24 March 2025

Introduction

Our city and state are growing. Melbourne will be a city of 9 million people by the 2050s — the size of London today.

We need more transport and more homes in the right places — and Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) will deliver both. Construction of SRL East is powering ahead, with trains taking passengers by 2035 — slashing travel times, easing congestion and creating thousands of local jobs.

SRL East from Cheltenham to Box Hill will deliver six brand new underground stations, opening up access to health, education and employment destinations across Melbourne’s east and south east, including those travelling from Gippsland.

The network support facility, located on the corner of Highbury Road and Sinnott Street, is around 400 metres south of the future SRL East station at Burwood. This supporting infrastructure is required to convert the local power supply into the voltage and type of current needed to power the tunnel boring machines during construction. Once construction of the tunnels is complete, the network support facility will be reconfigured to provide power for operation of the SRL East network.

We sought community feedback on the permanent 66kV building, located within the network support facility site. This document summarises feedback received during public exhibition of the Burwood network support facility Urban Design and Landscape Plan (UDLP).

Construction of the Burwood network support facility

We are building a network support facility on the corner of Highbury Road and Sinnott Street at Burwood.

The facility will be a mostly self-contained, unstaffed building containing electrical equipment to convert the local power supply into the voltage needed to power the tunnel boring machines during construction. Once construction of the tunnels is complete the network support facility will be reconfigured to power the SRL East network.

Urban Design and Landscape Plan

A UDLP is required to be prepared to the satisfaction of the Minister for Planning in accordance with the SRL East Incorporated Document August 2022 (Incorporated Document) before the construction of the permanent above-ground 66kV building at the Burwood network support facility site.

Associated temporary structures are excluded from this requirement. A future UDLP will be prepared before all remaining structures are permanently reconfigured to support SRL East operations from 2035.

Community feedback was considered in the development of the Burwood network support facility UDLP, which has been approved by the Minister for Planning.

Feedback not directly related to the UDLP was collated and will inform future Project considerations, where appropriate.

What we heard — Burwood network support facility

We consulted on the network support facility from 30 January to 15 March and 27 August to 26 September 2024.

We asked for feedback on a range of topics including design, external treatments and landscaping. Community feedback was collected via a survey on Engage Victoria and two formal submissions were received via email.

To support this engagement, we provided information on the Burwood network support facility 66kV building via:

An advertisement in the Herald Sun
A social media post on Facebook
Direct invitations to adjoining owners/occupiers and key stakeholders to give feedback on the draft UDLP.

Community engagement snapshot

41 survey responses
2,504 unique visitors to the Engage Victoria site
More than 40,579 people reached on social media posts

We heard from a range of age groups

Percentage	Survey participants by age group.
3%	Less than 18 years old
28%	18-34 years old
15%	35-49 years old
31%	50-65 years old
23%	Older than 65 years.

Community feedback

We’d like to thank the community for providing their feedback on the Burwood network support facility UDLP.

Areas of interest

A summary of key feedback themes identified in responses to the Engage Victoria survey is included below.

Structure design

What we heard.

Respondents told us	Our response
They want the building design to blend into its surroundings, using modern bricks, indigenous and climbing plants for shade, and integrating planting on both sides of the footpath They would like the design to incorporate street art, murals, sculptures, and passive fencing or walls, with uplighting along walkways and fences to deter theft and vandalism They questioned the location and size of the site	We’ve chosen pre-cast concrete panels and steel elements for the 66kV building to minimise visual impact from Highbury Road and Sinnott Street, helping it blend into its industrial surroundings. This also allows for design flexibility when the site is reconfigured Indigenous plants are included in the landscape design to reflect the local flora and boost biodiversity However, climbing plants aren’t suitable as they could interfere with the site’s operations The fencing meets Australian Standards for safety and security. We’ll feature temporary artwork inspired by the local area on the fencing along Highbury Road and Sinnott Street. Low-level lighting will be used to deter theft and vandalism while minimising impacts on neighbouring residents The design balances operational needs with landscaping requests, ensuring it fits well within the community. The SRL East Environment Effects Statement assessed the suitability of this site and was approved by the Minister for Planning before this consultation

Respondents told us

Our response

They want the building design to blend into its surroundings, using modern bricks, indigenous and climbing plants for shade, and integrating planting on both sides of the footpath
They would like the design to incorporate street art, murals, sculptures, and passive fencing or walls, with uplighting along walkways and fences to deter theft and vandalism
They questioned the location and size of the site

We’ve chosen pre-cast concrete panels and steel elements for the 66kV building to minimise visual impact from Highbury Road and Sinnott Street, helping it blend into its industrial surroundings. This also allows for design flexibility when the site is reconfigured
Indigenous plants are included in the landscape design to reflect the local flora and boost biodiversity
However, climbing plants aren’t suitable as they could interfere with the site’s operations
The fencing meets Australian Standards for safety and security. We’ll feature temporary artwork inspired by the local area on the fencing along Highbury Road and Sinnott Street. Low-level lighting will be used to deter theft and vandalism while minimising impacts on neighbouring residents
The design balances operational needs with landscaping requests, ensuring it fits well within the community. The SRL East Environment Effects Statement assessed the suitability of this site and was approved by the Minister for Planning before this consultation

Safety

Respondents told us	Our response
They have concerns about businesses’ safety during construction, and the use of barbed wire for security They queried the effects of electromagnetic fields on the community once operational They are worried about safety around the facility	The safety of our workers and the community is a priority while project works progress in the area Construction activities follow all safety requirements, and WorkSafe supervises our sites with regular inspections The network support facility is designed to be safe and meets the Environmental Performance Requirements for Electromagnetic Management, as outlined in the SRL East Environmental Management Framework approved in 2022 The facility’s design complies with safety standards and ensures pedestrian safety. It provides good visibility for pedestrians and cyclists, with lighting to illuminate the footpath and low shrubs and other plantings to keep the area visible The facility’s 3-metre-high fence with barbed wire deters unauthorised access and meets relevant standards and requirements

Respondents told us

Our response

They have concerns about businesses’ safety during construction, and the use of barbed wire for security
They queried the effects of electromagnetic fields on the community once operational
They are worried about safety around the facility

The safety of our workers and the community is a priority while project works progress in the area
Construction activities follow all safety requirements, and WorkSafe supervises our sites with regular inspections
The network support facility is designed to be safe and meets the Environmental Performance Requirements for Electromagnetic Management, as outlined in the SRL East Environmental Management Framework approved in 2022
The facility’s design complies with safety standards and ensures pedestrian safety. It provides good visibility for pedestrians and cyclists, with lighting to illuminate the footpath and low shrubs and other plantings to keep the area visible
The facility’s 3-metre-high fence with barbed wire deters unauthorised access and meets relevant standards and requirements

Construction and operational impacts

Respondents told us	Our response
They would like to see Project information and a viewing window that looks into the network support facility They are concerned about the traffic impacts on local residents They are concerned about potential impacts to local wildlife and operational noise, particularly at night	We’re considering adding Project information to the final hoarding design. We’re also looking into proposals for a viewing window at the SRL site compound in Burwood, about 400 metres north of the network support facility All our work follows the Road Management Act 2004. We coordinate with the local council and the Department of Transport and Planning to manage and communicate traffic changes to residents and businesses in advance The facility’s lighting meets outdoor lighting requirements to minimise wildlife impacts. We have a dedicated team onsite during construction to protect local wildlife. Experts have assessed the operational noise and vibration, and the facility meets relevant noise levels during normal operations

Respondents told us

Our response

They would like to see Project information and a viewing window that looks into the network support facility
They are concerned about the traffic impacts on local residents
They are concerned about potential impacts to local wildlife and operational noise, particularly at night

We’re considering adding Project information to the final hoarding design. We’re also looking into proposals for a viewing window at the SRL site compound in Burwood, about 400 metres north of the network support facility
All our work follows the Road Management Act 2004. We coordinate with the local council and the Department of Transport and Planning to manage and communicate traffic changes to residents and businesses in advance
The facility’s lighting meets outdoor lighting requirements to minimise wildlife impacts. We have a dedicated team onsite during construction to protect local wildlife. Experts have assessed the operational noise and vibration, and the facility meets relevant noise levels during normal operations

Additional feedback

We’ve been working closely with the Urban Design Advisory Panel (UDAP). UDAP is a group of experts in urban design, architecture, and landscape architecture that provides independent and professional advice on urban design for SRL East. Their role is to ensure that new developments are well-designed and fit in with their surroundings.

We’ve also received valuable insights from Whitehorse City Council and United Energy, who took the time to share their thoughts through letters and emails.

Next steps

All feedback provided as part of the UDLP consultation was considered and informed the final UDLP. The final UDLP was endorsed by the Minister for Planning on 22 October 2024. Construction on the above ground 66kV building for the Burwood network support facility commenced in December 2024.

Download the engagement report

SRL Burwood Network Support Facility UDLP engagement report (PDF 2.4 MB)