3 posts tagged “kensington”

Famous

It's had over 400 views, and I've received a few letters back from the politicians I sent it to.  It's also had a few supportive comments posted on YouTube.

There a huge public meeting scheduled for 2pm this Saturday at Kensington Pool (well.. the hall in the Community Centre in which the pool resides).  It's entitled "DEFEND KENSINGTON" and has been set up by the Kensington Association.  So, I've been out sticking up nice posters (colour ones, printed by KA) and Nai and I will be handing out flyers at the train station on Thursday.  Oh... and I have chalk on my hands again - there's a few footpath scrawls about the streets ;)

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.

The next meeting of the Kensington Association is at 7:30pm on Monday, 5th May at Holy Rosary School, Gower Street Kensington.

The main agenda item is the East-West Tunnel.

My VERY dodgy graphic of Holland park with freeway

From their email update...

The Association Working Party has met and has agreed to press for a special briefing about the East-West Tunnel and its impact on Kensington and other inner suburbs.  So far, no answer.  We are also planning a public meeting where residents will be able to ask questions of our local Members of Parliament and Department of Infrastructure officials.

If the proposed East-West Tunnel goes ahead as planned, Holland Park as we know it is finished.

There is plenty to dislike about the tunnel proposal (pollution, diverts from public transport, encourages more car use, imagines petrol falls back below $1 per litre, is horrendously expensive, opens way for private investment tax rorts, and so on).  

For the time being, we are focussing on the impacts on Kensington.

It may be difficult for you to picture what it will look, (or sound) like.  It's horrible!!  We have asked for an artist's rendering.  If we don't get it, we will make up our own.  For the time being:

From these words, picture this:  In Holland Park, just down the slope from the Ormond-Altona Street corner, the tunnel will break out into the open.  It will have been drilled under the Kensington hill, but at this point it appears as a huge hole or archway, facing south (towards the rail line), 4- or more probably, 6-lanes wide.  This is the infamous JJ Holland Park portal.  From this point, reports say that tunneling is no longer possible because the ground changes from primarily rocky to primarily sandy.  Therefore from here, a 'sunken' 4- or 6-lane expressway will proceed towards the south (rail line) in an open cut or 'slot'.  Picture a trench with perpendicular sides, say 10m or more deep, along which 4 or 6 lanes of traffic travel, night and day, leaving or approaching the tunnel portal.  The 'slot proceeds south-west passing under Childers Street and the rail line, each of which be carried across the 'slot' over new bridges at the same level as now.  From there the open 'slot' continues towards Dynon Road, approx. parallel to Kensington Road.  Eventually it joins up with the Westgate freeway.  As the engineering report p. 75 says:

In the concept design, it has been assumed that generally this section [from the Holland Park portal south] 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’.

Obviously there will be severe impact from noise and pollution on Holland Park, the child care centre, the recreation centre, houses along Ormond and adjoining streets, and Kensington Road and adjoining streets.  Large pats of Holland Park will be unusable.  Large sections will have disappeared.

Meanwhile, there will need to be ventilation towers, the location of which are not stated.  (Skinny Park would be a handy location, being as it's another park!!)

Later we will have an illustration showing the impact of this, but if the above word picture is not clear, for the time being, please take our word for it, THE IMPACT OF THIS ON SOUTH KENSINGTON WOULD BE HORRENDOUS!

Obviously, it must never happen.  Obvioiusly the Association executive by itself cannot stop this.  All residents need to work together.  Please tell your neighbours about this, and ask them to join the Kensington Association.  (After all, who else is going to fight the fight for Kensington?)  Also, please ask them for their email addresses, and we will add them to our mailing list for email news.