Fifteen new trees have been planted in Dandenong’s Woodcock Reserve as part of the Webster Street Level Crossing Removal Project, boosting the suburb’s tree canopy and biodiversity.
Webster Street will close at the level crossing, and we’ll build a new road under the rail line, connecting Prince Highway-Lonsdale Street to Cheltenham and Hammond roads.
Planted along Dandenong Creek with the support of City of Greater Dandenong Council, the 15 native trees range from 1.2-1.5m tall and will grow up to 25m.
Tree species include Smooth-barked Apple Gum (Angophora costata), which were selected to complement the existing landscaping and geology of the area.
As part of the project, we’ll plant two trees for every one removed, with the remaining planting taking place when construction is complete in 2026.
During consultation the community said they preferred native and indigenous planting and in total we’ll plant 30,000 native trees, shrubs and flowering plants.
Webster Street will be closed to vehicles at the level crossing later this year, and the new road underpass will open in 2026, 2 years ahead of schedule.
The level crossing is one of the most dangerous in Melbourne, with 22 near misses recorded since 2012.
Boom gates are down for up to 62 minutes during the morning peak, causing traffic chaos for drivers in Dandenong.
Removing 8 level crossings in the Greater Dandenong area will save about 6 hours of boom gate down time each morning, directly benefiting businesses in this busy industrial area.
We’ll also build a new walking and cycling path along Webster Street under the Dandenong Creek rail bridge, connecting residents to local shops and services in Dandenong's CBD. The new walking and cycling path will open later this year.
