WestConnex New M5 submissions made publicly available

The Department of Planning and Environment today published all public submissions and the Response to Submissions received during public consultation for the WestConnex New M5 application.

A Department spokesperson said consultation with the community is integral to the assessment of major projects.

“The Department received 12,866 submissions including duplicates for this application and has made these available on the Major Projects website,” a spokesperson from the Department said.

“A number of submissions were received multiple times due to either a systems error or people submitting more than one.

“The Department undertook a thorough audit of all submissions to identify and categorise the information for assessment.

“The Response to Submissions (RTS) from the applicant has also been published.

“The proponent is required to respond to all the issues raised by the community in submissions and the Department will now take community’s views and this response into consideration while finalising its assessment.

“Proposals are thoroughly assessed by the Department against clear, consistent rules and policies, which are the same for every applicant.

“No decision has been made on this project at this stage.”

In response to the large amount of submissions for this application and to increase transparency, the Department has changed the way it has presented the submissions on the Major Projects website.

This is to ensure information can be easily accessed by members of the public. Written instructions have been provided as a guide.

To access the submissions and the Response to Submissions visit the Major Projects website .