Thursday, 3 August 2023

North East Link

Jess WILSON (Kew) (17:26): (279) My adjournment tonight is for the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. The action that I am seeking is for the minister to meet with the residents affected by and concerned about the construction of the North East Link in the electorate of Kew. Last week I, together with the member for Bulleen, the member for Caulfield and the federal member for Menzies Keith Wolahan, held a forum on the North East Link to listen to the concerns of local residents. This project will impact on many residents in the electorate of Kew, particularly those who live in Balwyn North near the proposed Bulleen interchange. Clarity, accountability and practical improvements for the North East Link are the key things residents seek from this government.

A key concern raised by residents is the impact of air quality both during construction and once in use. In particular residents seek clarity around who or which organisation is responsible for ensuring air quality impacts are measured and maintained to an acceptable level. Is it the EPA, the department or the North East Link Program? Other residents raised their concerns about the likely pollution effects of the project’s lack of filtration in the tunnel exhaust stacks. Another key concern is noise pollution. Many residents say they are facing significant noise pollution from the worksites currently and are also concerned about the impact of increased traffic flows along the North East Link once complete. Residents rightly want reassurance that there will be adequate noise protections in place and seek clarity on the design and when they will be in situ.

Residents also sought further information about the relocation of the Doncaster park-and-ride. Many residents of Balwyn North use this park-and-ride every day to commute to and from the city down the Eastern Freeway. Understandably they want clarification about the time line and the destination of the relocation of the park-and-ride. More generally, a key theme raised by many residents was a perceived lack of transparency and accountability about the construction of the North East Link. They detailed their difficulties in communicating with or providing feedback to the North East Link Program. Some raised issues about the conduct of contractors working on sections of the project. They had negative experiences with some contractors and felt the complaint mechanisms put in place by the project were inadequate or so opaque as to be useless in terms of getting an outcome. They felt it was difficult to get clear answers to their questions and suggested an independent person be appointed to field questions and complaints about all these issues.

Finally, I want to raise my significant concerns about the impact of the North East Link on Belle Vue Primary School. Belle Vue Primary is a key stakeholder in the project given their very close proximity to the interchange. However, parents from Belle Vue say they feel in the dark about who to speak to about the impact of the project on their school community. Specifically they want to know the projected health impacts of air and noise pollution during construction of the North East Link as well as when it will be operational. They consider the air quality impact of the North East Link to be a significant occupational health and safety issue, an issue they are duty bound to address on behalf of the teachers, the students and the parents at Belle Vue Primary.

Of course these are just a handful of the key issues raised. With the North East Link expected to be one of the most expensive transport projects built in Victoria’s history – potentially in the world – per kilometre, it is critical that the residents of Kew are properly consulted and their feedback is incorporated in the design and the construction process. I ask that the minister meet with the residents of Kew to discuss these issues.