State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) 2007 (ISEPP) and, as such, the proposal is permissible without consent. The proposal is not State significant infrastructure or State significant development and accordingly can be assessed under Division 5.1 of Part 5 of the EP&A Act. This REF has been prepared to assess the construction and operational environmental impacts of the proposal. The REF has been prepared in accordance with clause 228 of the Environment Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000 (the EP&A Regulation). In accordance with section 5.5 of the EP&A Act, Sydney Metro, as the proponent and determining authority, must examine and take into account to the fullest extent possible all matters affecting or likely to affect the environment by reason of the proposed activity. Chapter 7 of this REF presents the environmental impact assessment for the proposal, in accordance with these requirements. Community and stakeholder consultation Sydney Metro has prepared the proposal in consultation with Port Authority of NSW (who completed their own consultation with the White Bay Cruise Terminal operations and their tenants including Cement Australia, Gypsum Resources Australia and Sugar Australia), and has consulted relevant Transport for NSW projects including M4-M5 Link and Western Harbour Tunnel and Warringah Freeway Upgrade. Consultation with Inner West Council and Property NSW will occur during the exhibition of the REF as required under the ISEPP. ii Sydney Metro Review of Environmental Factors The Bays road relocation works | April 2020 Environmental impact assessment This REF assesses potential construction and operational environmental impacts of the proposal. The following key impacts have been identified should the proposal proceed: • Construction noise: Potential construction noise impacts associated with the proposal are predicted to generally be compliant or ‘minor’ for most of the works, however ‘moderate’ and ‘high’ impacts are predicted for a short duration during site clearing works. These works would be carried out during standard construction hours. • Construction vibration: Potential exceedances of the cosmetic damage screening criteria are predicted at two buildings at the former White Bay Power Station site and at the building nearest to the proposed works on the Cement Australia site. Vibration monitoring would be undertaken within close proximity to vibration sensitive buildings to check vibration levels do not exceed the appropriate thresholds. Where recent condition surveys are not available, condition surveys of buildings and structures may be required before and after the works would be carried out. • Non-Aboriginal heritage: The proposal has been assessed as potentially having a minor direct impact, minor indirect (visual) and potential indirect impact (due to construction vibration) on the State heritage listed White Bay Power Station. As the proposal enters the heritage curtilage listed on the State Heritage Register, it would be necessary to obtain a Section 57 exemption or a Section 60 permit from the Heritage Council of NSW (Heritage Council) or delegate (the Department of Premier and Cabinet (Heritage)) prior to works commencing within the heritage curtilage. The proposal may have minor direct and potential direct vibration impacts on the White Bay Power Station (Inlet) Canal, a Section 170 heritage item, depending on the relative depth of the item to the proposed works • Cumulative construction traffic: During the evening peak the road network is already operating at capacity and the cumulative impact of construction vehicles from nearby projects would potentially result in increased intersection delays and queue lengths at some locations. Consultation would be carried out with Transport for NSW including Transport Coordination and Port Authority of NSW to manage the potential road network impacts. An assessment of each of the above and other environmental issues is provided in Chapter 7 of this REF. Benefits of the proposal The proposal would provide social and economic benefits by maintaining safe and reliable road access to the White Bay Cruise Terminal and other port operations in the Glebe Island and White Bay destinations during future construction works associated with the development within the White Bay Power Station (and surrounds) destination. This would minimise disruptions to cruise passengers, cruise operations and other port/commercial operations and allow for efficient construction of various projects. The proposal would also improve road safety outcomes for users of the internal port road network by reducing conflicting movements. Environmental impacts as a result of the proposal would generally be minimal in nature. With the implementation of the proposed mitigation