Suburban Rail Loop is a city and state-shaping project that will transform Victoria’s public transport system, enhance Melbourne’s middle suburbs and create a long pipeline of jobs.

Suburban Rail Loop East (SRL East) will connect Melbourne’s growing health, education, retail and employment precincts between Cheltenham and Box Hill.

The 26-kilometre SRL East tunnel will be built as a standalone line that is integrated with the existing public transport network.

A high-tech fleet of energy efficient trains will run on the line, stopping at the 6 new underground stations at Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill.

Planning processes

After two years of detailed planning and development work, SRL East’s Environment Effects Statement (EES) has been released.

The SRL East EES identifies benefits and potential impacts during construction and operation and proposes ways to avoid, minimise, offset or manage any effects.

The EES for SRL East includes 36 technical reports across 19 topics such as noise, vibration, traffic, ecology and social impacts.

Also released is a draft Planning Scheme Amendment (PSA) showing proposed changes to local planning schemes so land can be used to build rail infrastructure for SRL East.

What we've heard so far about community and culture

Since mid-2019, we’ve engaged with over 20,000 people via online and face to face consultation.

Key feedback relating to community and culture include:

• Questions about access to key local places during construction including shopping centres, local parks, recreational areas and community facilities.
• Requests for station and supporting infrastructure to blend in with the character of surrounding environment and to incorporate Aboriginal heritage in the design.
• Questions about impacts on local businesses and residents with requests for early notification of construction, noise and impacts to the local area.
• Questions about impacts to heritage sites in Burwood and Box Hill and the loss of open space to make way for construction.

This factsheet

We’ve developed a suite of fact sheets to help you navigate the SRL East EES and connect you with the information that is relevant to you.

This fact sheet provides information about how potential impacts on community and culture have been considered and explains where you can find more detail in the SRL East EES.

EES study topics covered in this fact sheet:

• Landscape and visual
• Social and community
• Human and health
• Business and retail
• Aboriginal cultural heritage
• Historical heritage

Managing impacts on community and culture

Suburban Rail Loop Authority is committed to minimising impacts on people and places during both the construction and operation of SRL East.

A number of mitigation measures have been identified. These form the basis of Environmental Performance Requirements (EPRs) recommended by specialists through the EES process.

The recommended EPRs for community and culture include:

• Developing an Urban Design Strategy which sets strong principles, objectives and design directions for the whole project.
• Mitigating visual impacts associated with large construction sites through measures such as hoarding, landscaping and localised activation and treatments.
• Developing a Public Open Space Framework to allow for the continuity of recreational activities and access to open space.
• Implementing guidelines that offer dedicated support and a range of measures for residents and businesses who may experience temporary impacts during construction.
• Compliance with Cultural Heritage Management Plans approved under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 and prepared in accordance with the Aboriginal Heritage Regulations 2007.
• Undertaking condition surveys of heritage places prior to commencement of construction, where located within the identified vibration and ground settlement zones of sensitivity.

Community spaces and places

The areas the new SRL East stations will serve are thriving, vibrant places. We have been talking to people who live, work and visit them to understand what makes these places special and how the new rail line can make them even better.

SRL East will create new jobs and trigger more activities around the 6 station precincts, bringing new opportunities for people to work, study, shop and socialise closer to where they live.

Urban design

SRL East will feature world-class architecture, as well as urban and landscape design that celebrates the rich Aboriginal heritage and the history of Melbourne’s east and south east.

An Urban Design Strategy has been developed in consultation with the Office of the Victorian Government Architect, local governments, Traditional Owners, experts from the private sector, project stakeholders, other government agencies and the EES Technical Reference Group (TRG).

It provides strategies to address the landscape and visual issues identified as part of the EES, and maximise SRL East's positive contribution to the surrounding precincts and its opportunity to enhance the character of the places and communities through which it passes.

Enhancing our suburbs

SRL East will deliver broad and far-reaching benefits beyond the new rail line and positively influence the way public spaces and facilities are used and enjoyed by the community.

Impacts on landscape and visual amenity are anticipated during the construction of the new stations and supporting infrastructure, including the train stabling and emergency support facilities, where changes will be noticeable around work sites.

Most of the project’s above-ground infrastructure will be delivered in highly urbanised areas that are already undergoing rapid change, or where much larger levels of change are supported by planning policies and strategies such as Plan Melbourne 2017-2050.

The Urban Design Strategy will deliver quality and integrated design that enhances the liveability of SRL East precincts and helps to transform the way Victorians live, work and travel.

Assessing social and community, and landscape and visual impacts

Specialists have been carefully identifying the significance that local spaces and places play in bringing people together.

Assessments for social and community impacts and landscape and visual impacts have looked at the positive and negative impacts SRL East could have on communities, including changes to access, connectivity, amenity and lifestyle.

Liveability and wellbeing

While SRL East will create opportunities to build and enhance local public spaces, the use of public open space during construction will temporarily affect passive recreation and amenity at Sir William Fry Reserve in Cheltenham, Gardiners Creek Reserve in Burwood and Box Hill Gardens in Box Hill.

Liveability will be enhanced with new and improved social infrastructure such as walking and cycling, invigorating public areas and making them more accessible.

SRL East will deliver increased open space in Glen Waverley and offset losses in Burwood. In addition to new and upgraded paths, open space at Sir William Fry Reserve and Box Hill Gardens will benefit from extensive tree and vegetation replanting, landscaping, lighting and wayfinding.

Once the project is operational, wellbeing benefits would come about through improved accessibility and active transport, reduced travel times, and better access to jobs, services and community.

Assessing human health

An assessment was undertaken to consider potential impacts on community health and wellbeing due to project related effects.

The integrated assessment looked at human health impacts related to air quality, noise and vibration, contaminated land, surface water, electromagnetic interference (EMI), business and retail, traffic and transport, visual effects on landscape and green space, community connectivity, social networks and access to services and facilities.

Supporting businesses and residents

Building SRL East under Melbourne’s densely populated eastern and south eastern suburbs presents a range of engineering and construction challenges. While the alignment between Cheltenham and Box Hill will be mostly tunnelled, significantly minimising above ground impacts, some private land is required for construction.

Around 150 residential properties are likely to be acquired for the project, the majority of these in Burwood and Box Hill. All households affected by acquisition will be fully compensated under relevant legislation.

There is also the potential for temporary effects on local amenity due to access changes or noise and dust, which could affect local businesses.

Changes to residential amenity resulting from construction activities would be addressed through EPRs.

Business and retail

While SRL East will improve the long-term attractiveness of precincts, particularly activity centres, as business, shopping, dining, employment and entertainment destinations, there will be some unavoidable loss of businesses and employment due to displacement or disruption.

Land required for the stations at Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Burwood and Box Hill and the train stabling facility in Heatherton is likely to displace around 120 businesses. Suburban Rail Loop Authority is working to minimise impacts to businesses from land acquisition and continues to refine designs to further reduce impacts.

Businesses will be provided support to relocate, wherever possible. Other measures, such as replacement of car parking in Glen Waverley, and monitoring business activity levels across retail centres including Cheltenham, Clayton, Glen Waverley and Box Hill is recommended.

A dedicated landowner and business support team will continue to work closely with local businesses to understand their individual circumstances and how the project can best support them.

Assessing business and retail impacts

The EES assesses potential effects on individual businesses and business precincts during construction and once SRL East is built. This includes impacts on access, logistics and amenity, as well as business viability and implications for the economy and employment. The assessment involved interviews with businesses, local government and industry groups.

Culture and history

Our heritage is unique, reflecting the historical values that meld people, place and time together.

Historical or ‘built heritage’ includes places and objects dating from post-contact history, including buildings, monuments, gardens and designed landscapes, and industrial and archaeological sites.

Aboriginal heritage includes culturally and spiritually significant places of our first peoples, including sacred and ceremonial sites, scarred trees, campsites and settlements, and places important to stories and traditions.

Specialist investigations into historical and Aboriginal cultural heritage have provided an understanding of the SRL East project area.

Historical heritage

Potential impacts to heritage places, objects and settings would largely be avoided in building SRL East. However, construction would require the removal of a limited number of locally significant buildings, including the former Colonial Gas Association building and three other buildings in the Box Hill commercial precinct.

The removal of remnant heritage structures on the former Burwood Skyline Drive-in Cinema site would also represent a loss of local heritage value.

While there is potential for indirect impacts to heritage buildings and places from vibration and ground movement associated with tunnelling, potential effects would be minimised due to tunnel depths.

The project presents a unique opportunity to enhance understanding and appreciation of historical heritage at sites through the preparation of a heritage interpretation strategy. This strategy would explore historical heritage themes and site interpretation initiatives for temporary and permanent works.

SRL East’s Urban Design Strategy would also ensure the new stations, entrances and other above ground infrastructure are sympathetic to heritage values and local character.

Assessing historical heritage

An impact assessment was undertaken for historical heritage to identify potential physical or visual effects on significant places and objects including buildings, trees, archaeological sites and precincts. Heritage specialists undertook desktop studies and field research and consulted with Heritage Victoria, councils and community-based organisations in developing the technical report.

Cultural heritage

Victoria has a strong and proud Aboriginal history, complex ownership and land stewardship systems stretching back over 60,000 years.

The potential impacts to Aboriginal cultural heritage has been reduced because surface works are in highly modified, urbanised areas. Additionally, underground tunnelling works would occur in geological formations and at depths that pre-date Aboriginal occupation.

The insights and connections offered by the traditional owners of the land on which SRL East will be built is invaluable. The project will integrate Aboriginal culture into the design, connecting the past with the present and showcasing traditional knowledge, history and memory of place.

Suburban Rail Loop Authority will continue to work with Traditional Owners to explore opportunities to embed Indigenous knowledge and values into station precinct planning, architecture and built form, landscape design, interpretation and wayfinding, visual art and language.

Assessing Aboriginal heritage

Cultural heritage specialists have worked with Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, the First Peoples State Relations Group and Aboriginal Victoria to prepare Cultural Heritage Management Plans (CHMPs) to assess and manage potential impacts, including to previously unregistered Aboriginal cultural heritage that may be identified during construction.

In addition to the CHMPs, a cultural values study is being undertaken to help identify and describe cultural values not usually captured as part of the standard statutory planning process.

Make a submission

Submissions on the SRL East EES and draft Planning Scheme Amendment (PSA) are invited during the public exhibition period.

Submissions must be made in writing to Planning Panels Victoria and received by 11:59pm on Thursday 16 December 2021.

For questions relating to submissions contact the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning Customer Service Centre on 136 186.

To make a submission visit Engage Vic.