Frequently Asked Questions

The M12 Motorway forms part of the $4.4 billion Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan and is jointly funded on an 80:20 basis with the Federal Government committing over $1.6 billion and the NSW Government over $400 million.

Construction of the Central and West section on the M12 Motorway started in August 2022. Construction of the East (Elizabeth Drive Connection) started in August 2023.

The M12 Motorway is planned to be opened prior to the opening of the new Western Sydney International Airport in 2026.

The project has been split into three sections – East, West and Central. Following a comprehensive procurement process the Central and West sections have appointed two construction contractors Seymour Whyte (central) and CPB Georgiou Group Joint Venture (west) respectively. The East section will be delivered as part of the M7-M12 Integration project being managed by WSOCo who have engaged John Holland as the Design & Construct (D&C) Contractor.

The new M12 Motorway will be toll free.

Previous plans only allowed for access to the M12 from the east via the already tolled M7. Following community feedback a toll free connection between Elizabeth Drive (near the M7) and the M12 was developed. The Elizabeth Drive connection (to be delivered by WSO Co on behalf of Transport for NSW) will provide a toll-free connection from the M12 Motorway to and from Elizabeth Drive.

The M12 Motorway will be built as a dual-carriageway motorway with two lanes in each direction and a central median to separate opposing traffic flows. The project design accommodates for a future additional lane in each direction between the Western Sydney International Airport interchange and the M7 Motorway interchange.

The traffic assessment is not showing demand levels that warrant the additional lane to be implemented within ten years of the opening of the project. The addition of lanes would therefore be provided in the future, based on future demand, need and available funding.

The PDLP (Public Design Landscape Plan) forms part of the M12 Motorway project and is part of the Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan (WSIP) – a $4.4 billion road investment program jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments.

The PDLP illustrates how changes to the landscape will be designed in keeping with the cultural heritage of an area that has been part of the local Darug people and subsequent non-Aboriginal settlement. It will guide the implementation of landscape design that will be installed as part of the project including revegetation.

To learn more about the PDLP and what we heard, the Submissions Report is available at nswroads.work/m12motorway.

The M12 Motorway Place Design and Landscape Plan (PDLP) was put on public display and consultation between 1 and 28 November 2021 for four weeks. Key features include new pedestrian and cycling paths, along with themed public art, and over 73000 new trees.

21 pieces of feedback and submissions were received and a Submissions Report was developed in Q1 2022 along with the final PDLP.

Key features of the design include:

• a new shared pedestrian and cycling path, connecting the M7 Motorway, Western Sydney International Airport and the Northern Road

• interpretation nodes that incorporate Aboriginal interpretation design into the built landscape and interpretation of non-Aboriginal heritage at locations along the shared path

• planting to reflect the calendar of six seasons observed by many Aboriginal groups

• a new sculpture and landmark that celebrates the Darug Community’s sacred creation stories of the Great Emu constellation

• screens embedded with the Great Emu story to feature on six overpass bridges.

The design illustrated in the PDLP will be implemented during the construction of the M12 Motorway.

‘The Great Emu In The Sky’ sculpture is proposed as a 30m high structure.

Costs for public art are based on entire package of works, not individual pieces. Claims in the media regarding the scope and cost of the sculpture are speculation.

Transport for NSW engaged Balarinji, an Aboriginal design agency early on during the project to conduct a process to prepare conceptual design directions that would be underpinned by a locally endorsed Aboriginal narrative. These design directions were gathered through an inclusive consultation process with artists and knowledge holders who originate from or live and work in the Aboriginal community through which the project would run.

According to the Balarinji 'Aboriginal art strategy', there is a local Darug Dreaming Story which tells the story of Mariong (the Emu and Mother) and how she became the Milky Way. Mariong is sitting in the river, she stands up, shakes the water off her feathers and creates the stars, then becomes the Milky Way. Depicting this local Darug Dreaming story is the proposed 30m high Emu’s nest that acts a Welcome to Darug Country.

An interpretation node is a version on the community rest node that Aboriginal groups used to gather, rest and reflect. These nodes incorporate wayfinding and educational signage, artwork and indigenous planting reflecting the six Dharawal seasons. These nodes help elevate the shared path experience and future connections of the alignment.

All elements outlined in the PDLP form part of the overall M12 Motorways budget.

A new dedicated 16 kilometres off-road shared path will be provided alongside the M12 Motorway between The Northern Road and Western Sydney Parklands.

The shared path will travel through the Western Sydney Parklands and connect with the existing M7 shared path.

The M12 shared path has been designed to connect with existing and future shared user path networks. Connections are planned for Luddenham Road, Clifton Avenue, Salisbury Avenue, Elizabeth Drive, Range Road, Western Sydney Parklands and the M7.

The shared path will also include wayfinding and signage supporting indigenous and non-indigenous heritage information, including Aboriginal cultural design elements such as interpretation nodes, artworks, sculptures and cultural planting schemes.

The M12 Motorway project acknowledges that as part of construction, there will be impacts to existing vegetation including the removal of trees and endangered ecological communities (including Cumberland Plain Woodland) across the project footprint. Transport for NSW commenced a tree survey along the length of the M12 Motorway alignment early on during the project lifecycle to understand the number of trees to be removed, habitat features and their potential for re-use. A total of about eighty-one hectares of native vegetation would be impacted by the project.

• Approximately 18,500 native trees will be planted within the motorway corridor.

Background:

• ‘73,000 trees’ to be planted was previously used in the public domain. This was based on the removal of 36,908 trees across the alignment at a 2:1 ratio

• Following finalisation of the conditions of approval, it has been confirmed the 2:1 planting ratio only applies to 4795 trees. The remainder 32,113 trees to be removed fall under threatened ecological communities which are offset by the purchase of biodiversity credits.

A seed collection and propagation program is also being undertaken, which has been designed to ensure the project can plan for landscaping and vegetation early on. The seed collection and propagation program aims to maximise the number of indigenous plants from the seed of local species for use in revegetation.

This program started two years prior to construction commencing.

An overarching noise and vibration management plan has been prepared to help mitigate and manage impacts throughout construction.

The M12 Motorway and its contractors are subject to strict noise guidelines and criteria as part of the conditions of approval and environmental protection licenses.

Transport for NSW recognises the impacts of road traffic noise on the community and has engaged with eligible properties along the alignment to offer at-property noise treatments to minimise operational noise. Treatments are expected to be completed as quickly as practicable to provide additional noise mitigation during construction.

All of the major projects including M12 Motorway being delivered within the Aerotropolis are managed under planning approvals which are set out by the Department of Planning. The approval for the M12 Motorway (SSI 9364) has strict conditions managing its impact on the environment. Transport for NSW understands the impact of the cumulative dust on the properties in the area as a result of the amount of construction activity being completed for the development of the Aerotropolis. The M12 Motorway project implements a number of mitigation measures to manage the dust emission from our work sites on adjoining properties and roads. These include:

• regularly watering exposed and disturbed areas including stockpiles to supress dust

• covering stockpiles with soil binder and grass seed to prevent erosion

• implementing rumble grids to limit tracking of materials beyond the site boundary

• ensuring loads are covered and any loose material/ debris removed before vehicles exit the site

• consulting with nearby developers to coordinate and plan activities where practicable

• stabilising access gates and sweeping roads daily.

The dust impact contributed by the M12 Motorway is anticipated to be limited to the early construction phases which includes earthworks. During the remaining phases of the construction work, we expect the impact to be lesser.

The M12 project consults with the community via a range of channels including a dedicated website and online portals, letterbox drop, regular community updates, social media, email, stakeholder briefings and via the project email and phone number.