Private submission as interested community member calling attention to Arden precinct's vulnerability to sea level rise and premature lock in of a turnback at West Footscray.

1. Melbourne Metro Rail
Arden Precinct &
Western Turnback
Tony Smith
Keilor Plains
27 September 2016

2. the land was invaded
and people who weren’t here were killed
Myron Lysenko
Cumberland River Poet
1 August 2016

3. Informed by involvement in
but not formally representing
• Kororoit Institute aims ‘to improve urban and regional development
in growth areas like those to the west of Melbourne’
• Moonee Ponds Creek Co-ordination Committee
• City of Brimbank Economic Development and Transport Advisory
Committee and Heritage Advisory Committee
• City of Moonee Valley Integrated Waterways Advisory Committee
• VicRoads Environmental Engagement & Management Workshop
• Government policy processes: Water for Victoria, Biodiversity 2036,
Heritage places on public lands, Infrastructure Victoria
• Community campaign against East West Link proposal

4. Moonee Ponds Creek
former and future
Chain of Ponds
flooding into
West Melbourne Lagoon
aka Arden Precinct

7. • City of Moonee Valley’s Master Plan (in
preparation) for Moonee Ponds Creek
concerned to protect Arden Precinct
• Valley has complex geological history
• Wurundjeri gathering places
• Coal Canal becomes Railway Canal
• Railways to all places west and north
• Horse, whippet and greyhound racing
• Track, commuter & recreational cycling
• Tullamarine Freeway, CityLink
• Both airports, toxic waste dump
• Victorian Space Science Centre
• Uses and abuses of flood plain
• Rapid drainage or water retention?

8. • Melbourne Metro Business Case February 2016 conflicts
itself in multiple places on inclusion of turnbacks
• Wider Network Enhancements includes turnbacks to be included:
8.2.1 “in the east” 8.2.2 Craigieburn near Essendon 8.2.3 Upfield
8.2.4 Frankston near Cheltenham/Mordialloc
• Elsewhere eastern alone or eastern plus western
• Network Development Plan December 2012: Melton
duplication was listed in Stage 2, but is now in planning
• Stage 3: “an electrified line to Melton and new lines to Rowville and
Melbourne Airport are connected through the Melbourne Metro”
• Cashed-up state could easily deliver Melton electrification plus
Cranbourne duplication and extension to Clyde to fit MMRP
operational cutover
• Mr Morris said corridor platforms being extended for
230m trains. Some have greater environmental effects.

10. Tottenham yard gives illusion of space at and beyond West Footscray but
inbound there are only three pairs: dual gauge freight, Sunbury and RRL.
Rail Futures’ inspired new plan for Bendigo and Seymour via Airport with
High Speed beyond demands dedicated, straightened standard gauge pair.

11. • Can I take the liberty of commending the work of the panel
which assessed the East West Link proposal and note that it is
good we have a pool of expertise around this process which
can widen the focus of project proponents?
• Suggest Panel recommends Government increase engagement
with sea level change risk to Arden Precinct development.
• Suggest Panel should find Western Turnback should not be
covered by the EES so as not to be prematurely locked in.
• Early this century, VicRoads was leading roadside conservation
practice through its then Roadside Conservation Advisory
Council but that is now subservient to dubious safety regime.
• MMRA’s arboriculture experts seemed only concerned with
human amenity, not raising intrinsic environmental values.
• While the regulatory regime in which the IAC operates may
struggle to keep up, it can’t hurt to note that anthropocentric
prejudices are being rapidly overthrown and the interests of
other species valued, especially native songbirds and parrots.

13. ECOLOGICAL
EMOTIONAL

14. ©Anna Lanigan
Where to now my new nest has just been mulched?