Melbourne's EastLink project
EastLink (formerly the Mitcham Frankston Project) is a A$3.8 billion road project which will deliver Melbourne's second fully-electronic tollway, comprising about 45 kilometres of freeway-standard road connecting the city's eastern and south-eastern suburbs.
Connecting the Eastern Freeway in Melbourne near Mitcham, to the Frankston Freeway in the south-east, EastLink is expected to become a major commuter road and a key arterial route. The tollroad is due to begin operations in late 2008.
EPA Victoria is working with the community and industry on the EastLink project to:
- assess the impact of the air, water and noise emissions from the EastLink tunnels through a works approval, and
- evaluate environmental performance and ensure sound environmental management practices on the construction sites.
Further information is available in EPA's Information Bulletin EPA Victoria and EastLink (Adobe PDF file, 81KB).
This page provides information about the following topics:
- EPA works approval
- EPA's monitoring of construction activities
- air quality and EastLink
- who can you speak to?
EPA works approval
EPA has received an application for works approval from ConnectEast Pty Limited for the tunnel section of the EastLink project.
EPA works approval is required prior to the construction and operation of the tunnel ventilation and systems.
The works approval application was available for public comment (Adobe PDF file, 68KB) between 5 April 2006 and 3 May 2006.
Having received written submissions on WA59307, EPA decided to hold a conference in accordance with section 20B of the Environment Protection Act 1970. The conference was held in May 2006 at Manningham City Council, Doncaster.
Those who made written submissions were invited to attend and present their submission.
The conference chairperson has prepared a report (view document below) on issues raised in the submissions. The report includes recommendations on those issues that require further assessment by EPA.
In response to the chairperson's report, EPA requested additional information from Connect east Pty Ltd via two legal notices (view documents below).
In the process of its decision-making, EPA will take into consideration the information requested in the notice, the submissions, the recommendations of the conference chair and the evaluation of EPA assessment staff.
- Download the report of the chairperson on the EPA section 20B conference held in respect of the works approval (Adobe PDF file, 487KB)
- Download the first EPA notice for ConnectEast Pty Ltd (Adobe PDF file, 392KB)
- Download the second EPA notice for ConnectEast Pty Ltd (Adobe PDF file, 79KB)
Obtaining copies of the works approval application documents
Summaries of the application can be obtained at $8 each from the EPA Information Centre. The documents are also available on CD upon request from the EPA Information Centre.
Download the works approval application
- Works approval (Adobe PDF file, 14,273KB or 14.3MB)
Download the summary works approval application
- Works approval application summary - low resolution (Adobe PDF file, 1007KB or 1MB)
- Works approval application summary - high resolution (Adobe PDF file, 3968KB or 4MB)
Download annexures to the application
(Documents available as Adobe PDF files)
The documents are also available for public inspection free of charge from during business hours at the EPA Victoria Library.
Responses to Section 22 information requests (Notice 1)
(Documents available as Adobe PDF files)
| Document | Download size |
| Attachment A - Ventilation system design and monitoring | 15,218KB or 15.2MB |
| Attachment B - Noise | 2,111KB or 2.1MB |
| Attachment C - Air quality assessment | 16,599KB or 16.6MB |
| Attachment D - Surface water | 160KB |
| Attachment E - Groundwater | 1,555KB or 1.6MB |
Responses to Section 22 information requests (Notice 2)
(Documents available as Adobe PDF files)
| Document | Download size |
| Time Series Data for Carbon Monoxide (CO) | 1,548KB or 1.5MB |
| Time Series Data for Nitrogen Dioxode (NO2) | 1,527KB or 1.5MB |
| Time Series Data for particulate matter - PM10 | 935KB |
| Time Series Data for particulate matter - PM25 | 906KB |
Additional reports provided as appendices to this response can be viewed at the EPA Information Centre.
The EPA completed its assessment of the Works Approval application in early September 2006.
The decision to grant works approval
EPA granted works approval on 5 September 2006.
The basis for the decision was that the application had met the requirements of the Environment Protection Act 1970 and all relevant State environment protection policies.
In making its assessment, EPA undertook a rigorous assessment process including independent air quality modelling and extensive additional information requests of the applicant.
Key findings of the assessment were:
- the ventilation system is a best practice design for road tunnels;
- the worst-case emission scenario prepared by the applicant is robust, as it is based on in-tunnel air quality limits and observation of monitored data from the Burnley tunnel;
- the approach to modelling is appropriate for the assessment of stack emissions in a valley environment;
- emissions from the ventilation system will have a negligible impact on air quality and are within levels specified to protect peoples health (an example graph for particulate mater is illustrated in the Figure below);
- noise from the ventilation system meets existing Victorian standards for noise emissions from commercial premises;
- EPA has required that water from the tunnel is discharged directly to sewer, pending assessment of waste water quality and its suitability or otherwise for disposal via a wetland to Wollert Creek. Water management is designed to enable protection of local waterways such as Wollert Creek and Mullum Mullum Creek.
Figure 1: Example stack impact on particulate matter for the worst affected receptor (annual average)
These findings are supported by experience with the CityLink project, where extensive monitoring has found no detectible change in air quality associated with tunnel emissions.
Whilst EPA’s assessment shows that air quality impacts are negligible, it is important that the community’s concerns are properly addressed. EPA is therefore requiring air quality monitoring in the tunnel, in the stacks and in the surrounding areas for a period of time before and after the tunnels are open for road traffic. The results of this monitoring will be publicly available.
EPA’s response to public concerns
During the period ConnectEast’s works approval was made available for public comment, a number of submissions were received and EPA sought additional information from ConnectEast. This additional information contributed significantly to the overall assessment of the works approval.
EPA is now satisfied that all relevant concerns and environmental requirements have been adequately addressed.
The key concerns raised, and EPA’s responses, are provided in an issues and response report. (Adobe PDF file, 150KB)
Obtaining access to the Works Approval document
The works approval document (Adobe PDF file, 476KB) provides approval to construct the plant and equipment associated with the ventilation system and other waste management equipment. This works approval is granted with conditions concerning the installation, environmental improvement plan provisions and ongoing monitoring.
EPA's monitoring of construction activities
EPA is regularly monitoring the environmental performance of the road construction activities o check that obligations to protect the environment are being met. Issues being considered by EPA include dust management, stormwater controls and management of any land contamination on former industrial land.
EPA will respond to and investigate concerns reported by the community to EPA's Pollution Watch Line.
Air quality and EastLink
Information on the air quality around EastLink is available in the following EPA publications:
- Review of Air Quality Near EastLink (Adobe PDF file, 331KB)
- Air Quality and EastLink (Adobe PDF file, 207KB)
Information on motor vehicles and their impact on air quality is also available.
Who can you speak to?
Queries relating to EPA's involvement in the EastLink Project or requests for further information should be directed to the EPA Information Centre.
Organisations with responsibility for delivery of the project can provide further information on the EastLink project. These include:
- SEITA (Adobe PDF file, 88KB) can provide information on the history, planning requirements and decision making behind the building of EastLink. For more information visit www.seita.com.au.
- ConnectEast (Adobe PDF file, 87KB) has overall design responsibility for roadworks. For more information visit www.connecteast.com.au.
- ConnectEast has contracted Thiess John Holland (TJH) (Adobe PDF file, 79KB) to design and construct EastLink. For more information visit www.thiessjohnholland.com.au.