Dust covered cars and lights "brighter than the MCG": How is the North East Link impacting nearby residents?

Large spotlights stay on throughout the night along Bulleen Road and Thompsons Road as works continue on the North East Link (NELP) project.

Trucks rumble by generating swirling dust, while noise and vibrations are causing ongoing stress for nearby residents.

🚧 What is the North East Link?

Works are currently underway to construct two 6.5km tunnels between Watsonia and Bulleen and widen parts of the Eastern Freeway to up to 20 lanes, including off and on ramps.

The cost has blown out from $10 billion in 2016 to $26 billion.

In 2019, the North East Link Project team undertook an Environment Effects Statement (EES), which found there would be no significant or measurable impacts on the population health of the community due to the project.

📢 The community speaks

“A day doesn't go by that I don't get an email from a resident experiencing impacts from this project,” Manningham Council mayor Deirdre Diamante told the Eastern Melburnian on Wednesday.

“I constantly get emails from residents talking about having perhaps lung problems, breathing problems, dust covering their cars, the amount of money they're spending cleaning their pool filters or their decks, cleaning their windows.

“There's no respite for the residents that live around the project envelope.”

💨 What changes does Manningham Council want to see with air quality detection?

The NELP and contractor Spark release air quality data between six and 12 months after the data has been collected.

Diamante said the council had been advocating for improved transparency about the current air quality around the project.

“There's no real-time awareness of when dust levels exceed the tolerances,” she said. “It's important that there's trust in the community that the air is being monitored and that we do have real-time data.”

Diamante said the council was also pushing for an air filtration system to be installed within the ventilation stack at the southern end of the tunnel.

“There's not a lot of trust about the quality of air that will be coming out of that stack,” she said. “Why are we waiting for an environmental issue to occur with pollution coming from that stack and doing something post that, rather than preventing the environmental issue happening?”

🚌 Upgrade plans for Doncaster Park and Ride

The Planning Minister has approved a multi-level car park and passenger services buildings for the Doncaster Park and Ride bus service hub upgrade.

However, Diamante said the project should allow for more car parking spaces and create a multi-use hub, not just the same amount of spaces put into a multi-level carpark.

“It’s not a great design,” she said. “It’s a wasted opportunity.”

🅿️ Parking permits to push out contractors

At the Manningham Council meeting on Tuesday May 27, a motion was passed to introduce a two-hour parking Resident Permit Area applicable 24 hours a day on a number of roads off Bulleen Road, including Ilma Court and Robb Close.

Speaking to the chamber, councillor Geoff Gough said he hoped the permit scheme would be one way of improving the amenity of those living near the works.

“Not only are they suffering under lights brighter than the MCG every night, they've got noises every night,” he said.