GOVERNMENT BACKS DOCKLANDS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT
From the Premier of Victoria and Minister for Water and the Environment
14 June 2007
The State Government today announced the go-ahead for a major urban infrastructure project that could cost up to $200 million - replacement of a major sewer main linking parts of the CBD and Docklands to the Hobsons Bay trunk sewer.
Premier Steve Bracks and Water Minister John Thwaites announced approval for the replacement of the 110-year-old, 2.2 kilometre Melbourne Main Sewer, which runs from near the Charles Grimes Bridge on the Yarra River through South Melbourne and Port Melbourne.
Mr Bracks said Melbourne Water would immediately begin a public information process with residents as well as finalising the various agreements and consents from councils and other key stakeholders.
The project will be funded through water and sewerage customer bills. Work is expected to start in 2008 and continue for three years.
The new sewer will cross under the Yarra River at Southwharf and extend south to Beacon Cove.
Mr Bracks said the existing sewer, built in the 1890s, was well maintained and continued to manage current demand but the replacement would improve the system's capacity to cope with future demands.
"The new sewer will have three to four times the capacity of the existing sewer and will service the CBD and the fast growing Docklands precinct, which could be home to 20,000 residents in 15 to 20 years' time," Mr Bracks said.
"Along with being the best water-savers in the country, Melburnians also have the lowest average water and sewerage bills of any capital city in Australia.
"But it will be necessary to increase prices to pay for these sorts of projects and major boosts to water supply," he said.
Mr Thwaites said Melbourne Water had made provision for the new sewer in its next business plan. The costs will be borne by Melbourne Water and the three metropolitan retail companies South East Water, City West Water and Yarra Valley Water and their customers. Melbourne Water will develop pricing proposals to be released for public consultation.
"This is one of many infrastructure programs, including major augmentation of Melbourne's water supply, which will be undertaken by water authorities and identified in draft submissions on water bill price increases for the Essential Services Commissioner later this year," Mr Thwaites said.
The gravity sewer will be 1.8 metres in diameter south of the Yarra River and 1.5 metres in diameter north of the river where it will pick up waste from the CBD, East Melbourne, Carlton and Docklands. The old sewer is 0.99 metres in diameter.
Mr Thwaites said the project would have health and environment benefits.
"The Melbourne Main Sewer is a critical infrastructure project that will ensure the city's sewer system can cope with continued growth, particularly through the Docklands precinct," Mr Thwaites said.
Design is now being finalised for the sewer, which will cross the Yarra River upstream of the Charles Grimes Bridge.
Mr Thwaites said staged construction would keep the river open to traffic at all times and protect environmental health.
Mr Thwaites said the sewer would be built using the latest in tunnel boring machine technology.
Final costs will be determined following a detailed design phase.
To build the sewer, seven shaft sites, between 10 and 15 metres deep, will be dug along the corridor. The new sewer will follow Johnson St and Boundary Rd in South Melbourne and a series of reserves in Port Melbourne adjacent to the light rail route and end at Swallow St where the new sewer will be connected to the existing Hobsons Bay Main, which takes waste to the treatment plant at Werribee.