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Question and Answer Tracking Details

5405 - ELANORA RD

Scruby, Jacqui to the Minister for Roads, and Minister for Regional Transport
ELANORA RD

In relation to the proposed design intersection of Elanora Road and Wakhurst Parkway as part of the current proposal for “Wakehurst Parkway improvements - Frenchs Forest to Narrabeen” (Elanora Intersection Design):

(1) What modelling or assessment has the Department done to quantify the risk of the following and what were the results:

(a) Increased traffic banking up Elanora Road?

(b) Increased risk-taking behaviour to take advantage of a gap in traffic across two lanes as drivers try to ‘run the gauntlet’?

(c) Risk of t-bone accidents, including in comparison to accident history?

(d) Risk of hitting the concrete median strip when turning?

(2) Has the Department considered and modelled the safety of alternative options, including a seagull intersection and what were the results?

(3) Has anyone from the Department driven the Elanora Road > right hand turn > Wakehurst Parkway in peak hour, or at all?

(4) Can a seagull intersection be constructed on the lake side without having to:

(a) acquire land?

(b) trigger environmental assessments?

(5) Can a seagull intersection be constructed on the non-lake side without having to:

(a) acquire land?

(b) trigger environmental assessments?

(c) other?

(6) How many seagull lanes/merging lanes have been built in New South Wales that don’t comply with current road design and safety standards, and didn’t comply at the time of approval?

(7) Has the modelling and consideration of alternative design options accounted for the fact that no large trucks will be using the lane as they are prohibited from using Elanora Road due to current restrictions and physical limitations of hairpin turns?

(8) Given that large trucks won’t use the lane, could the length of the lane be shorter and be a legitimate exception to current design standards?

(9) How many engineers evaluated the proposed design and how many considered an alternative design to be safer?

(10) Has the Department modelled the impact of cars doing U-turns as recommended by the Department in its frequently asked questions (FAQ) responses on traffic flows?

(11) Is the seagull lane built on the Wakehurst Parkway outside the Sydney Academy of Sport compliant with current road and design standards and was it at the time it was built?

(12) Given that the Department states that a seagull design “was not pursued due to the impact of this design on nearby vegetation as well as funding constraints", what is the additional cost associated with a Seagull design?

(a) Could that cost and/or environmental impacts be reduced if a shorter (non-compliant) seagull lane was constructed on the basis that no large trucks will be using the lane?

(13) What impacts will the entirety of the Wakehurst Parkway improvements - Frenchs Forest to Narrabeen have on flooding and flood proofing?

Answer -
ELANORA RD

I am advised:

Transport for NSW is advancing plans for safety and capacity upgrades, including intersection improvements, along Wakehurst Parkway. The project received approval in 2024, and the detailed design is currently underway.

Transport for NSW understands that local residents still have questions and concerns regarding Elanora Road. In response, on Monday 26 May 2025, the Wakehurst Parkway Improvements project team met with approximately 50 residents at the Bilarong Reserve Hall for a community information drop-in session regarding the Elanora Road intersection design. Transport for NSW thanks the residents and community members for taking the time to meet with the team and discuss their concerns.

The intersection of Elanora Road and Wakehurst Parkway is currently unsafe, contributing to eight recorded injury crashes between 2017 and 2021. Residents also report frequent non-injury crashes, which aligns with Transport for NSW's findings.

Transport for NSW investigated five designs to address these safety issues. Each was assessed against the project's objectives and development criteria. The approved design underwent a rigorous planning approval process and was ultimately determined to be the best solution. Further information is available in the Wakehurst Parkway Improvements Review of Environmental Factors and Response to Submissions Report on the Transport for NSW project page: https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/current-projects/wakehurst-parkway-improvements


Question asked on 29 May 2025 (session 58-1) and printed in Questions & Answers Paper No. 114
Answer received on 4 July 2025 and to be printed in Questions & Answers Paper No. 122