Thursday, 2 April 2026

 Jess WILSON (Kew – Leader of the Opposition) (17:16): (1629) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, and the action I am seeking is for her to address the ongoing concerns of residents in Kew and North Balwyn regarding the impacts of the North East Link construction. These issues are being experienced right across the electorate. Residents report impacts on amenity and livability, including dust, noise from construction works and changes to the local environment.

Residents have also raised concerns about the design and performance of noise walls. As I have previously raised in this place, residents are extremely disappointed by the changes that were made by this government to the noise walls along the North East Link Program, which differ from what was originally circulated by the government under the urban design and landscape plan. In the areas of North Balwyn that are in close proximity to the North East Link some residents report that upper sections of noise walls incorporate transparent or perspex-style panels allowing views through to the freeway. For many this is not consistent with their expectations of how these structures would protect the local amenity.

In other parts of the electorate, including Kellett and Barnard groves in Kew, residents have raised concerns about the removal of established trees and the treatment of existing noise walls. Residents in these streets report that a substantial number of trees at Jack O’Toole Reserve were cleared to facilitate construction works and that the extent of this removal was not adequately communicated to residents in advance of their removal. This has resulted in significant loss of greenery and changes to the character of the local environment. Residents have also flagged their concerns that existing noise walls are proposed to be retained and refurbished rather than upgraded. Locals are questioning whether this approach will provide an appropriate level of noise protection into the future.

More broadly, residents across the electorate have expressed concern about the cumulative impact of construction, particularly ongoing dust and noise, and what this means for their day-to-day lives. At its core this issue is about transparency. It is about engagement and ensuring that community expectations are properly understood, addressed and actually consulted on. Many residents have expressed concern about this consultation process with a view that information has been limited or provided too late for any action. I have raised these matters with the minister before, and residents have also made representations directly.

Noise walls and mitigation measures are not just infrastructure, they play an important role in protecting livability. They help shield homes, backyards and parklands from the impact of major roads. Residents are seeking clear information, appropriate mitigation measures and confidence that the long-term amenity of their neighbourhoods will be protected through this construction phase. The community is not asking for the project to stop. They are asking for their amenity to be respected, their concerns to be taken seriously and for their voices to be actually heard by this government, and they deserve nothing less.