5 June 2024
About the Stakeholder Liaison Group
The Stakeholder Liaison Group (SLG) was established as a key avenue for community involvement throughout the project.
The SLG consists of volunteer community members who represent the views and interests of residents, and local community organisations. The SLG will evolve as the project moves into the delivery phase.
Members will:
- provide local perspectives and insights
- ensure their represented local communities are informed about issues that may impact them
- share project information with their networks.
Meeting Summaries
Meeting 1
The first Newport Stakeholder Liaison Group (SLG) meeting was held in-person in the evening on Tuesday 21 May 2024 at the Newport Bowls Club. The meeting opened with welcomes, formalities and introductions.
The meeting was opened by an independent facilitator who led with an Acknowledgement of Country. MP for Williamstown, the Hon. Melissa Horne attended the meeting as a co-chair.
An agenda was outlined and obligations as per the Terms of Reference were noted. Members were reminded of the purpose of the SLG and their responsibility to represent community views and take information back to the wider community through their networks.
Members were asked to introduce themselves, outlining their connection to Newport and the North Williamstown area and their interest in joining the SLG.
Project overview
The project team provided a summary of the project design, timeline and outcomes, as per the information publicly available. The project team also went through the planning approvals process, as this had been raised as a concern from the community as seen on social media and reported by Hobsons Bay City Council (HBCC). The project team noted that the planning approvals process for the project does not take away planning controls from the council.
The project team then went through some of the project constraints and other options considered but not appropriate for the removal of the Champion Road level crossing. The project team noted that any option requiring modifications or deletion to the Newport Stabling Yard entrance, or modifications or relocation of major oil pipelines did not progress.
The project team were not able to get through all the slides planned when the meeting ended. Just before the meeting concluded, communications and engagement activities to date were mentioned, including the current consultation taking place and a business survey for traders which will help the project team to develop bespoke trader support.
Actions
- Meeting summary notes to be uploaded on the website following the first SLG meeting
- Inform SLG members about the date of the next meeting via email
- LXRP to investigate why the project planning boundary map shows closed railway stations
- SLG members are encouraged to ask questions that were not answered in the meeting via the project inbox
Summary of key question topics
Below are the questions that SLG members asked the project team during the meeting. Similar questions have been grouped together.
General project
Why are closed stations shown on the project boundary map? Will they be re-opened?
The stations appear on the map due to the geographic information system that LXRP uses. These stations will not be re-opened as part of the project. The project boundary map has since been updated to remove the display of decommissioned railway stations (Paisley, Galvin and Mobiltown) along the Werribee Line to avoid confusion.
Pedestrian and cycling access
Will the Champion Road pedestrian bridge have a ramp?
Yes, the pedestrian bridge will have a ramp on either side of the railway line and a staircase on the Market Road reserve side to provide access to and from the existing residential area.
Akuna Drive link road alignment
How will the Akuna Dive link road be made safe for cyclists?
The team is currently carrying out design work for Akuna Drive. Further information will be available later in the year.
Why is the alignment of the link road through Akuna Drive instead of Launceston Street?
This was chosen due to it being the most direct route.
Will Akuna Drive be widened and what parking will be available?
We are currently in the early design phase and are working with HBCC to ensure the new link road is safe and fit for purpose. More information around traffic modelling and final designs of the link road alignment will be available this year.
Construction impacts
Will residents not have access to their property during construction?
During construction, access to properties will be maintained, but there may be disruptions like access to driveways.
Additionally, there are notification timeframes that LXRP needs to comply with. LXRP will work with residents to understand construction impacts and provide advanced notice ahead of construction activities occurring.
How will community members who do not use online channels receive information about the construction impacts?
LXRP uses different channels to communicate with community members, including door knocks and letterbox-drops.
Will there be compensation for residents whose houses have been damaged?
LXRP will undertake pre and post-construction dilapidation surveys with eligible properties near our construction zones.
Project constraints
Will there be changes in the future to the Newport Stabling Yard to accommodate additional trains?
The project team advised that Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM) will be better suited to questions about the Newport Stabling Yard and will invite MTM to a future SLG meeting.
Can approval be sought in the future to remove the major pipelines at Champion Road?
Yes, LXRP works do not preclude other projects from requesting the relocation of major pipelines in the future.
At Champion Road, what are the depths of the pipelines, and is it possible to construct under all of them?
The pipelines sit at various depths which makes construction in and around the area challenging due to the requirements to protect and avoid disturbing these critical assets.
Meeting 2
The second Newport Stakeholder Liaison Group (SLG) meeting was held in-person in the evening on Tuesday 25 June 2024 at the Newport Bowls Club. The meeting opened with welcomes and formalities.
The meeting was opened by an independent facilitator who led with an Acknowledgement of Country. MP for Williamstown, the Hon. Melissa Horne attended the meeting as a co-chair.
There were 3 apologies for this meeting. An agenda was outlined and actions from the previous meeting were noted and resolved.
It was also noted that the meeting time has been pushed forward half an hour to start at 6pm based on feedback received from the SLG members.
Options considered
This meeting began with the project team noting that there are no current plans or funding to consider moving the Newport Stabling Yard.
The project team then provided an overview of the options considered and key constraints of each design solution. The design solutions considered were a:
- rail bridge over Champion Road
- champion Road bridge over rail
- challis Street extension – road bridge over rail
- at-grade Challis Street extension – rail bridge over road
- rail trench or road trench.
The project team outlined the reasons why the options considered were not feasible and why the closure of Champion Road was the option chosen for the project.
Communications overview
The project team went through the communications and engagement activities to date and shared an update on the number of planning approvals submissions and community surveys received. It was noted that late survey submissions will be considered.
Actions
- Meeting summary notes to be uploaded on the website following the second SLG meeting
- Inform SLG members about the date of the next meeting via email
- LXRP to invite MTM to a future SLG meeting to discuss Newport Stabling Yard operations
- LXRP to provide further information on construction impacts and noise
- LXRP to provide further information on traffic and the Akuna Drive link road design
- LXRP to identify key areas of input from SLG
Summary of key question topics
Below are the questions that SLG members asked the project team during the meeting. Similar questions have been grouped together.
Design options constraints
Is it possible to move the Newport Stabling Yard to the end of the Werribee Line?
There are no current plans or funding to consider moving the stabling yard. Moving the stabling yard is not within the scope of the project.
Which train lines use the Newport Stabling Yard?
The Werribee and Williamstown lines use the Newport Stabling Yard. However, trains from other lines access the maintenance facility within this yard as it’s only one of 4 across the network.
Is the Newport Stabling Yard a key constraint for the rail bridge over Champion Road design solution?
The Newport Stabling Yard is a key constraint for options considered and discussed in the SLG meeting.
Why was a rail trench solution not considered?
There are multiple underground pipelines around the rail corridor. It would take a very long time to get relevant approvals from multiple asset owners and the government to move all the pipelines, which would make the project timelines and construction framework challenging.
Why is a road over solution, such as Aviation Road, Laverton not applicable as a design solution to keep Champion Road, Newport open?
The project interfaces between the two sites are different. There are unique challenges and constraints at the Champion Road, Newport site make a road over solution not feasible.
Can technical reports be provided?
LXRP does not release technical reports. Technical engineering assessments can be hard to interpret in isolation which is why we look to provide information about the outcomes of our assessments through community newsletters, reports, and community information sessions.
What will happen to traffic flow in the area once Champion Road is closed?
Traffic modelling shows the Newport traffic network is resilient and can accommodate current and future traffic network loads. Once Champion Road is closed, traffic will be distributed to other roads in the area that can handle the increase in traffic load.
Community engagement
Will directly impacted residents be more engaged with the project in late 2024?
Another round of formal consultation will occur later in the year when designs are released. The upcoming consultation will be communicated to the public through similar channels used in the recent consultation round, including letterbox drops and online channels.
When will residents be informed about relocations and construction impacts?
Once the contract for the project is awarded later this year, the construction communications team will provide details on how they will communicate with local impacted residents.
Will the community have opportunities to provide meaningful input on other aspects of the project?
LXRP will engage further with the community through next round of formal community consultation later this year. The SLG members will also have the opportunity to provide local community insights to be considered as part of the project at a future SLG workshop.
Meeting 3
The third Newport Stakeholder Liaison Group (SLG) meeting was held in-person in the evening on Tuesday 6 August 2024 at the Newport Bowls Club. The meeting opened with welcomes and formalities.
The meeting was opened by an independent facilitator who led with an Acknowledgement of Country. MP for Williamstown, the Hon. Melissa Horne attended the meeting as a co-chair.
There were 5 apologies for this meeting. The chair outlined the agenda and actions from the previous meeting were noted and resolved.
Workshop
This meeting was run as a workshop activity – ‘world café’ style. The purpose was to make sure we seek ideas and benefit from SLG members local knowledge as well as any considerations that should be shared with the project construction team.
Some of these ideas may be taken on by LXRP which influence the way the project is delivered, other ideas may be for future consideration, these suggestions will be recorded and shared with relevant organisations, such as, local council, Department of Transport and Planning or Metro Trains.
Workshop topics:
- Local connections/safe spaces
- Identify local hot spot considerations around accessibility, walking, cycling, road network, buses, parking etc – place-based movement focus
- Managing construction impacts
- Scenarios to consider about impacts during construction road or path closures
- What local stakeholder groups and organisations should we be updating about the impacts?
- What are the best channels to communication disruptions to traders, residents and community organisations.
- Local knowledge and insights to share with the team
- Things the team should be aware of when we are planning the construction and delivery of the project.
Actions
- LXRP to invite MTM to a meeting to discuss the history and future of the Newport Stabling Yard and provide further details on operations
- LXRP to provide further information on construction impacts and noise
- LXRP to provide further information on traffic and the Akuna Drive design
- LXRP to review feedback from workshop activity and report back to SLG.
As part of the workshop, SLG members were able to make comments and ask further questions. The questions have been raised as actions for LXRP to share additional information. Some of these actions are the responsibility of other organisations and have been passed on to the responsible parties.
The entire collection of comments and suggestions have been provided to the SLG members.
Below are the key actions from the workshop that sit with LXRP or LXRP and another party.
The project to provide more information on:
- workforce parking and delivery strategy
- detailed planting strategy and rationale for species selection
- train and road disruptions during construction
- details around fencing along the rail corridor within the project area
- information on project flood mitigation strategies during construction
- design information for Akuna Drive intersections with Champion Road and Maddox Road
- potential noise on the project
- confirmed locations for bicycle and pedestrian connections, and urban design information including lighting in these areas.