We need noise and pollution standards in Victoria

The 7:30 report ran a story on the Regional Rail Link (Friday June 24), focusing on issues of land acquisition, government transparency and the threats from noise and pollution. A story in The Age earlier in the week looked at similar issues.

The government is pressing ahead with the tender process for rail work packages but without waiting for the results of the noise assessment report recommended by the EPA. There's also no guarantee that they'll release the report publicly when it's finally ready. If the report recommends noise mitigation (currently no mitigation strategies are allowed for in the project), then they'll need to modify the current plans, or even scrap them and start over - hardly efficient. Unless, of course, they decide to ignore any such recommendations, because there is no legal requirement in Victoria to protect citizens from noise and pollution from trains.

We understand the government wants to get this project done quickly. Melbourne's public transport system is struggling. They appear to be willing to sacrifice the health, dignity & wellbeing of a few western-suburbs communities to achieve their aim. This project alone is not going to fix Melbourne's transport woes - will your suburb be next? Victoria needs standards for the control of noise and pollution for all major rail and road works. Tell your local government representative that this won't stand.

Steve Price interviews RRL CEO Corey Hannett

Steve Price from MTR recently put some hard questions to Corey Hannett, the CEO of the Regional Rail Link Authority, regarding the quality of the RRL's communication with affected residents, the extent of community consultation, and the fate of the EPA's noise assessment report.

Interestingly, Mr Hannett admitted that the number of trains expected to run through Footscray after the new tracks are completed will be at least 53 per hour. (The project allows for more). Previously, no-one from RRL has been prepared to comment on the extra capacity of the completed tracks. In consultation sessions, we've been told that sort of information wasn't part of the RRL brief.

Listen to the podcast here. (Look for the podcast titled "Regional Rail Link", 28 June 2011).

Regional Rail Link - EPA Report

The EPA has recently released its report on the effects of the Regional Rail Link, publicly. This is the report that outlines the noise and pollution effects that are expected to occur along the new tracks - including chronic sleep disturbances up to 500m from the railway and, in some areas, dangerous levels of nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants. Despite this report, the previous Labor government saw fit to approve the RRL project without further investigation or mitigation. To view the full report, please visit our friends at Fair Go for Footscray.