Monash Council calls for Glen Waverley station to be moved underground during rail loop build
A new rail station for Glen Waverley will cause construction chaos, but the local council wants even bigger changes. What do you think?
Victoria
Don't miss out on the headlines from Victoria. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Construction chaos caused when a new Suburban Rail Loop station is built at Glen Waverley should be timed with a sweeping upgrade of the entire precinct, the local council says.
Almost a dozen homes will be bulldozed and dozens of businesses will face six years of pain before they gain from a new underground station as part of the rail loop.
New maps show the north end of the construction zone will take in the current Glen Waverley Station, and stretch down about 500m where up to 11 homes will be acquired south of Bogong Ave.
The west edge of the project will be along Myrtle St, while the works will impact across about 300m of land including the Glendale St car park.
But Monash Council has called for a doubling down on the local traffic nightmare to lower the existing Glen Waverley station underground. This would allow for new developments above both the SRL and metro line stations, which would connect to nearby retail, such as The Glen Shopping Centre.
A submission to the Environmental Effects Statement process for the $30-34.5bn SRL East, which would connect Cheltenham to Box Hill via a 26km tunnel, explains council plans.
“Planning and building activity to date, over many years, has anticipated future lowering of Glen Waverley station below ground, to enable better movement and circulation, activation of land over the station, and pedestrianisation of the centre of the precinct,” the council says.
The SRL East project would lead to the loss or relocation of parking and issues with traffic flow, which the council says would "best be addressed by lowering the Glen Waverley Metro station as originally planned”.
The council calls for the EES to consider combining the transport visions when public hearings begin next month.
The SRL East EES says construction impacts in Glen Waverley “would be minor and localised for the duration of construction”.
“A portion of Coleman Parade, and Glendale St will be permanently closed and Montclair Ave would be temporarily closed for the duration of the main construction works,” it says.
On top of up to 11 homes acquired, short term vibration and noise will impact five businesses directly, there will be a daily peak of 230 trucks, and a loss of up to 350 car parks.
Maps show other premises on Kingsway, not far from Village Cinemas Century City, will be within the boundaries of the “project land”.
The government says work will be undertaken across that area “at some point” over the six-year construction window but this could include minor works or underground works.
Once built, the government promises a new station plaza opposite Coleman Parade.
“Glen Waverley will be one of the busiest and best-connected stations on the metro network, with approximately 7000 people boarding at Glen Waverley every day,” it says.
New links to The Glen, universities, job hubs and hospitals will be created, and a journey to Cheltenham would take 15 minutes.
Jobs would “more than double to around 25,000 by 2056 with SRL East and North”.
Chief development officer of The Glen’s owner Vicinity, Carolyn Viney, said “any project that better connects Melburnians and reduces congestion on our roads is a win for our suburbs and the people who live in them”.
“As Vicinity continues to deliver on its mixed-use strategy to introduce residential and commercial spaces to our centres, Suburban Rail Loop will help connect key precincts including The Glen, Box Hill Central, Sunshine Marketplace, Broadmeadows Central and Northland with outer Melbourne.”
Suburban Rail Loop Authority chief executive Frankie Carroll said most works would be underground to get the station built, but “for a project of this size some impacts are unavoidable”.
“We are doing everything we can to carefully manage construction in these built-up areas to keep community disruption to a minimum,” he said.
Man confesses to cold case killing of missing Warrnambool dad
A man has admitted killing a Warrnambool dad whose body has never been found after he went missing from his home 18 years ago.
‘Rest in peace beautiful girl’: tributes for model killed in crash at rave
The 24-year-old woman killed when she was struck by a car at a gathering in Kooyong on Sunday has been identified as “bubbly, bright” Clifton Hill model Elise Hodder, with tributes flowing.