FRANKSTON BYPASS EES INQUIRY REPORT INQUIRY REPORT APRIL 2009 FRANKSTON BYPASS EES INQUIRY REPORT INQUIRY REPORT Lester Townsend, Chair Chris Banon, Member Henry Turnbull, Member APRIL 2009 Contents INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND.................................................................. 1 1. KEY ISSUES .............................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Need for the Bypass .................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Environmental impacts ............................................................................................ 2 1.3 Greenhouse gas emissions ....................................................................................... 3 2. THE INQUIRY.......................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Appointment of the Inquiry..................................................................................... 4 2.2 Terms of Reference.................................................................................................... 4 2.3 Description of proceedings ...................................................................................... 5 3. POLICY CONTEXT ................................................................................................. 7 3.1 A snap shot of regional planning history .............................................................. 7 3.2 Metropolitan planning.............................................................................................. 8 4. THE PROJECT ........................................................................................................ 12 4.1 Project overview ...................................................................................................... 12 4.2 Objectives ................................................................................................................. 15 4.3 Development of the options................................................................................... 16 5. NATURE OF SUBMISSIONS ............................................................................. 20 5.1 Exhibition ................................................................................................................. 20 5.2 Submissions about process .................................................................................... 20 5.3 Submissions about options .................................................................................... 21 5.4 Approach of the Inquiry......................................................................................... 21 5.5 Broader issues with the EES................................................................................... 22 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS, MODIFICATIONS AND MITIGATION ........ 25 6. TRANSPORT.......................................................................................................... 25 6.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 25 6.2 Adequacy of the traffic modelling ........................................................................ 25 6.3 The need for road capacity improvements.......................................................... 29 6.4 The need for a freeway standard road ................................................................. 31 6.5 Traffic increases on the surrounding road network........................................... 34 6.6 Rail to Port of Hastings........................................................................................... 35 6.7 The shared path ....................................................................................................... 36 6.8 Interchanges ............................................................................................................. 37 6.9 Derril Road............................................................................................................... 39 6.10 Fog .............................................................................................................................41 7. LAND USE............................................................................................................... 42 7.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 42 7.2 Limiting overdevelopment .................................................................................... 42 7.3 Land fragmentation ................................................................................................ 43 7.4 Acquisition and access............................................................................................ 45 7.5 Houses close to Bypass........................................................................................... 45 7.6 Freeway service centre............................................................................................ 46 7.7 Planning scheme amendment................................................................................ 48 PAGE I 8. FLORA AND FAUNA ........................................................................................... 52 8.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 52 8.2 Pines Flora and Fauna Reserve.............................................................................. 55 8.3 The interchange with EastLink.............................................................................. 66 8.4 Westerfield ............................................................................................................... 69 8.5 Dwarf Galaxias ........................................................................................................ 75 8.6 Willow Road Reserve (Pobblebonk Wetlands) ................................................... 78 8.7 Devil Bend Creek / Reservoir biosite................................................................... 79 8.8 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act issues ........................................ 80 8.9 Habitat links............................................................................................................. 86 9. SURFACE WATER................................................................................................. 89 9.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 89 9.2 Waterway function and waterway health ........................................................... 90 9.3 Watsons Creek ......................................................................................................... 92 9.4 Devilbend and Tuerong Creeks ............................................................................ 94 9.5 Tamarisk Creek........................................................................................................ 95 9.6 Balcombe Creek ....................................................................................................... 96 9.7 Waterways that feed Ramsar wetlands................................................................ 97 10. GROUNDWATER ................................................................................................. 98 10.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 98 10.2 Willow Road Reserve (Pobblebonk Wetlands) ................................................... 98 10.3 Loss of water and water quality............................................................................ 99 11. GEOLOGY, SOIL AND CONTAMINATED LAND..................................... 101 11.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 101 11.2 Erosion .................................................................................................................... 101 12. NOISE..................................................................................................................... 102 12.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 102 12.2 Noise level to be achieved.................................................................................... 102 12.3 Impacts on native fauna and horses ................................................................... 104 12.4 Construction noise ................................................................................................ 105 13. AIR QUALITY ...................................................................................................... 106 13.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 106 13.2 Overall effects ........................................................................................................ 106 13.3 Health impacts and domestic water ................................................................... 107 13.4 Construction dust.................................................................................................. 108 14. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS .................................................................. 109 14.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................