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Summary of document

This report is an attachment to the North East Link Environment Effects Statement (EES). It has been used to inform the EES required for the project. It provides a summary of North East Link Project’s communication and engagement activities and responses to issues and concerns raised to date.

Executive summary

North East Link (‘the project’) is a proposed new freeway-standard road connection that would complete the missing link in Melbourne’s ring road, giving the city a fully completed orbital connection for the first time. North East Link would connect the M80 Ring Road (otherwise known as the Metropolitan Ring Road) to the Eastern Freeway, and include works along the Eastern Freeway from near Hoddle Street to Springvale Road.

On 2 February 2018, the Minister for Planning declared North East Link to be ‘public works’ under Section 3(1) of the Environment Effects Act 1978, which was published in the Victorian Government Gazette on 6 February 2018 (No. S 38 Tuesday 6 February 2018). This declaration triggered the requirement for the preparation of an EES to inform the Minister’s assessment of the project and the subsequent determinations of other decision-makers.

The scoping requirements for the EES published by the Minister for Planning describe the specific environmental matters to be investigated and documented in the project’s EES. The EES allows stakeholders to understand the likely environmental impacts of North East Link and how they are proposed to be managed.

Section 2.4 of the scoping requirements require NELP to undertake consultation to enable stakeholder and community knowledge and views to be considered in project planning and formal decision making. GHD was commissioned to support NELP with community and stakeholder engagement for North East Link.

NELP has undertaken an extensive communication and engagement program to support development of the North East Link reference project and inform this EES. The EES was developed in consultation with the community and stakeholders and in parallel with the reference project development. The reference project has been assessed in this EES.

Conclusion

Engagement is an essential part of planning for any major project. NELP has carried out an extensive communication and engagement program to support the development of the North East Link reference project and to inform the EES.

The program included a range of activities such as community and stakeholder workshops, targeted meetings, online communications and site visits. The purpose of these activities is twofold: to provide opportunities for communities and stakeholders to learn and understand the likely environment impacts and how they are proposed to be managed; and for NELP to seek information from communities and stakeholders to inform the corridor selection, project design and EES technical studies.

Feedback has covered a range of topics including corridor selection, project design, traffic and transport, amenity, business, construction and environment.

This feedback has informed development of the North East Link reference project and preparation of this EES.

Communication and engagement would continue with the community and stakeholders over the next phase of the project. Systems and processes would be established to respond to new and emerging issues in accordance with the environmental management framework and EPRs for the project.

Contractors would also be required to develop and implement a Communications and Community Engagement Plan outlining their approach to keep potentially affected stakeholders informed about the progress of the project during its construction and operation and to identify opportunities to work together to minimise construction impacts.