Tuesday 8 April

Today’s schedule:

 

Community and individual presentations

Suresh Wahklu

A Balwyn resident who uses buses everyday along the freeway. He suggested some variations on the design for a Hoddle St underpass and his concerns for affected communities  Highlights the lack of visible data on the social impacts of demolishing homes, loss of heritage, noise etc

He supports the City of Yarra proposal for a Double Diamond interchange solution and highlights an example being planned in Perth – contradicting the LMA evidence this has not been used in Australia.

Mr Wahku supports bus rail interchange at Victoria Park. Doc 367

Graeme Loughlin (retired planner)

He is 75 years old  and suffers from sleep apnoea and associated health problems. Lives 550 m downwind from interchange and portal, in Clifton Hill.

Fearful of vent stack and pollution. Also fearful of cut and cover impediments to his access to Fitzroy Townhall, library and other places in Fitzroy and Collingwood on which he relies.

“I have a physical disability. I have impaired vision.” I use a guide dog. Access is so very important”.

“Madam Chair I hope you will stop this project” and cut the cut and cover. Appeals for world’s best practice. Believes underpass at Hoddle St an alternative. 3068 Group proposal is admirable.

I had originally sought to have expert witnesses but I could not cope with that and rest on my original case. End  Doc 368

Shuai Zhou did not appear

Michael Mossonidis

Brunswick Rd resident suggesting a range of new design options that have not been considered. Project objective should be to complete without any of the interference to homes and amenities.

He argued that impacts can be avoided by extended tunnel. Some of his proposals involve complicated traffic rearrangements. Argues his alternatives save costs.

Jack Anderson-McDonald

He objects to Part B widening of CityLink saying it should be put off – improved technology, better able to assess after Part A in operation.

Questions whether modelling has been properly done. Opportunities for more high rises restricted with parallel road.  Consider double stack freeways. Say we might as well get rid of creek if building on both sides – could divert it west.

Tony Bonnano

Lives in Bendigo St with his mother. If EWL goes ahead would need to move as mothers home will be bulldozed. Whole way of life will change, cat and dog will have to be put down. No idea what will happen or when. Mother does not want money, wants a replacement house.  He was critical of the LMA saying he was never consulted on this.

Says this is a political project and there are too many myths and falsehoods. Risks are high because too rushed – project of this size should be much longer in the planning. CIS so overwhelming could not read it all.

People in east have only 2 choices – bus or car. Less than 20% travel east west on Eastern Freeway – most going to city.  Advocates for Doncaster train, Eastern ring road for freight and airport link

Fiona  and John Michael Saint (370)

Impassioned speech imploring the committee to prevent any damage to Royal Park, they have lived next to the park for 30 years.

Only found out about the freeway in November 2013 when they spotted a park ranger removing a no tunnel sign from a tree

Attended consultation sessions at Town Hall and Kensington. Appalled at ad hoc “make itup as you go” design- had 4 months to develop their plans

Planners were ignorant of history of RP . Unseemly haste and ignorance amazed us, then had another month to submit. Incremental erosion of park in the last 30 years. None of these would be as devastating as what is proposed.

People use every corner of this park: brass band, tal chi, picnics, revegetation volumteers, rural schools in urban camp. They walk there everyday. Rattled off a long list of passive recreation uses. Have watched the birds coming back as a result of wetlands

Andrew Herington on behalf of John Michael Saint:

Elliott Ave interchange creates a demand for cars to travel to hospitals precinct when other more efficient PT should be implemented and used.

Cut and cover will create huge amounts of spoil which will damage wider area. The traffic argument has not been made and there should be no approval for the ramps at Elliot Avenue.

He went on to present an alternative design called the Y Option which has the tunnel splitting under Royal Park with one route connecting to CityLink North and the other continues underground to south of Arden St and then by viaduct over the rail yards to connect with the alignment for Westlink. This would eliminate major impacts on Royal Park

Gordon Ley

Points out this hearing is reviewing the CIS not the project. Only the CIS gives Victorians the right to scrutinise the project. Important that those rights that remain be upheld by the Committee. Focussed on the loss of open space and the silly LMA statement that only 1% of the park would be affected.

Peter Geary, 374,

Noone St resident, Clifton Hill: not opposed in principle to a road infrastructure project. EWL will pass within 10 metres of their property. Can’t sell at fair market value, won’t be able to sell for at least 5 years.

Selection of compulsory acquisition properties has been arbitrary. Opposed to  moving Alexandra Pde north to his boundary.

Seeking to be compulsorily acquired. Dismayed that panel and LMA are disagreeing about the process for compulsory acquisition: reflects poorly on committee and leaves them open to legal challenge.

Dennis Green

Resident of Precinct 3. CIS recognises this as area of greatest impact especially with removal of spoil. Gross understatement of impact and CIS deficient in this respect. No identification or mention of breakdown of people living and working in the area, their numbers, retirement home, child care centres etc.

Also significant workplaces requiring special access provisions – CSL, Alzheimer’s Australia, Royal Melbourne Hospital for example. Expect 3200 truck movements per day plus light vehicle movements – one vehicle movement every 5.1 seconds, 24 hours a day for years.

Green outlines  the already difficult and restricted road conditions for residents and traffic in the area. Talks about the route options for spoil removal. Volume of traffic far too great to avoid intolerable impacts. Argues that route 3 for spoil removal be adopted but not route 1 which impacts Royal Park.

Zoe & Benjamin Barclay

Entertaining presentation with various props (and daughter in tow). Moved to  Travancore because of peaceful and serene environment close to city. Most houses single storey.  Shows graphic model of single storey house next to huge 8 storey high Ormond St off ramp.

Noise – illustrates real effect of 10db increase in noise using creative use of plastic bottles half full of rice. Also concerned about air pollution.

Gross lack of information and communication. Not one visit from LMA. Our area will never be the same  again and if we don’t want to be there then we don’t think anyone else will want to be there either.

Julia Cusack & Steven Avery

Resident of Brisbane St Ascot Vale – quiet family area. Main focus is the Ormond St off ramp design raised a day before CIS released. No information or consultation. Many could not address this therefore in CIS submissions, and many did not know about it.

Describes the reserve and other amenities like Fenton St playground. All will be severely impacted. Houses more than 110 m from CityLink will now be 20-30 m from offramp, with much greater noise as a result.

Offramp will be a visual blight – whereas currently have CityLink screened by vegetation.1200 trucks a day to use Myrnong and Moolten Sts. Some houses will be overshadowed by off ramp losing access to light.

It will destroy everything we value about living in the inner north. Request removal of Ormond offramp and reject the project.

Pauline Galvin,

Coburg resident, impacted indirectly as a resident of Melbourne, feels compelled to add her voice to the community. Involved with Moreland community: rally of 1500 people and tables rally leaflet for committee.

Funds would be better spent on PT – projects that Libs took to last election.

Use of reservation for Doncaster train is to be condemned.

Brunswick west residents have a traffic study We should be investing in infrastructure for a low carbon future, plan now for it. So next generation can live within their low carbon budget

Pleas with committee to disallow degradation of Royal Park.

Disruptions to PT routes, Oak St is a major route, commuter bike paths into CBD.

Cost is too high, 12 years and then back with equiv congestion

Spoke about her personal situation and the financial pressure on families that need to own multiple cars. Imagine affording 3 cars on one wage?

Wayne May, doc 378,

Resident of east of Hoddle and north of freeway. Highlighted noise volumes- report by Marshal Day, 2007 and the comparison the the LMA work (done by the same firm) in 2013

Disputes 2013 readings taken for this project and there are no readings for area directly near flyover

Wants noise barriers to be upgraded, and flyover traffic behaviour has not been anticipated or planned for.

Noise already at 75db and this will increase to 77 db which is 9 db above recommended limits.

AFTER LUNCH

Damian O’Keefe

Concern on behalf of himself and other residents of Clifton Hill about construction impacts. Will bisect the community. Concerned about visual impacts, loss of parklands and heritage impacts. Will threaten our close knit community and make public transport less viable.

Michael and Olivia Smith

Live in Lennox St Parkville Gardens. Concerned about our proximity to freeway

Unacceptable noise Construction damage. Neighbours will be demolished and we will be next to toxic waste dump Process is undemocratic. Loss of infrastructure. Destruction of Royal Park. No business case. What if we are not acquired? Will be worse than if we are because of immediate proximity to the works area. Could threaten our financial and personal future.

Jan Thomas

Need business case and regular monitoring and assessment. Will impact on other projects. Only benefits those who can afford to drive. Will not benefit others who cannot afford it. Other group to benefit is trucking companies. Climate change is a major issues. Shinjuku and Royal Park both were wasteland at end of WW2. What is there now is very special.

Male footballers and cricketers already have a large part of Royal Park. The project will increase the percentage of the park used by this group at the expense of passive users. Ford Garden is a gem in Royal Park. Question about where helicopters for RCH land.

There should have to be another CIS on final design. Supports Anthony Peyton’s alternative which should be considered properly Find the right engineering design solutions to protect RP.

Gerry Noonan

Parkville resident for 18 years and an experienced engineer with a lot of experience in constructing tunnels… Concerned about inconsistencies in CIS –particularly how it misrepresents the area of cut and cover which will be allowed on the grounds of cost. “Tender process is a race to the bottom, varying significantly from CIS ref project”. Map books show bored tunnels through most of Royal Park.

Spoil would be 4,340,000 m3 (300,000 truck loads) of which 3,600,000 m3 would be needed for backfilling. It would cover MCC to a depth of 180 metres or grass circle to a depth of 28 metres.

Daniel Beuchat,

Structural engineer, CIS inadequately addressed a range of impacts, in particular, will increase CO2 emissions and impact on future liveability of Melbourne

Allison and Brent Lamb

Residents of 4 Rutland St Clifton Hill. Will not be acquired but live very close to the EWL – 5 metres from the boundary of the project Rooftop garden only 15 metres from the flyover.

Concerned about air quality and impact on our vegetable garden and the produce from it. Outdoor space will be unfit for socialising Are seeking compulsory acquisition, difficult decision. My home is in your hands.

Showed some impressive pictures of freeways that have been demolished overseas to create new urban spaces – Seoul recently removed a 1970s freeway through the middle of the city. San Francisco removed Embarcadero freeway, Madrid removed a mid city freeway.

Mr Andrew McDougall

Lives in Wellington St Clifton Hill outside the area scheduled for compulsory acquisition. 5 years of major impact on us during construction.

This is not shovel ready project. It is designed as if it is in a green field location. Will destroy our heritage precinct for a temporary road during construction period.

LMA has not visited any owners not being acquired, except those who have spoken out. They are avoiding the others.

Lisa Ingram of Kensington

Appalled that we are doing anything to Royal Park for transient benefits.

Impacts are weakly stated. Maps say there will 30% increase in traffic on Elizabeth St, which LMA did not know was a one way street.

Arden St ramp concept has been weakly developed. Impact on Dogs Home, SP Ausnet.

 Andrea Tapp: (325)- doc 385

No independent traffic data. Inner urban land will become roads. Residents will be impacted.

Impact on Royal Park. Did an ad hoc traffic count at Elliott Ave and Flemington Rd during morning peak showed 55% of traffic travelling towards CBD.

Current design is not going to achieve objective of putting people closer to their jobs – not many go west for jobs. Incorporate a train into this project

Tom Pikusa for Royal Park Protection Group and Public Lands Protection Group: doc 386-

This was the major presentation by the Barrister retained by Julianne Bell and her supporting groups. He has been present throughout the hearings and the Chair acknowledged his contribution in representing community groups.

Mr Pikusa tabled a 57 page legal submission, a set of maps and Urban Circus views and a large folder of relevant Documents that have been previously tabled. His 90 minute address covered a wide range of issues.

Perhaps most tellingly, he took the Committee through various maps and illustrations that have featured during the hearings and highlighted the internal inconsistencies that they contained. What you see is not what you get.

CIS a first time for such a large road project. It’s simply not comprehensive- has to be refused- can’t just make recommendations on how to do it better. Given time limits, the 3 tenderers will be preparing bids based on reference design. What is planned for the large surface area in project boundary directly north of Netball centre? CIS docs, attachments, map book, urban circus model- latter are deficient in scale and detail, especially in relation to cut and cover. Insinuates that the pink lines on page 14 will be changed to cut n cover – why else would there be such a large boundary here.

Peninsula Link project considered 3 options as part of its business case from originally 20 options appraised each and engaged in significant consultation before going through a CIS Land for this project had been set aside for decades beforehand.

Westlink: options considered by public over 3 years. LMA could have done much better Asks Committee to be careful about considering the reference design Re read the groups’ objections at Nov: largely unanswered still now. UDF is toothless in ability to mitigate worst aspects of the proposal Land to be alienated: vague suggestion of offsets- nothing like the redevelopment of the children’s hospital legislation. Older buildings to be returned as parkland

Points to the spoil that’s been generated by hospital construction of a one level underground car park. Needs to be compliance with UDF if a planning permit is to be granted- it doesn’t. Vent stack at western portal: expert said it shouldn’t be there, likely on top of escarpment, 20 metres high. Unfair to slip this in later after CIS process without due consideration of visual impact He supported the three Council submissions and asks LMA to go back to drawing board.

He finished by listing a series of minimum requirements and suggesting there should be a: reference group comprising community reps.

The take home message: Wrong way, go back