Before construction for permanent above-ground buildings or structures for North East Link got underway, an Urban Design and Landscape Plan (UDLP) was exhibited for public comment from 11 May to 31 May 2022 so local people could give feedback on local elements of the design for their area.
The UDLP shows the proposed design and explains how it meets requirements the community helped develop for the project’s Urban Design Strategy and Environmental Performance Requirements.
The UDLP exhibited for feedback included:
- longer tunnels to Watsonia
- a new boulevard for Greensborough Road
- improved interchange designs at Lower Plenty Road and Manningham Road with more space for new parklands at Borlase Reserve in Yallambie and a new Cultural Landscape Precinct in Bulleen
- a new Yarra Link green bridge over Bulleen Road connecting Koonung Creek Trail to Yarra River parklands.
In response to your feedback on the UDLP, we made some further changes to the design including:
- improved walking and cycling connections
- more opportunities for more trees and plants
- a new wildlife crossing for Lower Plenty Road between Borlase Reserve and Banyule Flats
- more privacy and better views for residents.
The UDLP was approved by the Minister for Planning in February 2023.
In September 2024, the UDLP was updated to transfer the design for the interchange with the Eastern Freeway in Bulleen and connecting Eastern Freeway upgrades in Balwyn North out of the North East Link Tunnels UDLP and into the Eastern Freeway Upgrades: Burke Road to Tram Road UDLP.
As part of the UDLP approved in February 2023, we also committed to continuing to refine the design for North East Link. This included for the new parklands at Borlase Reserve, the Cultural Landscape Precinct and the Yarra Link green bridge. The UDLP now has more detail for play areas at Borlase Reserve, an improved wetland and boardwalk design at the Cultural Landscape Precinct, and a better walking and cycling path over the green bridge. Further detailed work has also refined the architectural design for the tunnel ventilation structures.
These refinements were made using feedback from the UDLP exhibition in 2023, additional information from stakeholders and technical studies.
You can see a copy of the UDLP, which includes these updates as well as other refinements to improve the design, together with the Community Consultation Report from the public exhibition in 2023 below:
- Community Consultation Report (PDF, 3.7 MB)
- NEL Tunnels UDLP Report (PDF, 51.5 MB)
- NEL Tunnels UDLP attachment 1 - Architecture and urban design (PDF, 21.7 MB)
- NEL Tunnels UDLP attachment 2 - Landscape design (PDF, 44.8 MB)
- NEL Tunnels UDLP attachment 3 - Urban design visualisations (PDF, 18.2 MB)
- NEL Tunnels UDLP Attachment 4 - Urban design overshadowing assessment (PDF, 12.4 MB)