Melbourne Airport Rail is a transformational public transport project connecting to Victoria’s regional and metropolitan network with trains to run from Melbourne Airport through Sunshine Station and the Metro Tunnel.

Rail Projects Victoria (RPV) is overseeing the delivery of Melbourne Airport Rail and has a team of design, engineering, construction and environmental experts working on the development and delivery of the project.

A range of investigations and assessments are undertaken as part of project planning to develop ways of managing and mitigating potential impacts during construction.

While every effort will be made to reduce construction impacts as much as possible, there will be some impacts to the local community.

This fact sheet outlines what we will do to manage construction impacts on Melbourne Airport Rail.

Construction approach

Construction of Melbourne Airport Rail will take place over several years and in stages along the whole length of the rail corridor between Sunshine Station and the new Airport Station.

All works will be carefully planned and managed to make sure residents continue to enjoy where they live, and businesses continue to operate.

In general, construction will be undertaken during standard construction hours, which are 7am to 6pm weekdays and 7am to 1pm Saturdays. Night works will be required at times for some elements of the project and this will be communicated in advance to those potentially impacted.

A number of sites along the alignment will be required for laydown, site compounds and access to the rail corridor. Some larger compounds will store most of the materials needed to build the project with several smaller satellite sites to house work crews and provide amenities.

Utility relocations, including moving electrical towers and underground services such as water and gas, will take place before major construction can begin.

New infrastructure will also be built along the rail corridor including electrical substations and digital train radio signal towers to support trains running.

Some industrial and commercial land, including land already reserved for the project, will be required to support construction and operation of Melbourne Airport Rail. RPV has contacted affected landowners and tenants.

The project will be delivered in a series of work packages. This is a typical delivery approach used on major projects.

Construction work will be carried out in line with all relevant statutory approvals, including the project’s Environmental Management Framework, as well as Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria guidelines.

Noise and vibration

We understand that construction noise can be disruptive to your regular daily activities. There may be increased noise from construction vehicles, piling rigs, excavators and power tools in local area during construction of Melbourne Airport Rail.

We will work with the appointed construction contractors to monitor and manage noise and vibration.

Noise and vibration assessments were undertaken to understand the potential and consider the impacts of proposed construction activities and inform management measures.

A range of measures will be used to manage the impact of our work including:

• providing advanced notification of upcoming works
• working within standard construction hours, wherever feasible
• using lowest-noise work practices and equipment to meet the requirements of the job
• minimising the extent of major noise-generating work happening at the same time at the same location
• installing hoardings and temporary noise barriers, where required
• turning off machinery and equipment when not in use.

Dust

We will take steps to reduce dust during construction as much as possible and limit impacts on the surrounding environment. We will do this by:

• covering dirt and rock when being transported
• spraying water on open stockpiles and roads to keep dust down
• monitoring dust levels at key locations and taking action to suppress dust in extreme windy conditions.

Lighting

During any night works, lights are used to provide safe working conditions. When night works are planning during construction we will limit any light impacts on residential areas near work zones by positioning lighting to face the work areas and away from residential properties where possible.

Soil and groundwater management

Melbourne Airport Rail will be built at ground level with sections of elevated rail tracks so it is not anticipated that construction will involve excavation of large amounts of soil and rock.

Processes and procedures will be developed for identifying, classifying, removing and disposing of any potential contaminated materials on site in line with environmental regulations.

Works will be carefully planned and delivered to minimise changes to groundwater levels during construction and when Melbourne Airport Rail is up and running.

Vegetation and wildlife

Ecological investigations are ongoing to identify existing flora and fauna, including trees and native vegetation, local wildlife as well as protected species. As planning progresses, every effort will be made to reduce impacts on existing flora and fauna including designs to minimise the number of trees needing to be removed. For areas where vegetation is expected to be removed, RPV and the appointed contractors will work closely with key stakeholders to develop landscaping plans appropriate for the local area.

To minimise vegetation removal and protect wildlife we will:

• identify areas of vegetation to be protected
• set out no-go zones and fence areas to be protected
• provide offsets for any residual impacts on the local environment that cannot be avoided.

Public transport

There will be temporary disruptions to public transport in the local area during construction.

These disruptions will include the temporary closure of Sunshine Station and Albion Station at times during construction. There will also be some temporary closures of the rail line to ensure the safe and efficient construction of the project.

Any changes to rail or bus services will be communicated in advance and alternative transport arranged where required.

Parks and sporting grounds

We will minimise the use of open spaces such as local parks and sporting grounds for construction as much as possible and will continue to work with councils, community groups and sporting clubs to reduce disruption from our works.

If open spaces are impacted, we will:

• keep sporting grounds open and operating during construction, where possible
• work with councils and clubs to avoid impacting organised local events
• reinstate or, where possible, improve open space areas being used during construction.

Traffic and detours

During construction you may notice changes to some of the roads you are familiar with.

This may include temporary and overnight closures of major transport routes including the Western Ring Road (M80) and Ballarat Road.

There may also be modifications to some local roads to allow for the safe movement of oversized vehicles.

There will also be trucks travelling to and from construction sites. Construction traffic will be required to use major arterial roads and avoid using local roads as much as possible.

To keep traffic moving we will:

• implement tailored traffic management plans for construction zones, including detours and early warning signals leading up to and around work areas to ensure vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians can move around safely
• keep all freeway lanes open during peak times, where possible
• limit construction traffic and project vehicles on major roads during peak travel times, where possible
• provide clear and up-to-date information for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians via on-road signage, social media, the project website, letterbox drops and door knocks with affected residents and businesses.

Site compounds and laydown areas

Site compounds provide a base for workers, equipment and machinery during construction.

There are several proposed site compound locations within the project area which will allow for safe and efficient access to the rail corridor and provide adequate space to laydown equipment required to build Melbourne Airport Rail.

Existing government land used for railway activities will be used for site compounds and laydown sites wherever possible.

Where this isn’t possible, the project may temporarily use public open spaces and privately-owned commercial or industrial land during construction, and reinstate the land on completion.

RPV and the appointed contractors will work closely with all landowners when planning for site compound and laydown areas.

Working with local businesses

We understand that construction of a major infrastructure project can be disruptive to local businesses.

We will work with businesses in the lead up to and during construction to understand how each business operates and develop ways to maintain access and minimise disruption to customers, staff and deliveries.

During construction of Melbourne Airport Rail, we will:

• Make sure businesses stay visible and their services are accessible
• Work with local businesses for local events and promotions for traders and workers
• Engage with business associations, councils and community groups to inform and communicate construction works and disruptions in advance.

About Melbourne Airport Rail

• Melbourne Airport Rail will connect people from the airport to where they need to go - be that work, home or Victoria’s key tourism destinations.
• Airport trains will run from a new station at Melbourne Airport every 10 minutes, through the Metro Tunnel to Melbourne’s CBD in around 30 minutes.
• Construction will begin in 2022 with a target opening date of 2029, subject to approvals. The project will support up to 8,000 jobs during construction.