No! It provides only a superficial outline of the different surface road and tunnel location alternatives. The actual width of the surface road and earthworks is many times wider and far more damaging than implied by the thin lines on the drawings. The detail is poor, e.g. it does not even show the important, year round tributary creek near Hillcrest which contains rare fern habitat which is under threat. Hence the real environmental damage which will be done by the surface freeway options 1 and 4 is far greater than one would ever guess from the drawings and text.

The substantial decrease in air quality, the increase in health and the noise problems which would be experienced by valley residents if surface road options 1 or 4 were pursued, are also not explained.

The best option is number 3, a long tunnel in the existing reservation. It is the best because:

• it protects nationally significant vegetation, endangered species, general flora (e.g. rare ferns and koalas swamp gums) and fauna (e.g. platypus) from destruction,
• it avoids, air and water pollution and adverse effects on people's health,
• it retains recreation areas, property values, Aboriginal culture/sites, environmental education resources, cultural heritage and
• it minimises night-time lighting, creek pollution and soil erosion

Option 2 is the only other option that might offer similar benefits to Option 3. It should, however, be modified to avoid impacts on Savaris Court.

Yes, options 1 and 4 would be environmental disasters.

Both of these options would exacerbate health problems (asthma etc.), because of the increased air pollution to which valley residents would be exposed.

Both of these options involve a wide surface road whose construction will destroy the integrity of the vegetation communities in the valley. This will lead to the eventual permanent loss of habitat corridors for the wide variety of mammals, birds and other unusual wildlife which currently live in or pass through the valley and depend on the presence of specific types of habitat in order to survive.

The excavated trench dug through Hillcrest to make a cut and cover tunnel for Option 4, would cause permanent loss of this sensitive residual bushland.

The vegetation in the Mullum Valley represents almost all (90%) of what is left of this Nationally Significant variant of Valley Heathy Forest in Australia. Options 1 and 4 could destroy half of it.

To save the valley for future generations, obtain and study a copy the Department of Infrastructure/VicRoads brochure. See for yourself what is being proposed and then write to the Government telling them why only Option 3 will save the Valley