The Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East project in Melbourne reached a significant step closer following Ministerial endorsement of key recommendations made by an independent planning panel.  

SRL’s Environment Effects Statement (EES) planning process, which received more than 360 submissions and saw an independent panel hear from 47 witnesses over 39 days of public hearings, has resulted in enhanced measures and outcomes that will benefit the community during construction and operation.  

The Minister for Environment and Climate Change (as Minister jointly administering the Environment Effects Act) has endorsed the recommendations of the Inquiry and Advisory Committee (IAC), clearing the way for SRL East’s necessary planning approvals.  

SRL East will deliver 26km of twin tunnels and 6 new underground stations between Cheltenham and Box Hill, with trains running by 2035 and an end-to-end trip taking just 22 minutes.  

The Minister found most operational impacts have been removed by putting the line underground, and that the environmental effects of SRL East have been identified and carefully considered through the EES – the state’s most rigorous planning approvals process.  

More than 850 geotechnical investigations, 10,000 lab tests, hundreds of expert studies, extensive stakeholder consultation and feedback from more than 20,000 people informed the design development of SRL East and the EES.  

Construction of SRL East started with a separate planning approval in June with initial works in Clayton. For further information click here and au/39 for tunnelbuilder archive and also visit https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au. 33/22.