Alphington sewer replacement

Transcription

1 Alphington sewer replacement Frequently asked questions We understand you might have some questions for us so here are a few to provide you with more information. You are also welcome to call us on We will keep you informed as well as listen to and acknowledge your concerns. What is the Alphington sewer replacement project? Melbourne Water must replace the old brick sewer between Coate Park and Latrobe Golf Club. In addition, we are replacing the old sewer near the Eastern Freeway in Kew that crosses the Yarra River into Alphington. See map attached. The old sewer currently services homes and is in poor condition after nearly a century of use. The Alphington sewer replacement will reduce the risk of maintenance issues such as blockages, which can be costly and disruptive to the community. It will also help to protect the environment by reducing the likelihood of sewage spills. How much sewage flows in the old sewer? The sewer at Coate Park in Alphington can carry up to 106 million litres per day or 1229 litres per second. This peak sewage flow could fill an Olympic size swimming pool in just over half an hour. How much will the new sewer cost? The project will cost over $70 million. This planned and essential infrastructure will benefit Victorians for the next 100 years. Has Melbourne Water done this before? Yes. The Melbourne Main Sewer Replacement tunnelled 2.3 kms from Port Melbourne to Docklands and crossed the Yarra River. It was completed in June The Northern Sewerage Project was one of the largest ever undertaken in Australia. The project constructed 12.5 kms of new sewer pipes in Melbourne s densely populated suburbs from Essendon to Reservoir. It was completed in January Both projects were completed on time and within budget.

2 Sewer construction When will you start construction? We expect construction will start late How long will it take to build the new sewer? Three years, however activity will vary from peak to quiet times as the construction will occur in stages. The tunnelling stage will commence first and then the open trench work in the Latrobe golf course will be the second stage. What are the work hours? At this stage we plan to work between 7am and 6pm Monday to Saturday. The tunnel boring machine will operate 24 hours underground and you will not hear it as it is up to 21 metres down in rock. The benefits of 24 hour tunnelling are reduced risk of maintenance issues and early completion of the project. How will you build the new sewer? Construction will involve both tunnelling and open trench construction. Please refer to the map for location. Why don t you tunnel the whole project? This was an option considered however there are two reasons why it is not the best solution: 1. Many residents and schools would be impacted as a number of shafts would be located in residential streets requiring road closures and making it difficult to access their home by car. 2. There is a risk the tunnel boring machine could become stuck. Shorter tunnelling decreases the risk and cost. What is a shaft? A shaft is where the tunnel boring machine is either launched or retrieved by a crane and soil is removed. It is a large hole, approximately 14 metres diameter and up to 15 metres deep. Shafts will be located in Coate Park and Alphington Park. Smaller shafts will be on private property at the south end of View Street and on the Latrobe Golf course. There is also shafts at the north end of Princess Street Kew in the reserve. See map attached. What is the sewer pipe made of? The open trench pipes along the Latrobe golf course are made of glass reinforced plastic. The tunnelled sewer pipes are concrete and lined with plastic. Page 2

3 What is the size of new Alphington sewer? The pipe is 1.5m diameter and the replacement section will be 1.7 kms long. Please refer to the map for location. What will happen to the old sewer? It will remain in the ground. Once the new sewer is built we will disconnect the old sewer and fill it with cement. What are the chances the old sewer will collapse before or during construction of the new sewer? Unlikely. We will continue to monitor the old sewer throughout construction until the new Alphington sewer is in service. This will allow us to respond quickly if it begins to show signs of further deterioration. Will construction affect my water or sewerage services? No. We do not expect any impact on water supply or sewerage services. Traffic Management What impact will the project have on local traffic? We work with Yarra and Boroondara councils to develop a traffic management plan. We will then inform you of truck routes and movements. We will listen to your feedback and concerns and aim to minimise traffic impacts to you and your family. Can I still walk or cycle in Alphington and Coate parks? Yes. Shared pedestrian and cyclist paths will remain open but in some cases they may close temporarily for truck access. A traffic management team will be on hand at these times to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe. Detour signage will direct pedestrian and cyclists to a new route where necessary. Can I still walk or cycle along the Yarra River? Yes. Occasionally we may have to close a path temporarily for truck traffic however signage and traffic management staff will be on hand to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe. The Alphington sewer alignment Who decided where the new sewer should go? Options for the sewer alignment were developed and we consulted with Yarra and Boroondara councils, Parks Victoria, Vic Roads, Latrobe Golf Club and Wurundjeri.Tribe, the traditional land owners. Their input influenced the final design alignment. We have also worked with a team of experts in tunnelling, trenching, traffic management, noise mitigation, odour control and more. Page 3

4 Consultation Can I provide feedback? Yes. We are informing the community early about construction of the new Alphington sewer replacement project while we finalise the design details. The sewer alignment is final, but we will consult with the community to help us minimise disturbance during construction. We are keen to receive your feedback and will listen to and acknowledge your concerns. We will be seeking residents feedback on traffic, access to parks during construction, visual amenity during works, and how you can be involved in the restoration program for parks and public spaces. When and how can I provide feedback? You can provide feedback to us anytime. enquiries@melbournewater.com.au Telephone: What is the Community Reference Group and what is its purpose? The Community Reference Group will help us minimise construction impacts while we deliver this essential infrastructure. Its objectives are: provide local knowledge on the environment and community within the Alphington and Kew area provide the best possible advice on minimising temporary impacts on the local community provide advice on restoration of public areas following community consultation help raise awareness and understanding about the project within the local community. Please call or us if you would like to nominate to be a member. Parks and trees Why do the shafts have to be in our parks? The shaft has to be in Coate Park because that is where the manhole is for connecting back into the existing sewer network. We located the Alphington Park shaft away from residential areas and in the far south west corner to minimise impact to park visitors, residents and local clubs. Will Coate Park be closed to the public? The community can still access the park however a large area will be fenced off to keep the community and pets safe during works How long will you occupy Coate Park? At this stage we estimate we will need to occupy the park for two years. Page 4

5 Can I still use the reserve in Kew? Yes. You can still access the reserve however a large area will be fenced off during works to keep the community and pets safe. Do you have to remove the trees? Unfortunately we do have to remove and trim some trees and we understand this can be distressing for the community. Wherever possible we prune first and have planned to avoid significant heritage listed trees in the Latrobe Golf Course and Coate and Alphington parks. We will submit permit applications to both Yarra and Boroondara councils in November You can have your say through the councils planning process. As part of the planning permit, we must offset the removal of trees by planting additional trees, shrubs and other plants. We will reinstate the parks and work with the community and both councils on the restoration program. What are you doing to protect the Yarra River and the Alphington Wetlands during construction? The works on the Yarra River will require a permit. Also due to the presence of threatened or vulnerable aquatic species, we will refer the project to the Federal Government s Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (SEWPAC) under the EPBC Act. Measures will be in place to ensure there is no threat to water quality. History of the Sewer What s the history of the old sewer? The old brick sewer was built in A century ago, the sewer construction had little impact on people as Alphington was primarily farmland and very large estates. Who built it? Melbourne Water s predecessor, the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW), built the sewer after having been established in 1891 to take responsibility for both water supply and sewage treatment. Construction began on Melbourne s sewerage system under the leadership of the MMBW s first engineer-in-chief, William Thwaites. A treatment farm was built at Werribee and a pumping station was built at Spotswood (now the site of the Scienceworks Museum) to send the city's waste to Werribee. Page 5

6 Protecting my property Will my property be damaged if you tunnel under it? No. The tunnel boring machine will be up to 21 metres underground in rock. For your peace of mind we will organise and pay for a condition report before and after construction for those properties we are tunnelling under. We will also monitor the area for vibration throughout the works. Are you allowed onto private property and parkland to build the new sewer? Yes. Melbourne Water is a statutory body and has power under the Water Act to carry out essential works. This includes maintaining and building sewerage, water and drainage infrastructure that benefits all Victorians. What happens next? Community information sessions will be held throughout November We are inviting local residents to meet the Melbourne Water project team and learn more about the Alphington sewer replacement. A tender document is being developed and expressions of interest will be advertised in January 2013 for the design and construction of the Alphington Sewer replacement project. We expect the tender will be awarded to the winning contractor at the end of August Construction is expected to commence in late While this is happening we will keep you informed and updated with bulletins, s, newsletters and through regular community meetings and our website. The first Reference Group meeting will be held in early February Who can I call if I have any questions? A toll-free information line has been established should you wish to raise any concerns or find out more information. Please call us on (freecall from landline). us at enquiries@melbournewater.com.au We will always listen to your comments and concerns and whenever we can we will try to minimise impacts to you and your family. Page 6

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