Tunstall Square Donvale upgrades dogged by odours, air quality and petrol station contamination

It was supposed to give a tired shopping hub in Melbourne’s east a much-needed lift. Instead it has thrown up poor air quality, petrol contamination — and an assault on the nose.

Tunstall Square Shopping Centre in Donvale has been having improvement works over the past five years. Picture: George Salpigtidis.

Stinky odours, poor air quality and contamination have been uncovered during a $900,000 upgrade of a Donvale shopping hub.

But Manningham Council insists the project is on schedule despite issues stemming from a nearby petrol station.

Contractors Evergreen Civil began works on the final stage of the council’s revitalisation of the western end of Tunstall Square in January.

Contamination was discovered in May at the Caltex service station on the corner of Doncaster and Tunstall roads. Picture: George Salpigtidis.

The project has been ongoing for five years and the latest works involve planting trees, installing seating areas, lighting and more bike racks.

A new pedestrian crossing and improvements to an exit lane onto Doncaster Rd are also being made.

Doncaster East’s Michael Churchley raised his concerns on the Manningham Community Hub Facebook page, in a post which has since been deleted.

The affected section of Tunstall Square in Donvale, before work commenced in January 2020. Picture: Google Street View.

Mr Churchley, who visits the centre several times a week, told Manningham Leader he had only seen one worker on site on some occasions.

“Some days there’s four to five people there, yesterday there was just one guy in one of those excavators dumping the dirt into two wheelbarrows.

“It’s ridiculous the amount of time they’re taking to do this, lots of areas are half completed.

“The new curbing doesn’t make it any better than what it was before.”

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The council’s director of city services, Rachelle Quattrocchi, said “a series of unforeseen circumstances” had impacted the project including the coronavirus outbreak and a “serious odour and air quality issue”.

She said the Environment Protection Authority also uncovered a contamination issue at the nearby Caltex service station on Doncaster Rd in early May, which led to delays in drainage works.

Ms Quattrocchi said the works were set to be finished by end of June and the council had not incurred any extra costs due to the delays.