Submission Cover Sheet North East Link Project EES IAC 402 Request to be heard?: No, but please email me th Full Name: Phil Turner Organisation: Maroondah City Council Affected property: Attachment 1: Maroondah_Coun Attachment 2: Maroondah_Coun Attachment 3: Comments: To the North East Link Inquiry & Advisory Committee (IAC) Maroondah Council provides the following submission to the IAC, in relation to the EES for the North East Link project. While Council formally supports the objectives of the NEL project, I advise that the support of Maroondah Council has been conditional on appropriate traffic considerations being made with regard to the impact of the project on the Eastlink tunnels, the Ringwood Bypass and by extension the Ringwood Metropolitan Activity Centre. Council previously commissioned a review by O’Brien Traffic that considered the project in the context of the tunnels and impacts on Ringwood, and it was determined that without ancillary works to take traffic pressure off the Eastlink tunnels and the Ringwood Bypass, the project would potentially fail and have a major detrimental impact on the viability of the Ringwood Metropolitan Activity Centre. The O’Brien Traffic report attached to this submission details the basis for those concerns. Council’s concerns were previously forwarded to NELA and Council officers have met with NELA officers on these matters, however, to date Council has not received an appropriate response that addresses these concerns, including within the ESS. In support of this submission, the following documents have also been uploaded: o A submission letter signed by Council’s Mayor Rob Steane documenting the history of Council’s dealings regarding NEL, and outlining Council’s concerns current with the project; o Council Report September 2018; o O’Brien Traffic Review dated 12 September 2017; o Council letter to NELA (26 February 2018) and NELA response (14 March 2018); o Correspondence from Council on Bypass concerns (including technical reports); and o Minutes from MCC / NELA meetings 6 April 2018 and 30 April 2018. While Council is not seeking to be heard by the IAC in support of its submission, Council would be pleased to meet with representatives of the North East Link Project team, or Inquiry & Advisory Committee separate to the Committees Public Hearing process to discuss the concerns outlined above. Regards Phil Turner Director Strategy & Community INDEX OF ATTACHMENTS 1. 2017 September 18 - Ordinary Council Meeting Report - North East Link 2. OBrien Traffic (OBT) Advice on potential Ringwood impacts of North East Link options Sep 2017 3. 2nd Letter to Duncan Elliot North East Link requesting update to Council submission from Sept 2017 4. Response to Submission on the North East Link 5. North Eastlink - Maroondah Council concerns regarding the Ringwood Bypass - email 6. Maroondah Corridor Study Final Report 2009 - VicRoads - Northern Arterial & Healesville Freeway Route Alignments.pdf 7. 8. OBT report on decision to remove the Eastlink right turn exit ramp from th south onto Maroondah Highway - December 2005.pdf 8. 13803_Ringwood Bypass SIDRA Assessment v6 9. 17967 T&M Priorities DRAFT Report_NEL_EXTRACT 10. 06-04-2018-NELA-Maroondah Minutes. 11. 30.04.18 NELA- MCC Minutes Contact us Phone 1300 88 22 33 or 9298 4598 Fax 9298 4345 [email protected] | www.maroondah.vic.gov.au | PO Box 156, Ringwood 3134 | DX 38068, Ringwood Visit us City Offices Braeside Avenue, Ringwood Realm 179 Maroondah Highway, Ringwood Croydon Civic Square, Croydon ABN 98 606 522 719 DIRECTOR PLANNING & COMMUNITY – PHIL TURNER NORTH EAST LINK ITEM 3 PURPOSE To consider the proposed options for a preferred road corridor for the North East Link as proposed by the State government in August 2017. STRATEGIC / POLICY ISSUES The following directions contained in Maroondah 2040: Our Future Together and the Council Plan 2017-2021 (Year 1: 2017-2018) provide the strategic framework that underpins the purpose of this report. Outcome Area: An accessible and connected community. Our Vision: In the year 2040, Maroondah will be an accessible community for all ages and abilities with walkable neighbourhoods, effective on and off-road transport networks and access to a range of sustainable transport options. Key Directions 2017 – 2018: 5.4 Work in partnership to provide a safe and efficient integrated transport network that enhances liveability, encourages a shift in travel modes and promotes Maroondah as a 20- minute city. 5.5 Improve the efficiency of Maroondah’s road network through effective asset management, maintenance and renewal works. Priority Action 2017-2018: Advocate for enhanced regional transport services. BACKGROUND The North East Link is a proposed roadway planned to run through Melbourne’s north eastern suburbs. It was first proposed in the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan (as part of the F7 and/or F18 corridors), and is designed to provide a freeway connection between the Metropolitan Ring Road in Greensborough and the Eastern Freeway or the EastLink junction in Ringwood. It was included in the Brumby government’s 2008 Victorian Transport Plan, with an estimated cost of over $6 billion. On December 11, 2016, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that a re-elected Labor government would build the North East Link at a cost of $10 billion and construction would commence in 2019. The project is expected to slash travel time on congested roads in Melbourne’s north, south, and east, take thousands of trucks off local streets in the north-eastern suburbs, and connect the southern and eastern suburbs to Tullamarine Airport. The project is expected to take around ten years to complete, create more than 5,000 direct jobs, and cost up to $10 billion, funded by a mixture of government contributions and tolls, with final funding arrangements determined as part of the detailed planning process. Ordinary Council Meeting Agenda 1 18 September 2017 DIRECTOR PLANNING & COMMUNITY – PHIL TURNER NORTH EAST LINK Cont’d ITEM 3 Infrastructure Victoria have identified the North East Link as Victoria’s next priority transport infrastructure project in their historic 30-year Infrastructure Strategy. The project has been started with $35 million for business case development, consultation and route selection complete by 2018, and planning approval and tender processes beginning that year. The Labor government will not sign contracts before the election. The North East Link Authority (NELA) was created early 2017 to oversee the project. The North East Link Project Objectives and Guiding Principles are as follows: Objective 1 Improve business access and growth in Melbourne’s north, east and south-east. Objective 2 Improve household access and growth in Melbourne’s north, east and south-east. Objective 3 Improve freight and supply chain efficiency and industrial growth across the north, east and south-east. Objective 4 Improve access, amenity and safety for communities in Melbourne’s north-east. Guiding Principle 1 Minimise impacts on communities. Guiding Principle 2 Minimise impacts on environmental and cultural assets. Guiding Principle 3 Minimise impacts during the construction phase. Guiding Principle 4 Optimise the efficient use of resources. Ordinary Council Meeting Agenda 2 18 September 2017 DIRECTOR PLANNING & COMMUNITY – PHIL TURNER NORTH EAST LINK Cont’d ITEM 3 In developing the Project Objectives and Guiding Principles, the NELA has had regard to: • The objectives and decision-making principles in the Transport Integration Act 2010 • Identification of key problems in Melbourne’s north-east and consultation undertaken to date • Key policy objectives of Government, including Plan Melbourne. In August 2017, the State government released four different options for community feedback. The four options are shown in detail as attached in the North East Link Community Update - Issue 2. This update also provides some comments on what the North East Link Authority consider to be the pros and cons of each corridor. Corridor A Corridor A which is the western most option follows the Greensborough Highway south using the existing freeway reserve, and connects with the Eastern Freeway near Bulleen Road. This is by far the shortest route (11 km) and is likely to be the cheapest option by a significant margin. This route does however rely on widening the Eastern Freeway back to the EastLink tunnels. No improvements are proposed to the Ringwood Bypass, the EastLink tunnels or EastLink. Ordinary Council Meeting Agenda 3 18 September 2017 DIRECTOR PLANNING & COMMUNITY – PHIL TURNER NORTH EAST LINK Cont’d ITEM 3 Corridor B Corridor B is 24 km long and would commence near Canterbury Road (adjacent to EastLink) and move north through Donvale and Mitcham with an interchange at Reynolds Avenue, then travel west through Montmorency, Watsonia, and Bundoora. Extensive tunnelling is proposed to protect sensitive environmental areas. Long uphill areas on the route are likely to slow down trucks and reduce the roads efficiency. This route also includes the construction of the northern arterial (extension of Reynolds Avenue) and an extension to Springvale Road. No details are yet provided on how the route would be designed to connect into EastLink and its impact on the area in and around Ringwood. Ordinary Council Meeting Agenda 4 18 September 2017 DIRECTOR PLANNING & COMMUNITY – PHIL TURNER NORTH EAST LINK Cont’d ITEM 3 Corridor C Corridor C is similar to corridor B but more direct. The road corridor would be 26 km. It has a more direct route through Warrandyte and Eltham prior to heading west to connect to the Western Ring Road. This route would also contain the northern arterial (extension of Reynolds Avenue) and the extension to Springvale Road. Again, no details have been provided to gauge its impact on properties in Maroondah. Ordinary Council Meeting Agenda 5 18 September 2017 DIRECTOR PLANNING & COMMUNITY – PHIL TURNER NORTH EAST LINK Cont’d ITEM 3 Corridor D Corridor D is the longest (40 km) and most indirect route connecting to EastLink along the Healesville Freeway reservation and travelling east into Yarra Ranges.