Transport for NSW
M1 Pacific Motorway extension
to Raymond Terrace
Submissions Report | Project Update
June 2022
Artist's impression of Tomago interchange
About M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace
We have prepared a submissions report
The Australian and NSW governments have committed $2.1 that responds to the submissions received
billion to deliver the M1 Pacific Motorway extension to from the community, NSW Government
Raymond Terrace and Hexham Straight projects. The M1 agencies and local councils during the EIS
Motorway extension would boost the regional economy and exhibition period. The submissions report
improve connectivity, road transport efficiency and safety is now available on our interactive portal
for local and interstate motorists. and the Department of Planning and
Environment (DPE) Major Projects website.
The project addresses a key national motorway ‘missing link’
between Sydney and Brisbane as the existing M1 Pacific To read the submissions report please visit:
Motorway, New England Highway and Pacific Highway carry
some of the highest traffic volumes across the Hunter. DPE Major Projects website:
www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/
The M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace is major-projects/projects/
expected to support around 2,700 jobs during construction m1-pacific-motorway-extension-
and once complete, the extension would remove up to 25,000 raymond-terrace
vehicles a day from key congestion and merge points along
this corridor. The project would also save motorists between M1 Pacific Motorway extension to
seven and nine minutes of travel time during peak periods, Raymond Terrace interactive portal:
and would help keep freight, commuters and tourists moving. nswroads.work/m1rt
M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace 1
How you engaged with us on the EIS
The M1 Pacific Motorway extension to
Raymond Terrace Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) was on public exhibition
between Wednesday 28 July 2021 and
Tuesday 24 August 2021.
We carried out a range of consultation
activities to engage with you on the EIS,
encourage feedback and support the
submissions process.
We thank you for meeting our team,
engaging with us and providing your
valuable feedback. To protect the health
of the community and our staff, we were
unable to complete all of our planned
doorknocking activities and our
information sessions were held online
rather than face-to-face.
We thank you for your flexibility as
we adapted to the circumstances,
engaging in a COVID-19 environment.
Artist's impression of Old Punt Road at Tomago
Submissions Report More than
We appreciate and thank all stakeholders and 11,000
community members who provided a submission
on the M1 Pacific Motorway extension to
unique visitors and
Raymond Terrace EIS during the exhibition
period. We would also like to thank those of you
over
22,677 page views
who visited our interactive portal, called, emailed
on the interactive portal
and attended our virtual information sessions.
Reached
60,000
We received 58 submissions. Of these
over
submissions 37 were from members of the public,
10 were from organisations, and 11 were from
NSW Government agencies and local councils.
on social media
Email blasts to
We have prepared a submissions report to
1,500
@
respond to submissions received. The
submissions report also includes a number of
additional assessments of key environmental subscribers
impacts in response to community concerns
raised during the EIS. Over
1,167
Since the exhibition of the EIS, we have continued video views
to engage with the local community and key
stakeholders to help further minimise and Letterbox drops to
manage potential impacts of the project and
provide more comprehensive responses as part of 16,500 properties
the submissions report.
For more information, please refer to the
submissions report online. 3 virtual
information sessions
M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace 2
Key issues raised in Other* 10%
Design
and project
community submissions
development
32%
Urban design
Each submission on the EIS has been 2%
examined individually to understand the Climate
concerns raised. Where similar issues change 2%
have been raised in different submissions, Flooding 3%
only one response has been provided.
Consultation
4%
Key issues raised related to:
Noise 6%
biodiversity
project development and design Biodiversity
traffic and transport 20%
flooding Property 7%
noise
Traffic and
property impacts
transport
construction work. 14%
The key issues raised are broken down in
the following chart. For more information * Other includes Construction, Cumulative impacts, Aboriginal heritage, Soils and
on issues raised, please refer to Section A contamination, Air quality, Assessment process, Project alternatives, Socio-economic,
of the EIS submissions report. Surface and groundwater quality.
We have listened to your feedback and Changes since the EIS exhibition
made changes
Your feedback received during the EIS exhibition has
been used to further refine the project design and
Changes prior to the EIS exhibition
update environmental management measures. Further
design refinements outlined in the submissions report
We have carried out extensive community and
include but are not limited to:
stakeholder engagement since planning for the project
started in 2004. This consultation has included public Improving connectivity from the John Renshaw
displays, community feedback and ongoing stakeholder Drive/Weakleys Drive intersection
meetings to help identify the preferred route and We have improved the merge lane for traffic entering
develop a concept design. the motorway from the John Renshaw Drive/ Weakleys
Drive intersection extending it south by about 200
Since the release of the preferred route and concept metres. The merge lane extension includes minor
design in 2010, we have worked with the community and widening to the existing M1 Pacific Motorway
listened to better understand community concerns. southbound carriageway and replacement of the
existing adjacent noise wall at this location.
Your feedback was critical in helping us refine the
design and make a number of positive changes to the Developing an improved utility relocation plan that
project, which were presented in the EIS. These changes benefits the project and service providers
included We have refined our utility relocation strategy
following further consultation with service providers.
Improved direct access from the Pacific Highway into These refinements include grouping of utilities into
and out of the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens for multi-utility corridors that reduce impacts to the
motorists, pedestrians and cyclists environment, provide cost savings and improve
A centralised interchange located at Old Punt Road construction staging.
to improve connectivity, road transport efficiency and
Minimising flood impacts by refining ancillary
safety for all motorists, and minimise impact with the
facilities
proposed AGL Power Plant infrastructure project
Refinements to ancillary facilities and site access
Improved access to the northbound M1 Motorway have been made along the project corridor.
entry ramp at Tomago that allows motorists from Refinements include reducing the size of ancillary
Newcastle to access the M1 Motorway sooner. facilities to minimise flood and biodiversity impacts
during construction.
M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace 3
Improving cyclist connectivity have identified the opportunity for a staged opening of
We understand the importance of incorporating the project.
cyclist improvements to the design wherever
possible. Our refined design includes improvements By engaging two major construction partners under
to amenity at Tarro and Tomago, and will also provide two separate packages of work, motorists could access
connectivity for future cyclists using the proposed improved road networks earlier. The proposed two
Richmond Vale Rail Trail. packages of work include:
Implementing improved earthworks management 1. Southern package - Black Hill to Tomago
practices 2. Northern package - Heatherbrae bypass.
Refinements to earthworks management practices
have been made to improve materials handling, By carrying out this staged approach, the Northern
transport and usage along the project corridor. An package (Heatherbrae bypass) would have a shorter
earthworks borrow site (area where material has been construction duration and could be opened to traffic
dug for use at another location) would be established before the Southern package (Black Hill to Tomago).
near Black Hill to source and transport materials.
A temporary intersection at the tie-in point for the
Construction staging
Heatherbrae bypass has been designed to
As part of our ongoing consultation with potential accommodate the potential staged opening of the
construction partners and the wider community, we project.
Artist's impression of Masonite Road at Heatherbrae
Our commitment to you Pre-clearing surveys and appropriate fauna
handling measures will be implemented during
We know building a project of this scale and construction
significance does not occur without impact. Managing Installing fauna fencing along the project to
risks and reducing the impacts to the community is maintain and improve existing habitat connectivity
important to us. We will continue to work with you and and minimise traffic incidents
our key stakeholders to implement environmental Minimising vegetation removal during further
management measures to reduce impacts and refine design development and detailed construction
this city-shaping project. We remain committed to: planning, where possible
Protecting the environment Strict water quality discharge criteria will be
applied and appropriate erosion and sediment
Offsetting the removal of native vegetation and controls implemented for the project
potential fauna habitat, including koala habitat
Before we start major construction, a Construction
Installing wildlife crossings at the M1 Motorway,
Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) will be
Black Hill and at Old Punt Road to provide safe
developed to detail how the project will preserve,
crossing for animals and a safer journey for road
protect and manage any potential impact to the
users
M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace 4
local environment. The CEMP will be a working Managing noise
document, subject to ongoing changes and Using a range of measures to reduce construction
updated as necessary, to respond to specific noise at the source including installing hoardings
requirements or issues. and temporary noise barriers where appropriate,
⌂ Protecting your property and turning off machinery and equipment when not
in use
Designing the project to the highest standards to
minimise risks to your property Starting the at-property noise treatment process
early for eligible property owners, to reduce some
Offering free pre- and post-construction property
of the impacts of construction work
condition surveys to eligible properties in
accordance with environmental management Reducing the impact of operational traffic noise by
measures to enable us to monitor and, if required, including permanent noise walls and low noise
respond to any changes pavement, where appropriate
If any damage to your property is found to be
directly related to our project, the damage will be Working with the contractors to plan, coordinate
fixed at no cost to you. and stage noisy works to reduce impacts
Protecting heritage items Keeping you informed about the expected noise
impact from our work and how we will minimise it
Establishing exclusion zones around heritage items
and adjusting work methods as required to Identify further mitigation measures to minimise
minimise risk of impacts noise, and work with residents and businesses to
better understand and address your individual
Managing unexpected discoveries of any potential
circumstances.
archaeological or heritage items we find during
construction in accordance with standard
procedures Minimising our impact on traffic and
recreational users of the Hunter River
Using photographic and digital technologies to
Working closely with relevant stakeholders to
create archival recordings of key Aboriginal sites to
continue to identify opportunities to minimise the
ensure they are recorded for future generations.
impact of our work on land and along the Hunter
River and local waterways.
Managing health and safety
Implementing noise mitigation measures early
(road pavement treatments, noise barriers and/ or
Refining the project design
architectural treatments where necessary and Continuing to look for ways to reduce the impact of
appropriate) to address noise our work through further design development and the
construction planning phase of the project
Working closely with our contractor/s to ensure the
safety of our workers and community and Addressing key stakeholder concerns including
compliance with all relevant work health and reducing impacts during construction and minimising
safety requirements impacts to the local environment where possible.
Providing clear, timely and transparent
communications about upcoming work near you.
What we’ve been up to since
the EIS exhibition
The project team has been busy gathering information
about what's underground along the M1 Pacific
Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace corridor. For
an engineer to build a bridge that is safe and strong
they need to first find out what foundations the bridge
will be built on. This is why geotechnical investigations
are important. We extract rock and soil samples from
deep underground and design appropriate bridge piles
to sit the bridge upon. Follow NSW Transport on
Facebook to see clips of the team out in the field such
as our recent 77 metre drilling over water at Windeyers
Creek, Heatherbrae.
M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace 5
Ongoing investigations in your area
To help inform the ongoing design development of the project, we will continue to carry out investigations to record
the locations of utilities, test ground conditions, record and map the land and inspect existing infrastructure such as
bridges and pipes. Our teams will be getting in touch with residents who are near this work, but you can also refer to
our interactive portal to see if there are any investigations planned in your area.
Next steps
We have provided the submissions report to DPE to
help inform the Minister for Planning when making a Initial planning and investigations
2004 - 2007
decision on approval of the project.
Community consultation
We expect to have a decision on the project later this on the proposed upgrade | 2008
year. If approved, the project will be built and operated
in line with the conditions of approval set by the Community consultation on
Minister for Planning. the revised concept design | 2015
The contractor/s, once appointed, subject to project Community consultation
approval, will also be required to develop detailed on design changes | 2016
environmental management plans to minimise and
manage construction impacts. These plans will cover
noise and vibration, air quality, traffic and access,
Develop concept design and
environmental assessment | 2020
among others.
Environmental assessment
Ongoing community engagement
- EIS exhibition | 2021
We will work with the appointed contractor/s to provide
you with regular updates about our planned activities. WE
At this stage we will also be able to provide you with
more information on timing of key activities, details of
Respond to submissions | 2022 ARE
HERE
traffic changes and how impacts will be managed.
Planning approval
We are committed to continuing to work collaboratively
with our stakeholders and the community throughout
the project. Construction
Open to traffic | 2028
*Timing for construction has not been confirmed and is subject to approval and funding availability.
Contact us
For more information on the M1 extension to Raymond Terrace or to join Translating and
our mailing list (email or post), please contact our project team: interpreting service
If you need help
1800 094 895 (business hours) M1 to Raymond Terrace Project understanding this information,
Manager please contact the Translating and
m1rt@transport.nsw.gov.au
Locked Bag 2030, Interpreting Service on 131 450 and
nswroads.work/m1rt Newcastle NSW 2300 ask them to call us on 1800 094 895
22.077 | M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace Transport for NSW Project Update | June 2022
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with the Information Privacy Principles set out in the PPIP Act. All information in correspondence is collected for the sole purpose of assisting in
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unless a clear indication is given in the correspondence that all or part of that information is not to be published. Otherwise Transport will only
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M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace 6
