Suburban Rail Loop will transform Victoria’s public transport system, connecting our suburbs and making travel easier and more convenient. It will link with every major train line from the Frankston line to the Werribee line via Melbourne Airport, improving access to housing, jobs, schools, universities and hospitals in Melbourne’s middle suburbs.

Suburban Rail Loop East (SRL East), with construction starting from 2022, will connect our growing health, education, retail and employment precincts in Melbourne’s east and south east between Cheltenham and Box Hill.

It will include:

• Twin 26km rail tunnels.
• Four new stations with connections to existing stations at Cheltenham, Clayton, Glen Waverley and Box Hill.
• Two new stations at Monash and Burwood.
• A train stabling facility at Heatherton.
• Supporting infrastructure for the safe operation of the new tunnels and stations.
• A dedicated fleet of high-tech trains to transform how Melbourne moves.

What we’re up to now

Technical, planning and design work is well advanced, and community and stakeholder engagement is underway along the SRL East corridor.

Geotechnical drilling and engineering assessments across SRL East areas have helped to refine critical elements including tunnel alignment and station footprints and entrances.

These on-the-ground activities, along with expert technical assessments and stakeholder and community engagement, are informing planning and design work and preparation of the Environment Effects Statement (EES).

Engagement program

Community and stakeholder engagement for Suburban Rail Loop has been underway since mid-2019, raising awareness and capturing feedback.

To support the successful planning, development and delivery of SRL East (Cheltenham to Box Hill), Suburban Rail Loop Authority is engaging a diverse range of stakeholders including residents, businesses,

community and interest groups, local government, institutions, utility providers, government departments, commercial landholders and developers.

The engagement program includes several engagement phases, each with a different focus.

Phase Two engagement: Building understanding

Engagement during this phase continued to raise awareness about Suburban Rail Loop, while beginning to help SRL East communities understand the broader benefits beyond the rail infrastructure and capturing feedback about people’s values and aspirations for their local neighbourhoods. Discussions with stakeholders continued, updating them on station location assessments, and capturing their aspirations for associated precinct opportunities.

The global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had an enormous impact on the lives of individuals and communities. The first case of COVID-19 was reported in Victoria in January 2020. Since March 2020, stages of lockdowns and restrictions have affected the way people can participate and engage with Suburban Rail Loop. Due to ongoing public health restrictions during 2020, online tools were the primary method of engaging with local communities in SRL East areas.

This report provides a summary of key findings and feedback received as part of Phase Two engagement for SRL East from late-2019 to mid-2020. Activities undertaken in Phase Two go across multiple phases and have been summarised into this report to provide an overview of key themes and feedback.

Overview of engagement activities and participation

Pop up information sessions

From February to March 2020, the project team interacted with more than 3000 community members during seven pop-up information sessions held at train stations, shopping centres, and other locations and events across Melbourne’s south east.

Precinct engagement

SRL East (Cheltenham to Box Hill) precincts engagement ran from 2 June 2020 to 15 February 2021 on the Engage Victoria online platform.

This engagement sought participation from communities in and around the SRL East areas in two ways:

• An interactive pinpoint map that allowed participants to drop a pin on a map to tell us what they love, buildings / places / spaces they value, how they move around and their ideas and suggestions for the future of their communities
• A long form survey that included multiple choice, tick box and open answer questions, allowing participants to provide more information about their values, current lived experience, concerns and ideas for the future.

This report provides a summary of key findings of the feedback received via both the social pinpoint survey and the long form survey for each of the six SRL East precincts.

In total more than 2000 contributions were made to this precinct engagement, including 784 precinct surveys and 1353 comments on the precinct social maps. A breakdown of surveys and social map comments by precinct is detailed below.

SRL East precincts engagement survey results

• Cheltenham – 215 surveys completed
• Clayton – 57 surveys completed
• Monash – 177 surveys completed
• Glen Waverley – 67 surveys completed
• Burwood – 110 surveys completed
• Box Hill – 158 surveys completed

SRL East precincts engagement interactive pinpoint map results

• Cheltenham – 404 comments
• Clayton – 131 comments
• Monash – 187 comments
• Glen Waverley – 133 comments
• Burwood – 230 comments
• Box Hill – 268 comments

What we heard

Precinct engagement

There was general consensus across participants that Suburban Rail Loop offers opportunities to enhance and unlock the potential of each precinct area, creating even better places for people to live, work and study.

Specific feedback varied across the six precincts and has been summarised into key themes.

Cheltenham

• In total 215 participants completed the Cheltenham survey.
• In total 404 comments were posted on the social pinpoint map.

Key themes

• Natural environment and access to open space is highly valued.
• Traffic congestion is a key challenge, particularly
• in peak hour and at school drop off time.
• Desire for more focus on walking and cycling, including better connections between local shops,
• Southland and public transport.
• Importance of connecting
• people to local jobs in the broader precinct.
• Ongoing support for local markets, events and leisure activities in open space.

Clayton

• In total 57 participants completed the Clayton survey.
• In total 131 comments were posted on the social pinpoint map.

Key themes

• Diversity of restaurants, cafés and grocery stores is valued, but there are opportunities to upgrade and revitalise these areas.
• Access to medical services, including hospitals, is important.
• Stronger focus on safer pedestrian and cycling connections, including the east-west route.
• Desire for more open green spaces and vegetation in the area.
• Development opportunities with underutilised land parcels.

Monash

• In total 177 participants completed the Monash survey.
• In total 187 comments were posted on the social pinpoint map.

Key themes

• Monash University is a critical hub of learning, research and employment.
• Limited public transport options and poor connections between modes is a key challenge.
• The University’s open spaces are valued and want to see the natural environment protected and enhanced.
• Development opportunities exist with underutilised land parcels in industrial area.
• Improved pedestrian and cycling links, particularly to connect the east and west.

Glen Waverley

• In total 67 participants completed the Glen Waverley survey.
• In total 133 comments were posted on the social pinpoint map.

Key themes

• Mix of retail and entertainment offerings is highly valued.
• Traffic congestion entertainment is a key challenge offerings is for car users and pedestrians.
• Some concern about a lack of car parking close to the existing station and retail hub, while others want reduced car parking.
• Good connections to southern industrial area and development opportunities in precinct.
• Greater focus on walking and cycling, including safer pedestrian crossings, dedicated cycling lanes.

Burwood

• In total 110 participants completed the Burwood survey.
• In total 230 comments were posted on the social pinpoint map.

Key themes

• Access to open green spaces and the local flora and fauna makes Burwood special.
• Traffic congestion is a key challenge, particularly on major roads such as Burwood Highway and Middleborough Road.
• Support for a direct rail connection and links to Deakin University.
• Opportunity to highlight and celebrate local history along Gardiners Creek.
• Desire for an improved transport network, including buses, trams and walking and cycling paths.

Box Hill

• In total 158 participants completed the Box Hill survey.
• In total 268 comments were posted on the social pinpoint map.

Key themes

• Box Hill is unique because of the retail mix, but there are opportunities to upgrade and revitalise some spaces.
• Good access to public transport (rail, tram, bus) and connection to Melbourne’s CBD is highly valued.
• Improved pedestrian and cycling connectivity and infrastructure is desired.
• Desire for more open green space and improved public realm.
• Opportunity to unlock further land for development.

How feedback is helping shape Suburban Rail Loop

The community has an important part to play in the development and delivery of Suburban Rail Loop and it is our priority to consult widely, ensuring Victorians are kept updated and can have their say.

Community and stakeholder feedback plays an important role in helping us to understand what is valued by communities and what improvement opportunities could be considered as part of Suburban Rail Loop.

We have used feedback from this phase to inform development and planning of SRL East. Feedback captured also continued to inform the rail and infrastructure design, precinct planning and impact assessments to prepare for planning approvals.

There will be many more opportunities for people to get involved and have their say on Suburban Rail Loop. We would like to thank everyone who has contributed feedback to date.