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If you experience noise, vibration, dust or other environmental impacts relating to the Melbourne Metro Tunnel project, contact Victoria's Big Build.
Project overview
The Melbourne Metro Tunnel project (the project) is a Victorian Government project to free up space in Melbourne's City Loop.
More trains will be able to run to and from the suburbs.
Two 9-kilometre rail tunnels and 5 new underground rail stations are being built. The Domain interchange will be upgraded to a train and tram interchange.
Construction started in 2019.
To learn more about the project, visit Victoria’s Big Build.
Our role in the Metro Tunnel project
We're helping the project understand its environmental impacts and obligations under the Environment Protection Act 2017. We're working with the project across all phases, including environmental assessment, early works, construction and operation.
We advise the project on matters relating to:
- air pollution
- contaminated land
- contaminated and waste soil management
- greenhouse gas emissions and resource efficiency
- human health
- land use and planning
- noise and vibration
- surface water and groundwater.
The Metro Tunnel project and the environment
The Minister for Planning decided that an environment effects statement (EES) was required for this project.
The EES assesses the potential environmental impacts of the proposed development. It provides an approach to manage these impacts. The EES is available from Victoria's Big Build.
Impacts relating to pollution and waste identified in the EES are:
- noise and vibration
- dust
- run-off from construction sites
- impacts on groundwater
- hazardous waste
- waste soil.
Managing impacts on human health and the environment
Risks to human health and the environment are eliminated, reduced or managed by:
- duties
- permissions
- the project's Environment Management Framework.
Environmental duties are set out in the Act. The project owners and contractors must meet all duties that apply, including:
We issue permissions under the Act and in accordance with the Environment Protection Regulations 2021. The project must meet all conditions of the issued permissions.
The project's Environment Management Framework sets out the environmental performance requirements that the project must meet. The framework includes:
- guidelines to mitigate impacts on residents
- guidelines to support businesses.
Learn more about obligations during construction.
Managing noise and vibration
The project owners and contractors must:
- monitor noise and vibration according to the Environment Management Framework
- follow our Noise control guidelines
- reduce the impact of noise on the community so far as reasonably practicable.
You should not be able to hear noise from the project between 10 pm and 7 am from any habitable room of a house.
There may be times when work cannot be completed during normal business hours. This includes work that:
- involves continuous work – for example, a concrete pour
- poses an unacceptable risk to life or property
- risks a major traffic hazard
- could cause a major disruption to the transport system.
When unavoidable work is scheduled out of normal business hours, you should be contacted and told:
- when the noise will happen
- how long it will go on for.
Learn how we regulate and manage construction noise.
Managing waste
The project must manage all waste to meet the waste obligations and duties set out in the Act.
Managing waste soil
The project must manage waste soil in a way that complies with Victoria’s environmental laws. We work with the project on how it can manage and classify waste soil.
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