Our submission to the Regional Rail Link

Here it is at last - our submission to the Regional Rail Link team. We've included a PDF version of our submission (1.5MB) as well as a Microsoft Word version (8.3MB), in case you'd like to cut and paste from our submission into your own and the PDF version doesn't let you do this. (Formatting may go askew when you open the Word version, however).

We're all writing individual submissions as well - we want the Department of Transport to be snowed under by community feedback! Submissions are due this Thursday (19th August) and can be sent via email (rrl@transport.vic.gov.au) as well as post.

Our submission to the RRL team...

...is taking a bit longer than we thought to put it together! You might see some flyers of ours around town, encouraging others to write submissions of our own. We said we'd put up ours on this site once it was finished, which may take a little longer, but in the meantime here's a brief summary of what we'll be asking for.

• An impact study on the options for the track flyover next to the wetlands and Maribyrnong River – noise, visual impact, privacy
• Noise control measures, taking future development plans for Footscray into account
• Keep Fordham Reserve intact as possible & improve its facilities
• Greening measures, heritage retention and public art along the track and on the river foreshore
• Testing for and management of contaminated soil during construction
• Transparency during the planning process & project updates every two months. Footscray is making sacrifices for this project & we should not have to beg for access to government files and personnel.
• Upgrades to the Footscray Station to allow for better access from Joseph Road precinct.

Remember - submissions are due by 19 August.

Indicative track alignments

The State government has published PDFs of indicative track alignments on the Victorian Transport Plan website. There are 13 separate plans, showing different parts of the track. Map #3 relates most directly to Railway Place; Map #2 shows the river crossing. Maps #5 and #6 show the preliminary plans for Buckley Street.

If you want to make comments on the proposed track alignments and the project in general, don't forget to make written submissions to the Department of Transport. Submissions are due by 19 August. Address your submissions to Mr Corey Hannett, Executive Director, Regional Rail Link, Department of Transport, PO Box 2797, Melbourne VIC 3001.