Holland Park faces serious disruption
Is there to be an 'open cutting' or 'slot'?

According to the Engineering Report, the deep drilled (that is, borrow horizontally like a mole) part of the tunnel starts at Hoddle Street at the Eastern Freeway and ends at Holland Park.  The geology then requires the remainder of the tunnel to be dug as a cuttingor trench.  Holland Park would be used as a 'staging area' during the deep tunneling phase.

What are the implications of this?

Short term:  A 'staging area' implies that for some years, large sections of the Park will need to be fenced off and used to store spoil from the excavation of a tunnel that is kilometers long, plus machinery, etc.; it implies years of noise, dirt and disruption.

Permanent:  The main Eddington Report, Investing in transport, East-West link needs assessment, says on p. 218 that the Park needs to be used as a staging point for deep tunneling during construction, then to be "fully restored at the end of construction". 

This is contradicted by the Engineering Report which says on p. 75:  "In the concept design, it has been assumed that generally this section would be in an open cutting with vertical retained sides as this provides an opportunity for the tunnel to daylight and would enhance the driver experience. New overbridges would be required for the railway line, Childers Street and Dynon Road to cross this open ‘slot’."  This implies that part of the open 'slot' would be in Holland Park permanently. 

Department of Infrastucture officers have told us that p. 75 is badly expressed and that, in fact, the 'slot' would be covered over and the Park restored.  DOI intends to post a Question and Answer page shortly, at which time this issue may be resolved.

The latest email from the Kensington Association.

East-West Tunnel - latest position

Members of the Association's Eddington Report Working Party met with officers from the Department of Infrastructure on 8 May:  Leanne Seddon (engineer) and Tony Canavan.   

The following points were made by the DOI officers:

*  The Eddington Report recommends an east-west tunnel and provides one feasible method of constructing it.  If a tunnel is finally approved, it may differ from the original plan.

*  It is not intended that there be an 'open cut' or 'slot' in Holland Park.

*  Coming from the east, the deep drilled tunnel will divide under Royal Park, with a branch heading SW under Kensington and another heading NW up the Tullamarine tollway, emerging some distance NW of the 'sticks'.  DOI information is that the branch section cannot be constructed by deep drilling, and needs to be done by 'cut and cover' in Royal Park, after which the park will be restored.

*  At Holland Park, because of a change in geology, the deep drilled section needs to change to a 'cut and cover' method.  Somewhere south of the rail line, the cut will remain open to the sky.

*  They said that it was never the intention to leave the Holland Park section open, and that after the conclusion of construction, the cut would be roofed over and the Park would be restored.

*  The truck link from Smithfield Road across the wetlands towards the docks would be a high-level expressway, but was this in the conceptual stage with no detaills available yet.

The following points were made by members of the Working Party: 

*  Members thanked the officers for the opportunity to meet, and the information provided.

*  While not questioning the good faith of officers, members drew their attention to the assurances given in the planning stages of CitiLink:  That the high-level section of CitiLink from Mount Alexander Road south would be insulated with a sound proof tube, and that overall, the CitiLink project would result in a dramatic reduction of traffic through Kensington, neither of which in fact occurred.

*  The proposed truck link could have serious deleterious impact on Kensington Banks.

*  Given that there is to be no exit from the expressway/tunnel between Dynon Road and Hoddle Street, for people coming from the west, we anticipate that traffic wishing to enter inner suburbs and the City will exit at Dynon Road, and that some of that traffic will attempt to make its way through Kensington.

*  Regarding Holland Park, members drew attention to p. 75 of the Engineering Report that appears to clearly imply that there will be a 'slot' or open cutting through Holland Park which will necessitate bridging over at Childers Street and the rail line.

The officers said they were not familiar with p. 75, and would study it.  They promised to put further information up on the DOI website, and let the Association know when they had done so.  Members again thanked the officers and the meeting adjourned.

Actions:  We recommend that residents continue to spread the word to friends and neighbours that the East-West Tunnel is a potential threat to Kensington, keep up to date via the Association website (www.kensingtonassociation.org.au) and join the Association.