17 February 2022

About the Ferguson Street Stakeholder Liaison Group (SLG)

The SLG will assist the project team by providing:

  • a local perspective, particularly in relation to minimising construction impacts on the community
  • information to the community about the project and its construction
  • local knowledge to discussions about the construction program

The SLG will consist of community members who represent the views and interests of residents, business owners and community organisations.

Executive summaries

Meeting Five – 17 February 2022

Host welcomed members to the fifth meeting of the Ferguson Street Stakeholder Liaison Group (SLG) and discussed agenda for the meeting.

A general project update was provided, summarising construction key dates, upcoming and completed works:

  • Crews will work round the clock from Friday 18 February to Wednesday 23 February to complete works in the rail corridor while trains aren’t running
  • Extended construction hours will commence from Thursday 24 February to early April 2022
  • Buses replace trains on the Williamstown line between Newport and Williamstown from 8.30pm Friday 18 February to last service Sunday 20 February, and from 8pm to last service each night from Monday 21 February to Wednesday 23 February
  • Construction impacts on traffic in the area
  • Overview of new station precinct
  • North Williamstown station and carpark closed until late March 2022
  • Finishing works on new station precinct will carry into 2022

The project communications team provided an overview of community engagement:

  • Highlighted challenges with in-person engagement activities due to COVID
  • Discussed range of communication materials, channels and activities being used to keep the community informed, deliver timely responses and mitigate impacts

LXRP answered questions from SLG members regarding:

  • Will left turn slip lane be reinstated when turning right into Victoria Street? The project advised that the slip lane did not meet road design standards and would not be reinstated

No actions were recorded.

Meeting Four – 9 December 2021

Site tour – no actions.

Meeting Three – 28 October 2021

Independent facilitator welcomed members to the third meeting of the Ferguson Street Stakeholder Liaison Group (SLG) and discussed agenda for the meeting. Independent facilitator opened discussion for option of in person site tour in November, now that COVID restrictions are easing.

A general project update was provided, summarising construction blitz key dates and completed works:

  • Round the clock works recommenced on Tuesday 5 October, in line with State Government restrictions
  • Major construction blitz will now continue until Saturday 11 December and buses will continue to replace trains between Newport and Williamstown stations until last service Friday 10 December
  • North Williamstown station and carpark closed
  • Eastern station building removed
  • Boom gates and redundant rail infrastructure removed
  • Piling for new road bridge complete
  • 70% excavation complete with rock breaking underway
  • Ferguson Street re-opened
  • Finishing works on new station precinct will carry into 2022

Level crossing removal project managers provided the following updates.

Excavation and rock breaking:

  • Rock breaking is well underway with over 70% of excavation complete
  • Approx. 50,000 cubic metres of clay and hard basalt rock will be taken out of the rail corridor
  • Drone footage and photos of the construction site were presented

Health and Safety:

  • Site worker vaccination status and QR check-in is recorded
  • Rapid antigen testing is required for all (first-time) workers
  • Covid Safety Marshals and physical distancing markers in place
  • Masks remain mandatory indoors
  • Enclosed spaces have been updated to comply with the new health directions
  • Video depicting COVIDsafe measures on Big Build sites filmed at Ferguson Street was shared

Upcoming works and noise levels:

  • Overview of upcoming works provided referencing chart available on website
  • Construction activities discussed with correlating noise levels and location

Pedestrian access and return to school:

  • Additional traffic management is in place and access has been restored over the northern footpath section to make the area around site safely accessible for pedestrians
  • This will limit/remove the need to cross Ferguson Street for some pedestrians

The Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) comms team provided an overview of community engagement during construction:

  • Highlighted challenges with in person engagement activities due to COVID restrictions
  • Discussed range of communication materials, channels and activities being used to keep the community informed, deliver timely responses and mitigate impacts
  • With COVID restrictions easing the project will now plan for in person engagement – pop ups, walking tours, end of works event etc

LXRP answered questions from SLG members regarding:

  • Will additional replacement buses be provided with COVID restrictions easing and numbers of passengers increasing? Yes - additional buses will be provided to comply with COVID restrictions
  • Has the new Ferguson Street road bridge been reinforced, and will there be any more closures of Ferguson Street? Yes – the new road bridge has been reinforced. Whilst no full closures of Ferguson Street will be required, there will be intermittent lane closures
  • Will the turning lane into Victoria Street have a reduced number of lanes? No – the current configuration is temporary and allows for the road barriers to be placed where they are on the north side of the bridge, protecting the pedestrian route. This has the effect of shifting the lanes southwards, thereby encroaching on the space that would be available for the right-hand turn lane. The final design configuration allows for the inclusion of the right turn lane with no reduction in previous capacity

Feedback provided from SLG members:

  • There has been a reduction in community noise complaints since piling was completed
  • COVID has minimised the impacts of road closures and pedestrian access
  • Minimal complaints have been received by council

Actions:

  • When will pedestrian signals be installed across Ferguson Street? The project advised additional information will be provided regarding pedestrian impacts and will revert to the group regarding timing of signal installation
  • What traffic and pedestrian monitoring (if any) will be implemented post the removal of the level crossing? Post project assessments will be conducted once construction is complete, further details will be provided

Meeting Two – 2 September 2021

Independent facilitator provided an Acknowledgement of Country and welcomed members to the second meeting of the Ferguson Street Stakeholder Liaison Group (SLG).

The Hon. Melissa Horne MLA, Member for Williamstown also provided an Acknowledgement of Country and welcomed members to the second meeting of the Ferguson Street SLG. Melissa recognised the impact construction has had on the Williamstown community and thanked the project team for their hard work and responsiveness during this time.

New member of the SLG was introduced.

A general project update was provided, summarising construction blitz key dates and completed works:

  • North Williamstown station and carpark closure
  • Shuttle bus services replacing trains
  • Removal of eastern station building
  • Piling for the new road bridge and foundations
  • Removal of boom gates and redundant infrastructure
  • Construction blitz ongoing until 13 November
  • Ferguson Street closed at the level crossing until late September
  • Crossing gone and new station open – November 2021
  • Finishing works into 2022
  • Construction activities are progressing on schedule

Project managers provided a construction update including:

  • Boom gate removal marked a significant project milestone
  • Piling works continue as the new at-grade road bridge is being built
  • Excavation of around 50,000 cubic meters of clay and rock will occur once piling complete
  • Western station building preservation works in progress
  • Managing Health and Safety and COVID restrictions on site
  • Upcoming construction activities and disruptions
  • Drone footage of the construction site was presented

The project team touched on community engagement and activities during construction:

  • Range of communication materials, channels and activities are being used to keep the community informed, deliver timely responses and mitigate impacts
  • Face to face engagement activities remain on hold due to current COVID-19 advice/restrictions

LXRP answered questions from the SLG members regarding:

  • The impact COVID-19 restrictions have had on planned works
  • Number of household relocations
  • Mitigants in place to protect properties directly adjacent to works
  • Communication and engagement activities once Covid-19 restrictions have eased

Actions: There were no actions.

Meeting One – 22 July 2021

Independent facilitator provided an Acknowledgement of Country and welcomed members to the first meeting of the Ferguson Street Stakeholder Liaison Group (SLG).

The Hon. Melissa Horne MLA, Member for Williamstown also provided an Acknowledgement of Country and welcomed members to the first meeting of the Ferguson Street SLG.

An overview of the purpose of the SLG was provided and individual members of the project team and SLG were introduced.

A general project update was provided, summarising:

  • Removing level crossing by lowering the rail line under Ferguson Street
  • Building new North Williamstown station and community precinct
  • Major construction: August – November 2021
  • Crossing gone and new station open – November 2021
  • Finishing works into 2022

Project managers provided a construction update:

  • Located and moved underground services at Ferguson Street, Railway Crescent, Champion Road, and Kororoit Creek Road
  • Set up two work sites at Power Street and Kororoit Creek Road
  • Used a 120-tonne piling rig to install underground columns to support the new rail trench.

The Project team shared information about the upcoming construction blitz from July to November:

  • Crews will work 24/7 from Sunday 15 August to Saturday 13 November
  • Concentrating major works into this 85-day period will limit disruption as much as possible
  • Work will include:
    • Digging a rail trench under Ferguson Street, 750 metres long, 17 metres wide, and up to eight metres deep
    • Drilling foundations and installing retaining walls for the rail trench and station platforms
    • Installing new track, rail equipment and signalling
    • Building the new station, with stairs and lifts to lowered platforms.

The project team touched on community engagement and communication activities with schools, traders, residents, motorists and cyclists:

  • a range of communication materials, channels and engagement activities will be used to keep people informed and promptly respond to and mitigate impacts and issues during construction
  • some engagement activities may be modified based on current COVID-19 advice/restrictions.

LXRP answered questions from the SLG members regarding:

  • How the pedestrian crossing design was determined
  • Traffic congestion and how this will be eased.