Residents hit out at translation services offered to non-English speakers over home acquisitions

More than 100 homes in the path of the $35bn Suburban Rail Loop East have been acquired by the state, with some residents slamming the process as a “nightmare”.

More than 100 homes in the path of the $35bn Suburban Rail Loop East have been officially acquired by the state, with some residents slamming the process as a “nightmare”.

Property owners in a nine-level apartment block in Box Hill had formal notifications sent to them last week, but a member of the building’s owners’ corporation said translation services offered to non-English speakers had been farcical.

The claims have been rejected by the SRL Authority, which says every information and acquisition session related to the Box Hill site had been staffed by Mandarin and Cantonese translators.

A large proportion of the 103-home building is occupied by renters, and it is among about 300 properties acquired for the mega project, which will connect Cheltenham to Box Hill via six underground stations and start major tunnelling within three years.

Resident and member of the building’s owner committee, Christina Chen, said her elderly parents were also in the apartment block and described the eviction process as “pretty sh--”.

She said residents would have to start paying rent on their former properties if they hadn’t found a new home within three months, although it is likely they can stay in the units for about a year after acquisition.

Christina Chen with resident Areief Secahusada, who found out his property would be acquired just three weeks after moving in. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“It’s really hard to try and stay in the area – an equivalent place like this, a new build, is really hard to find for the price we’ve got right now,” she said.

English is a second language for many in the building, and Ms Chen said translation services provided by the government had been “a bit of a joke”.

“I don’t know how they think it’s right or fair to have such poor translation between us and them,” she said.

“It’s almost insulting how bad it’s been.”

A spokeswoman for the SRL Authority said Mandarin and Cantonese translators had been available at all information sessions and meetings about acquisitions, while the project’s environmental impacts — which is thousands of pages — were published in Mandarin, Cantonese and Greek.

She said discussions on the acquisition process started in 2020, and compensation would be based on the “highest and best use” value of the property.

“We know this can be a challenging time for people whose properties are affected — owners and tenants have dedicated case managers, will be fairly compensated and treated with sensitivity and respect,” she said.

Another Elland Ave resident and member of the owner’s committee, Areief Secahusada, found out his property would be acquired just three weeks after moving in.

“It was absolutely horrible, we were so happy to be here and then to hear we have to move straight away … It was devastating,” Mr Secahusada said.

“Even if 50 out of 100 of the residents try to stay in the area, that’s suddenly 50 people who need new housing in a competitive area, which will be very difficult.

“Both of my children are now going to be further away from school; part of why we moved here was because I wanted my son to go to Box Hill High.

“It’s a nightmare.”

More than 100 homes in the path of the $35bn Suburban Rail Loop East have been officially acquired by the state. Picture: Supplied

Slater and Gordon Land Acquisition Practice Group Leader Manisha Blencowe urged property owners to obtain independent advice about their entitlements.

“Occupiers have rights to occupation for a minimum of three months following the acquisition but this can vary depending on the individual circumstances,” she said.

The SRL said residents were likely to be able to stay for about 12 months.

Ms Blencowe said professional expenses for legal advice and valuations as a part of the acquisition process were able to be reimbursed.

“Affected owners and landholders need urgent advice to assess initial compensation offers to ensure they’re in a position to claim further compensation,” she said.

Early works have already started in Box Hill to prepare for tunnelling in 2026, with the 109 tram stop on Whitehorse Rd being shifted to ensure continuous services during construction.

Construction chaos will stretch for at least six years, and the underground rail line is set to open by 2035.