I’m one of a very small number of residents who have seen detailed images of the Union station building that will be situated on Lorne Parade and Beresford Street in Mont Albert.

Based on what I’ve seen, it’s clear the building is significantly larger than the community has been led to believe.

Background

The Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) is removing Surrey Hills and Mont Albert train stations and constructing a new station, Union station, that has buildings and entrances at both ends of the platforms and is located on residential streets and Lorne Parade Reserve.

I’m very aware of the tragic loss of life that occurred at the Union Road level crossing and I support the removal of the level crossings.
 
What is this petition about?

This petition is about the Union station building planned for Lorne Parade and Beresford Street, about 120 metres south-west of Mont Albert Road.

This building will be directly outside people’s homes, one of which is my family’s home.

Since this ‘fast-tracked’ project was announced on 2 December 2020, I have made ongoing attempts to obtain, from the LXRP, information on the station building that will be positioned outside our home.

Finally, on Thursday 19 May 2022, in a meeting I fought hard to secure, the LXRP revealed to my husband, our neighbour, and me a detailed 3D ‘virtual reality’ style model of the station building planned for Lorne Parade and Beresford Street.

What happened at the meeting with the LXRP?

I saw, for the very first time, images of the new station building in relation to our home.

We were distressed to learn that the station building on Lorne Parade and Beresford Street will be six metres in total height with a five-metre-high, sheer vertical concrete and metal mesh external wall that encroaches on the existing road pavement and directly faces townhouses on Beresford Street.

In summary, I have learnt that:

1. The station building on Lorne Parade and Beresford Street is six metres in overall height from the concourse. We were previously told the building’s overall height would be four metres;

2. The station building’s Beresford Street elevation has no setback, encroaches on the existing road pavement, and comprises a five-metre-high concrete and metal mesh wall directly facing homes;

3. On the Beresford Street side, the design allows no space in front of the station building to provide landscaping to soften the building’s extreme infrastructural and visual impact;

4. All on-street parking on Beresford Street between Gordon Street and Mont Albert Road will be lost and

5. Beresford Street between Gordon Street and Mont Albert Road will be narrowed to only 4.5 metres which is outside specifications for a two-way road.

What had the LXRP previously told us about the station building planned for Lorne Parade and Beresford Street?

Almost nothing.

The LXRP’s artist impressions have only ever shown this station building in the distance.

The LXRP has never even provided an artist impression of this building from the Beresford Street perspective.

In September last year, after I referred the LXRP’s refusal to respond to my meeting requests to the Victorian Ombudsman, the LXRP met with my husband, a neighbour, and me and verbally advised us the station building would be low profile being only three metres in height from Beresford Street’s street level and that existing on-street residential parking on Beresford Street would be maintained.

What’s the problem?

This new station building is not in a commercial area. Rather, it is being squeezed onto small residential streets never designed to accommodate public infrastructure on this scale.

Based on what I’ve seen, it’s clear the LXRP’s design makes no attempt to mitigate the extreme impact of the station building on the homes that directly face and are in extraordinarily close proximity to this building.

The LXRP’s own urban design framework states: Avoid where possible, or minimise the negative impacts of noise, spilled light, visual bulk, overshadowing and visual clutter.

I believe the LXRP has completely failed to achieve this objective.

When we asked how the design avoids or minimises negative impacts, the LXRP responded, ‘No mitigation is required.’
 
What about community consultation?

The community’s feedback on the ‘look and feel’ of the new station buildings is clear.

The LXRP’s publicly available ‘consultation report’ states: The look and feel of the station building and precinct is very important for many members of the community. People prefer an understated, subtle look and feel that respects and complements the existing character of the area.

The images I have seen of this building lead me to believe the community’s feedback has been ignored.

Why am I telling you this?

I want everyone to know the reality of what the LXRP is planning for Mont Albert.

I asked for screenshots of the images we were shown. The LXRP agreed to send them to me but warned me not to share them on social media.

When I questioned the secrecy, they said people might ‘misunderstand’.

As of Sunday 29 May, I’m yet to receive any images.

What do I want?

I want everyone to see what I’ve seen. I want people to be fully informed.

I want the LXRP to release the images I’ve seen of the building planned for Lorne Parade and Beresford Street from the perspective of the homes opposite this building.