Residents in Melbourne’s inner west are stuck with ugly overhead power lines after a major developer backflipped on a promise to bury the lines following the completion of the West Gate Tunnel.
Twenty-eight large power poles were built on land near the border of South Kingsville and Spotswood in 2019, about 200 metres from the West Gate Tunnel tollway, on the condition that they would be temporary.
South Kingsville resident Julie Richards near the power poles opposite her home. Credit: Chris Hopkins
Installed by construction giants CPB Contractors and John Holland – which built the tunnel through a joint venture – the high-voltage power lines begin on private land in South Kingsville, run along Watson Street, cross the train tracks and finish in The Avenue Reserve, Spotswood.
Late this year, CPB and John Holland advised Hobsons Bay Council that removing the poles was no longer feasible owing to reasons including limited land space, disruptions to services and potential further road closures.
Watson Street resident Julie Richards said she and other residents had been on the front line of West Gate Tunnel constructions for years, and that the broken promise was just another source of disappointment.
“There were no power lines at all when I moved in … they just turned up one day,” Richards said.
“We were very excited when we got the note that the power lines would go underground … [but] we’ve been shafted every way possible.”
As well as the power poles, Richards says there is dumped soil, unpaved roads and unkempt green space near her home.
The area was also badly impacted by West Gate Tunnel construction works. Watson Street is a short distance from the tollway and around the corner from the tunnel’s southern ventilation stack.
Richards said she was often kept awake by construction noise, which she described as being similar to a bulldozer smashing concrete. The commotion forced Richards and her partner to move out of their house for a year.
Twenty-eight additional poles were installed across South Kingsville and Spotswood. Credit: Chris Hopkins
“I just couldn’t stand the noise … it was hurting my brain,” she said. “They don’t give two hoots about us.”
Environmental Protection Authority Victoria was responsible for monitoring noise during the tunnel’s construction. Impacted residents were required to be notified of excessive noise between the hours of 10pm and 7am, according to its website.
The pole installation was initially approved by Hobsons Bay Council in October 2018 under the condition that they would be replaced with underground power once the West Gate Tunnel construction concluded.
The overhead power lines were deemed necessary at the time due to a scope change during the project’s design phase, according to council documents.
In lieu of the poles being buried, a Hobsons Bay City Council spokesperson said that CPB and John Holland had signalled they would fund enhancements to the area.
Options raised at the December 16 meeting included a new shared path, the paving of Watson Street and landscaping at The Avenue Reserve.
The Hobsons Bay spokesperson said the council was disappointed with the decision to make the poles permanent, but called the proposed improvements to amenity “better than nothing”.
“Council has maintained a strong position advocating this commitment be met by both the joint venture and the state government,” the spokesperson said.
CPB and John Holland have been contacted for comment.
A West Gate Tunnel spokesperson said the construction of a new open space had started at the end of nearby New Street in South Kingsville.
“The project parties continue to work with Hobsons Bay City Council to close out a number of aspects of the project, including local upgrades and permanent power line positioning,” the spokesperson said.
Richards said she was sceptical about the quality of the facilities that would be provided by CPB, John Holland and the council.
“That was always our biggest fear,” Richards said. “That once the tunnel was done, [the developers] would just leave. There’s no park there.
“After all the crap that we’ve put up with, the least they could have done is pave the road.”
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