Notes from Meeting with Metro Rail on 31 March 2017

Jan, Gary – Botanica

James, Simon, Jacqueline, Hannah – MMRA

—

Note that the dates in this note are the best I can estimate with the info I’ve been given.  They are based on information from Melbourne Metro Rail and are partly my interpretations.  ie Don’t yell at me if the dates move around a bit 😊

Bid info

• Final bids from 3 consortia due next week
• MMRA have been working with all bid teams to ensure solid solutions are bid
• MMRA feedback is that there has been some strong innovation
• Project work that will see changes that would reduce St Kilda Rd to 1 lane have been moved from John Holland (early works) to the final tunnel partner. This ensures that any associated tree removal is consistent with the final agreed tunnel solution.  Very positive.
• Preferred bidder announced early July
• Contract signed November

Short term impacts

• Sewer works
  • Will be in full swing from April 10
  • Will see closure of Albert Rd on Botanica side of park. Access will be via slip road immediately after the park.
  • Closure will be for most of 2017
  • Final solution will see that entire area redesigned
  • Will be very noisy in early stages
  • Work will be 7am-6pm Monday-Friday and 7am-1pm on Saturdays
  • I expect that Botanica residents will be protected from most of the noise impact by other buildings
  • Dust levels likely to increase.
• Tram works
  • May and June will see a lot of preparatory work for new tram stops and re-routing #8
    • Tree pruning
    • Overhead wire relocations
    • Some traffic disruption
  • Major work will be done July 1-11
    • St Kilda Rd down to one lane each direction
    • Major noise, around the clock
    • Done at this time to coincide with school holidays
  • July 12
    • #8 Tram will run past Botanica and along Toorak Rd West
    • Domain Road to be closed at St Kilda Rd
    • Sir Edmund Herring Oval will be taken over by MMRA
      • Power substation to be constructed on oval for Tunnel Boring Machines
    • Communications relocation
      • Work on corner of Bowen Cres should be complete by end April
      • Comms pit is one of ten busiest in Australia
      • Custom built
      • Next stage requires major work outside old Police Building under St Kilda Rd to near the Royce.
    • Other
      • Will still have some digging outside Botanica
      • Boer War Memorial to be taken down for restoration in July / August
      • Once preferred bidder is known, that consortium is likely to commence some ‘mobilisation’ type activities. We have asked for this to include
        • Pre-condition report of Botanica
        • Noise, dust, vibration sensors on the roof of Botanica
        • Camera on roof of Botanica
      • The RIMG (document which contains the resident impact contract terms) is expected to be finalised within the next week.  This is a critical document as it contains the triggers for noise protection, resident relocation and the like.
      • MMRA is hopeful of having the first meeting of the Domain / South Yarra stakeholders group by mid-year. Botanica will have one representative.  We argued the need for a very strong independent chairperson.

For your info the consortia are

• Continuum Victoria – comprising ACCIONA Infrastructure, Ferrovial Agroman, Honeywell, Downer EDI and Plenary Origination
• Cross Yarra Partnership – comprising Lendlease Engineering, John Holland, Bouygues Construction and Capella Capital
• Moving Melbourne Together – comprising Pacific Partnerships, CPB Contractors, Ghella, Salini Impregilo, Serco and Macquarie Capital

Recent flyers from MMRA on Sewer Works and Service relocations are below

MMRA Sewer works

MMRA Service relocations

Gary Buck

See below

As I indicated before Xmas, the Minister has requested that the Metro Rail team do some more work to investigate a possible location of the Domain Station nearer the city.  The post is here.

If a serious investigation is to be done then I feel it is presumptuous to continue with the ‘early works’.  I believe that Metro rail scheduled all the ‘early works’ assuming they would get full clearance to continue.

In this light I have lodged a personal objection to the Boer War Park changes.  It is not on behalf of the Owners Corp and simply raises the ‘process issue’ – essentially saying…please put the ‘early works’ on hold until the station location is finalised.

I have also notified Metro Rail of my objection.

You don’t need to do anything yourself but you may also lodge objections up until Jan 4.  I personally do not believe that the quantity of objections makes any difference.

Happy new year

I know that there is some confusion about the exact location of the temporary tram tracks outside The Botanica.  Metro Rail have the attached maps which have a lot of detail.

It shows the trees that will be removed for the #8 tram works (orange), the trees that will go as part of the service relocation work / station box (blue) and others (purple).  As will so often be the case with this work, there is good news and bad news.

The bad news is that we lose our close trees (on footpath) but the good news is we keep our median strip ones for now – the bigger healthier ones.  Also good that the tram is not under our windows but that is because the digging will be (later on).

Current plan – minimum of one lane of cars in each directions plus trams plus bikes

p25649-proposed-changes

Unfortunately I am overseas and was unable to attend last night’s community meeting.

I notice that many of the ‘fact sheets’ have now been updated and are available here.  They cover many of the day to day questions, on trees, condition reports, air quality and much more.

I’d encourage you to read them.