Before construction of a major infrastructure project can commence, investigations and planning activities are undertaken to help inform project designs and decision making.
Stakeholder and community engagement
Ongoing community engagement will play an integral role in shaping Melbourne Airport Rail, and we want you to have your say.
We have been engaging with stakeholders and the community to understand how Melbourne Airport Rail might affect stakeholders, businesses and the local community located along the route and how the project can best manage construction and operational changes.
Engagement to date has included:
- letters to residents and businesses adjacent to the rail line between Sunshine Station and Melbourne Airport
- notifications regarding early site investigations
- stakeholder meetings
- an online community survey
- information pop-ups to raise awareness of the project.
Planning approvals
As part of planning for Melbourne Airport Rail, Rail Projects Victoria is seeking a range of Victorian and Commonwealth planning, environment and other statutory approvals.
This is because the Melbourne Airport Rail route includes State land and Commonwealth land at the airport.
To date, we’ve progressed several of these approvals including receiving guidance from the Victorian Minister for Planning to apply for planning approval on State land using a tailored provision (Clause 52.36 of the planning schemes), as well as guidance from Federal departments following submissions under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
We are continuing to refine detailed assessments on potential impacts more broadly along the route, as well as progressing community and stakeholder engagement to inform these planning and environmental approvals.
Planning and design work
Our teams are working hard behind the scenes, using information obtained from site investigation and engagement activities to continue developing project designs.