29°C | Sunday October 12, 2025 
State member for Willoughby Tim James has come out against his own government’s road tunnel plans in a major concession to critics of their environmental effects.
James said late last week that: “The Willoughby community and I cannot support the proposed Beaches Link Tunnel in its current form.”
In a statement to the parliament, he said: “This is not about us opposing a project to minimise our personal inconvenience, but rather a community with real and valid concerns in relation to major infrastructure and expenditure. I have advocated for Beaches Link to be put on hold to give more time to consult, amend and get the project right if it is to proceed.”
He said that with Beaches Link now on an effective pause and approval not imminent, we have the time and opportunity to review and refine details to ensure any proposal works for the local area and that local views and concerns are addressed.
“There needs to be a reassessment of Beaches Link, including new modelling, the sharing of the business case, and a refreshed round of consultation to better engage the community,” he said. There are “many reasons to deliver substantial infrastructure improvements to our roads network, including materially improved travel times, road safety and enhancement to local amenity.
However, we must ensure that all costs and consequences have been thoroughly considered and addressed.:
He said the proposed use of land within Flat Rock Gully in Northbridge for a dive site for Beaches Link was unacceptable to the community and an alternative option, if at all needed, must be found. He also called for filtration of ventilation outlets in Cammeray. “I’m advised that filtration would be about $50 million per outlet and in the overall project cost this is minor yet very material to our community,” he said.
In regard to the loss of trees at Cammeray Park, he said: “Whilst the current situation is mostly temporary, there is a need to ensure the rehabilitation of the park as soon as practicable and ensure the planting of two trees for every one tree removed within a 500 metre radius and with mature suitable local specimens.”
He said the facilities buildings adjacent to the freeway should be underground to return as much green space as possible. “I have raised this with the premier, among others in government, and said that if it’s good enough for WestConnex, so it is for Willoughby,” he said. “Community engagement and consultation over the future vision for Cammeray Park needs to begin now, not next year. I’ve called for the place, design and landscape plan to be brought forward to give the community urgent clarity and a say on the future of the site, including the extensive green space and tree planting to come.”
He also wants a review of the proposed impacts on local roads and early delivery of improvements to impacted local roads as well as a study on improving public transport and active transport accessibility across the Willoughby electorate, including fully considering the option of a metro rail alternative to the Beaches Link Tunnel.