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The North East Link project has quietly reneged on a promise to build a wildlife crossing under a busy road in Rosanna, outraging residents already distressed by the $26 billion toll road’s ecological impact.
Construction of the new tollway from Bulleen to Greensborough is destroying nearly 54 hectares of native vegetation, including about 16,000 trees, near the Yarra River, and Banyule and Koonung creeks.
In response to community concerns, the project agreed in 2023 to include a tunnel under Lower Plenty Road in Rosanna so kangaroos, wombats, echidnas and other animals could move from Simpson Barracks and Borlase Reserve down to the Banyule Flats Reserve.
But community advocates discovered late last year that the project has removed the crossing from its plans and instead proposes only building a rope ladder for possums.
Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny approved the design revision to the project’s Urban Design and Landscape Plan on November 13.
Don Stokes, who lives nearby in Heidelberg and is a member of the Friends of Banyule group, said the underpass and new wildlife corridor would have gone a small way to offset the loss of habitat around Simpson Barracks.
“There was such a massive amount of habitat loss there – now all that is missing,” he said.
“An underpass … will facilitate wildlife migration along the Banyule Creek habitat corridor. That’s why the under-road crossing was proposed in the first place,” he said.
Stokes said kangaroos had been showing up lost on local streets, including Lower Plenty Road, since construction started and that the underpass would give them a safe crossing.
Friends of Banyule president Michelle Giovas said it was symbolic of the project’s attitude towards residents that they only learnt about the underpass’s removal after she asked about it at a Community Liaison Group meeting.
“It’s unbelievable that NELP [North East Link Project] can deliver a 6.4 kilometre twin [road] tunnel but they cannot deliver a wildlife crossing that they promised the community,” she said.
“Our suburb and our people have had to put up with constant dust pollution, light pollution, water pollution and noise. Knowing that wildlife were at least being considered would at least go some way to address the pain everyone is feeling.”
A North East Link spokesperson said the removal of the underpass was based on advice from ecological experts and considered the length of the crossing, availability of natural light and the movement of native animals in the area.
“A crossing point for larger animals would encourage larger animals closer to Lower Plenty Road, increasing the risk to wildlife, drivers and cyclists,” they said.
“The planned underpass has been revised to a rope bridge, so possums and other climbing species can safely integrate within the area.”
Stokes said the Warringal Conservation Society had spent the past 50 years working to restore habitat around Heidelberg, Viewbank and Rosanna, and it was frustrating to see so much of it destroyed.
NELP has promised to plant at least two new trees for every one tree it knocks down during construction.
In addition to the planned removal of vegetation, residents were alarmed last year when construction contractor Spark allowed chemicals to spill into Banyule Creek, turning it bright blue.
In January, a tunnelling mishap caused 7.5-metre-wide sinkhole to open up at the AJ Burkitt Oval in Heidelberg, forcing sports teams off the ground for months.
Aiv Puglielli, Greens MP for North-East Metro, said the state government had “repeatedly blindsided our community with this project”.
“How can Jacinta Allan’s Labor government justify the environment destruction of this project, and what more are they willing to risk in the name of more cars, more tolls and billions more in budget blowouts?” he said.
The North East Link is due to be completed in 2028. Originally set to cost $10 billion when former premier Daniel Andrews committed to it in 2016, the toll road’s budget has blown out to $26 billion.
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Patrick Hatch is transport reporter at The Age and a former business reporter.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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