Melbourne Airport, Victoria, Australia
Aurecon has been driving the best outcomes for developments at Melbourne Airport, developing and delivering infrastructure for over 20 years.
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In Victoria, Australia, the biggest transport construction programme in the State’s history is underway. Victoria’s Big Build is a programme of major rail, road, tunnel and active transport upgrades to the State’s transport network, creating tens of thousands of jobs.
Rail Projects Victoria is the Victorian Government body responsible for the delivery of Melbourne Airport Rail, the Metro Tunnel Project, Regional Rail Revival, Sunbury Line Upgrade and the Western Rail Plan.
Aurecon, in joint venture with Jacobs and Mott MacDonald, is providing technical advice, planning and detailed investigation services to Rail Projects Victoria for Melbourne Airport Rail’s detailed planning and development stage.
The joint venture has completed a similar role on the Metro Tunnel Project, and is currently undertaking work on the Geelong Fast Rail and Regional Rail Revival projects, under the state's rail infrastructure programme.
Anticipating that more than 67 million passengers a year will use Melbourne Airport by 2038, the Victorian Government has given the green light to progress the planning and development of Melbourne Airport Rail, having announced the route for the project, which will run via Sunshine and through the Metro Tunnel.
The joint venture has commenced detailed planning and development. Environmental, ecological, social and geotechnical site investigations are underway as part of the early planning works. Investigations will be used to support the detailed planning and engineering design for the project.
Applying Aurecon’s approach to contaminated land management has significantly reduced uncertainty for the constructor and regulator regarding anticipating contamination of land.
Early investigations and engagement with the regulator, Environment Protection Authority (EPA), ensured that spoil was fully characterised with its own waste designations and approvals in place prior to construction commencing.
The constructor had full understanding of the percentage of spoil suitable for reuse to accurately consider spoil management in its site plan. All companies involved with contaminated land management on the project were able to directly refer to waste designations (waste classifications) issued by the EPA in works contracts, significantly reducing uncertainty regarding contamination.
Undertaking early waste characterisation also provided the constructor with adequate time to investigate projects or locations for spoil to be reused, allowing this detail to be contained in its site plan. The way spoil is to be treated upon excavation is captured in the plan to ensure the health and safety of construction personnel and neighbouring properties.
Construction of Melbourne Airport Rail began in 2022 and has a target opening date of 2029, subject to relevant State and Federal planning, environmental and other government approvals.
As the next step in the huge overhaul of the Victorian public transport network, the project will transform the movement of air travellers in and out of Melbourne Airport, with airport services to travel between Melbourne Airport, Sunshine and the heart of Melbourne’s CBD via the Metro Tunnel.
Aurecon has been driving the best outcomes for developments at Melbourne Airport, developing and delivering infrastructure for over 20 years.
Aurecon helps free up Melbourne’s biggest rail bottleneck planning the Metro Tunnel Project, the first step towards more frequent ‘turn up and go’ train services.
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