Furious Surrey Hills and Mont Albert locals consider legal action to stop super station in
Residents in Surrey Hills and Mont Albert are considering this dramatic move to stop a super station from being built at a cherished local site.
Victoria
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Furious residents are considering legal action against the state government over a new super train station planned for Melbourne’s east.
As part of two level crossing removals, Surrey Hills and Mont Albert stations will be dismantled, with a new station built in-between.
Nearby residents say they stand to lose more than half of usable open space at Lorne Parade Reserve – bequeathed to the community in 1908 – to make way for the super station.
Friends of Lorne Parade Reserve spokeswoman Kirsten Langford said residents were furious about losing a station, after a government promise in 2018 to deliver “two new stations” as part of the works.
She said updated design documents released earlier this month “continue to ride roughshod over community concerns and feedback”.
“The community is pursuing all options, including possible legal action,” Ms Langford said. She also raised concerns that a law change, introduced last year, removed the need for separate planning scheme amendments or planning permits for each of the state’s 75 level crossing removals.
The government said the move helped the “efficient delivery” of the removals, but Ms Langford claimed it reduced community rights to push back and review the projects.
She said the consultation process was a “sham as it is just an information dissemination process”.
The level crossings at Union Rd, Surrey Hills, and Mont Albert Rd, Mont Albert, will go in 2023, with trains instead using a trench.
The government said the initial 2018 plans to retain both stations was subject to further planning.
Opposition transport spokesman David Davis said: “Everyone supports the removal of these two level crossings but few locally support the loss of one station forever and sacrificing parkland as proposed.”
Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said the government was fast tracking the removal of the two level crossings, which will “save lives and slash travel times”.
More than 5000 responses have been received from the community about the updated designs, and consultation continues.
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