Busy developer Aqualand Prestige has formally taken the next step in its expansion across Sydney's Lower North Shore, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for its long-held Archer Street site in Chatswood.

The application covers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/51-55-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">51-55 Archer Street</a>, a 1,767 sqm amalgamated site on the eastern edge of the Chatswood CBD, where the developer is seeking approval for a 45-level mixed-use tower delivering 114 apartments, including a significant affordable housing component, alongside retail, commercial space and six basement levels of parking.

The SSDA marks the latest milestone for a project Aqualand has been quietly progressing over the past two years. The developer first secured the site for its Aqualand Prestige platform before undertaking an alternative design excellence process with PTW Architects, ultimately avoiding a formal design competition through the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The proposal has evolved considerably from Aqualand's original concept. The revised scheme has been designed around larger owner-occupier product, with an unusually high proportion of three and four-bedroom apartments, targeting the more affluent buyer profile, and downsizer, emerging across the North Shore.

<img alt="Archer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0171204c-5811-41b5-9b09-2335d1b7c3d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%208.52.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6YTuxfq.puZo7k2wbfgemcO5K3QfXYGQ" />

The 114-apartment mix comprises six studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, 50 three-bedroom residences and 13 four-bedroom homes. A quarter of the building will be dedicated to affordable housing, well above the mandated 15 per cent&nbsp;

PTW has structured the building vertically, with affordable housing across levels one to six, premium apartments through levels seven to 31, duplex skyhomes on klevels 32 to 43, a penthouse on level 44, and a rooftop plant level above. Six basement levels will provide resident parking and servicing.

The tower is proposed to reach approximately 154 metres, placing it among a growing collection of residential high-rises transforming Chatswood's skyline.

Rather than competing purely on height, PTW says the design has been driven by creating a slimmer tower capable of delivering significantly larger apartments.

"The primary objective of this project was to create a distinctive building that stands out from the recently approved or built structures in the Chatswood area," the design report states, noting the structural efficiency allows greater investment into apartment quality and resident amenity.

Residents would have access to more than 450 sqm of communal open space including landscaped gardens, swimming pool, rooftop entertaining areas, fitness spaces, community gardens, children's play areas and barbecue facilities.

A major focus of the design has been the public domain.

The ground plane has been opened up through landscaped terraces inspired by Willoughby's sandstone ridges, with native planting, public seating, artwork, retail activation and a series of gathering spaces intended to soften what has traditionally been a hard commercial streetscape.

The landscape strategy references Blue Gum forests once common throughout the area, while incorporating Indigenous storytelling, public art and lighting installations to strengthen the connection to Country.

Chatswood has been one of Sydney's busiest apartment markets over the past 12 months, with a steady pipeline of both new project launches and fresh development applications.

Hyecorp recently launched Celine, a 122-apartment development just along Archer Street, while Changfa and Huirong Group are progressing The Anderson, an 84-apartment project on Anderson Street.

Develotek recently secured approval for a 101-apartment tower on Pacific Highway, while Tian An LFD received the green light for Hammond Greens, its apartment development on the edge of the Chatswood Bowling Club.

Commercial property developer FiveX is also making its move into the residential market. Last month it lodged plans for a 61-storey tower with 490 apartments, which, if approved, would become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chatswood.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-targets-chatswood-skyline-with-61-storey-tower-after-north-sydney-plans">First look: FiveX targets Chatswood skyline with 61-storey tower after North Sydney plans</a>

Aqualand is also expanding its development pipeline following the launch of its luxury residential brand, Aqualand Prestige. The developer has delivered a string of high-end apartment projects across Sydney's affluent suburbs over the past decade, most recently AURA by Aqualand on Walker Street in North Sydney.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292863]

It has since quietly assembled its next wave of projects.

Earlier this year Aqualand launched Boronia in Roseville, a boutique 111-apartment development on Larkin Street. The project is one of the first significant apartment developments to launch in the suburb ahead of what is expected to become one of Sydney's most active new housing precincts under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, which allow greater density around train stations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152095 project_image_fid=373685]

The developer has also lodged plans for a two-tower, 413-apartment development on Herbert Street in nearby St Leonards, further strengthening its presence across the Lower North Shore.

Beyond that, Aqualand remains behind the final stage of Barangaroo, where plans will deliver a five-hectare mixed-use precinct comprising new homes, retail, hospitality and community facilities, alongside a new Metro entrance and more than two hectares of public open space, completing the Barangaroo precinct.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/central-barangaroo-development-takes-big-step-with-concept-proposal-approval">Central Barangaroo development takes big step with concept proposal approval</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-aqualand-joins-st-leonards-apartment-party">First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party</a> 
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Joel Robinson

First look: Aqualand pushes ahead with Chatswood apartment tower as SSDA lodged for Archer Street

Mass timber is becoming an increasingly popular construction material in apartment developments, but Adelaide developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> is taking the approach a step further.

At its new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flowe-bowden-18-gibson-street-bowden-sa-5007">Flowe Bowden</a> development, the exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure isn't just about reducing the building's environmental footprint. It also forms the foundation of a broader wellness strategy, influencing everything from indoor air quality and natural materials to the way residents move through and experience the building.

The 115-apartment mixed-use development, designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Fieldwork, will occupy a prominent island site opposite Bowden Village Reserve, combining one, two and three-bedroom apartments with retail and a dedicated wellness destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375528]

Wellness isn't confined to a gym or shared resident facility at Flowe. Instead, Fieldwork embedded the concept into the building itself.

The development has been split into two residential wings connected by a naturally ventilated central breezeway, replacing traditional enclosed corridors with open-air walkways that improve natural light, encourage cross ventilation and create more opportunities for neighbourly interaction.

"Rather than treating wellness as something that only happens on the ground floor, our response integrates it throughout the building, which led us to ask what it really means to design a healthy building," Fieldwork Director Quino Holland said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375531]

The building's architecture also reflects Bowden's industrial heritage. The lower podium references the area's historic brick and sandstone buildings, while the upper levels transition to exposed CLT, allowing the timber structure to become a defining feature throughout the apartments and shared spaces.

The use of mass timber sits alongside a range of sustainability initiatives, including a fully electric, gas-free design, rooftop solar and a targeted 5 Star Green Star rating.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375524]

Inside the residences, the focus remains on natural, durable materials. Blackbutt engineered timber flooring, exposed CLT ceilings, porcelain surfaces and warm timber joinery create a calming interior palette, while low-VOC finishes and responsibly sourced materials have been selected to improve indoor air quality.

Kitchens have been designed as the centrepiece of each apartment, featuring porcelain island benchtops, timber-look cabinetry and brushed steel tapware, with layouts that maximise natural light and ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375530]

The more traditional interpretation of wellness comes in the form of Level Eleven, a two-storey wellness club spanning the ground floor, mezzanine and first floor.

The facility will include a gym, yoga and reformer Pilates studios, Finnish and infrared saunas, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, and dedicated recovery spaces. Unlike many residential wellness facilities, Level Eleven will also operate commercially, allowing the broader Bowden community to access the venue while giving residents exclusive membership benefits.

The ground floor has also been designed around everyday living. A café overlooking Bowden Village Reserve will activate the street frontage, while a bike workshop with tool storage, co-working space and dog wash has been incorporated to support daily routines and encourage interaction between residents.

"Flowe brings together my two biggest passions, creating places and creating healthier lives," Otello founder Daniel Harris said.

"We wanted to create something Adelaide hasn't seen before, a genuinely healthy building, where the way you live is lifted without even trying."

Flowe is positioned directly opposite Bowden Village Reserve and within walking distance of Bowden Railway Station and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, placing future residents just minutes from the Adelaide CBD while remaining connected to one of the city's most established urban renewal precincts.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152022]

Otello launches wellness-focused Flowe Bowden with Adelaide-first mass timber apartment design

Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.

Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.

Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.

Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.

For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.

Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.

Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KPZ9j5FRdsQ?si=Qztc1dNP3ZvEIUhb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.

The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.

That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.

Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.

It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.

For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.

Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.

The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.

Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.

"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.

"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."

The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.

The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.

<img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" />

Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.

"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.

Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.

Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.

Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.

New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.

IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a>

First look: Inca eyes Mona Vale with State Significant DA for Dawn apartments

Seasoned Victorian apartment developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/central-equity">Central Equity</a> has logged more than $400 million in sales in its luxury apartment project Palmera Residences at Northcliffe on the Gold Coast.&nbsp;

Central Equity Director Karl Kutner said the sales result reflected a combination of location, product quality and delivery certainty with the project already under construction by building powerhouse Multiplex.&nbsp;

"Surpassing $400 million in sales since launch is a significant milestone and an outstanding endorsement of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/palmera-residences-gold-coast-18-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Palmera Residences</a>,” he said.&nbsp;

"We believe one of the key reasons for this strong result is the confidence purchasers have in knowing the project is under construction with Multiplex. Buyers are increasingly looking for certainty. They want to know that the project they commit to today will be delivered by an experienced team with a proven track record."&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365782]

Kutner said it was clear there was still high demand for luxury projects that offered certainty of delivery.&nbsp;

“We are in a market where many residential developments have faced delays due to rising construction costs, labour shortages and financing challenges,” said Kutner.&nbsp;

"But having construction underway has provided our buyers with resounding confidence backed by more than 40 years of development delivery by Central Equity combined with construction by one of Australia's most respected construction companies."&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365785]

Central Equity is one of Australia's most experienced privately-owned property developers. Over more than four decades, the company has delivered in excess of 85 residential developments including 10,000 apartments and many thousands of stand alone homes.&nbsp;

Located on Garfield Terrace at Northcliffe, between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, Palmera Residences occupies one of the Gold Coast's most sought after beachside locations. The development has been designed to appeal to owner occupiers seeking premium residences that combine generous living spaces and resort style amenities.&nbsp;

Palmera Residences will feature an exceptional collection of resort style amenities, including two swimming pools: a generously sized family pool with safe shallow zones for relaxed recreation, and a 20 metre lap pool positioned to maximise all day sunlight.&nbsp;

Residents will also enjoy exclusive access to wellness and recreational facilities including a magnesium pool, sauna, yoga studio, expansive fitted gymnasium, resident lounge, outdoor BBQ’s&nbsp;and indoor and outdoor dining areas, together with a dedicated concierge and luxurious hotel inspired entrance foyer.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365767]

A unique feature at Palmera Residences has been designed to enhance the Gold Coast lifestyle which includes both indoor and outdoor gymnasium facilities, together with thoughtfully designed indoor and outdoor dining and entertaining areas. A corner café has also been incorporated to provide residents with a destination for their everyday needs.&nbsp;

Kutner said buyer demand had been broad based with purchasers attracted from interstate as well as throughout South East Queensland.&nbsp;

"We're seeing strong interest from owner occupiers, lifestyle buyers and people relocating to the Gold Coast. Many purchasers have been searching for a premium beachside residence where quality, design and delivery are equally important."&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365771]

Kutner said the sales milestone was an important achievement, but the focus remained firmly on delivering an exceptional development.&nbsp;

"While reaching $400 million in sales is an important milestone, our priority remains delivering a project that exceeds purchaser expectations,” he said.&nbsp;

"Palmera Residences has been designed to become one of the Gold Coast's landmark residential addresses, and we look forward to welcoming our purchasers to their new homes."&nbsp;

There are a limited number of residences remaining in selected configurations with pricing from $2,950,000 to $8,950,000. Palmera Residences is also crowned by expansive penthouses with wrap around views.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=108274]

Construction certainty and strong buyer demand drive major sales result for luxury Gold Coast development

Palmera Residences fly out the door as sales pass $400 million

Level crossing removals

<html><body>
The Level Crossing Removal Authority's <a href="http://your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/">website has been updated</a> once again with a new consultation space as well as new renders of the proposed station rebuilds.

Similarly a series of videos have been uploaded in a <a href="http://your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/meet-experts">'meet the experts'</a> section of the website with members of the team working on different aspects of the project: acoustics, landscaping, urban design and construction.

As with <a href="/news/its-elevated-rail-for-the-dandenong-corridor-level-crossing-removals">Sunday's article</a>, select a title to go to the specific consultation page.

<h2><a href="http://your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/sites/Koornang-Road">Carnegie Station</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/sta_carnegie.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Proposed Carnegie station layout. Image from your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="287" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/sta_carnegie.jpg?itok=iOeR76fN" title="Proposed Carnegie station layout. Image from your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Proposed Carnegie station layout. Image from <a href="http://your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/">your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au</a></figcaption></figure><h2><a href="http://your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/sites/Murrumbeena-Road">Murrumbeena Station</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/sta_murrumbeena.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Proposed Murrumbeena station layout. Image from your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="237" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/sta_murrumbeena.jpg?itok=39dREn29" title="Proposed Murrumbeena station layout. Image from your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Proposed Murrumbeena station layout. Image from <a href="http://your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/">your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au</a></figcaption></figure><h2><a href="http://your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/sites/Poath-Road">Hughesdale Station</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/sta_hughesdale.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Proposed Hughesdale station layout. Image from your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="271" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/sta_hughesdale.jpg?itok=suPxZooA" title="Proposed Hughesdale station layout. Image from your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Proposed Hughesdale station layout. Image from <a href="http://your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/">your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au</a></figcaption></figure><h2><a href="http://your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/sites/Clayton-Road">Clayton Station</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/sta_clayton.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Proposed Clayton station layout. Image from your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="271" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/sta_clayton.jpg?itok=njKI7UPr" title="Proposed Clayton station layout. Image from your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Proposed Clayton station layout. Image from <a href="http://your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/">your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au</a></figcaption></figure><h2><a href="http://your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/sites/Heatherton-Road">Noble Park Station</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/sta_noble_park.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Proposed Noble Park station layout. Image from your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="272" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/sta_noble_park.jpg?itok=pIIHCCME" title="Proposed Noble Park station layout. Image from your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Proposed Noble Park station layout. Image from <a href="http://your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/">your.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au</a></figcaption></figure><h2>Comment</h2>

It appears that Carnegie and Clayton Station are set to receive escalators and lifts and Murrumbeena, Hughesdale and Noble Park will have stairs and lifts. The Carnegie and Murrumbeena diagrams highlight how narrow the corridor is and should expansion from two to four tracks be needed in future, significant property acquisition will be required.

At both Carnegie and Murrumbeena bus stops have been given pride of place right out the front of the station ticket barriers. Both stations have two bus routes running past the station at present - Hughesdale's bus bays are located just beyond the station entrance - the question must be asked: will all these Chadstone-centric bus routes see frequency increases?

The physical infrastructure to enhance intermodal connectivity at Clayton is present however whether bus frequencies are increased thus reducing reliance on car parking in the area remains to be seen.

What do you think?
</body></html>

Alastair Taylor

Further Dandenong corridor design details emerge

<html><body>
The Victorian Government has announced that it will proceed with an elevated rail solution for grade separating the nine level crossings that currently exist between Caufield and Dandenong stations.

Likewise on Sunday afternoon the Level Crossings Removal Authority website has released a video and provided details on each of the sites where a level crossing will be removed.

The project is set to cost $1.6 billion in total and by elevating the rail lines above the ground level, the <a href="http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/no-more-level-crossings-between-dandenong-and-the-city/">media release</a> states 225,000 square metres (22.5 hectares) of new public space will be created in three separate locations between Caulfield and Dandenong.

The winner of the tender is a consortium of <a href="http://www.cpbcon.com.au/">CPB Contractors</a> and <a href="http://www.lendlease.com/site%20settings/splashpage.aspx">Lend Lease</a> and construction is set to begin this year and completed in 2018, just in time for the next state election.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SYT5F-gcr40" width="100%"></iframe>

The following renders are from the Level Crossing Removal Authority's website, select the title above each image to read about the proposed design.

<h2><a href="http://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/crossings/grange-rd,-carnegie">Grange Road, Carnegie</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/grange_rd.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Grange Road in Carnegie. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="390" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/grange_rd.jpg?itok=ryUeiyeA" title="Grange Road in Carnegie. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Grange Road in Carnegie. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au</figcaption></figure><h2><a href="http://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/crossings/koornang-rd,-carnegie">Koornang Road and Carnegie Station</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/koornang_rd.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Koornang Road and Carnegie Station. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/koornang_rd.jpg?itok=ENdaByQm" title="Koornang Road and Carnegie Station. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Koornang Road and Carnegie Station. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au</figcaption></figure><h2><a href="http://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/crossings/murrumbeena-rd,-murrumbeena">Murrumbeena Road and Murrumbeena Station</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/murrumbeena_rd.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Murrumbeena Road and Murrumbeen Station. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/murrumbeena_rd.jpg?itok=ME1gE6so" title="Murrumbeena Road and Murrumbeen Station. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Murrumbeena Road and Murrumbeen Station. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au</figcaption></figure><h2><a href="http://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/crossings/poath-rd,-hughesdale">Poath Road and Hughesdale Station</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/poath_rd.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Poath Road and Hughesdale Station. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="390" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/poath_rd.jpg?itok=pQY7N6Xg" title="Poath Road and Hughesdale Station. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Poath Road and Hughesdale Station. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au</figcaption></figure><h2><a href="http://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/crossings/clayton-rd,-clayton">Clayton Road and Clayton Station</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/clayton_rd.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Clayton Road and Clayton Station. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/clayton_rd.jpg?itok=-HNsqCGb" title="Clayton Road and Clayton Station. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Clayton Road and Clayton Station. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au</figcaption></figure><h2><a href="http://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/crossings/centre-rd,-clayton">Centre Road, Clayton</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/centre_rd.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Centre Road, Clayton. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/centre_rd.jpg?itok=zZ_Xfn5I" title="Centre Road, Clayton. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Centre Road, Clayton. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au</figcaption></figure><h2><a href="http://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/crossings/corrigan-rd,-noble-park">Corrigan Road, Noble Park</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/corrigan_rd.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Corrigan Road, Noble Park. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/corrigan_rd.jpg?itok=uW7kukUZ" title="Corrigan Road, Noble Park. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Corrigan Road, Noble Park. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au</figcaption></figure><h2><a href="http://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/crossings/heatherton-rd,-noble-park">Heatherton Road and Noble Park Station</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/heatherton_rd.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Heatherton Road and Noble Park Station. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/heatherton_rd.jpg?itok=KzYmTu3L" title="Heatherton Road and Noble Park Station. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Heatherton Road and Noble Park Station. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au</figcaption></figure><h2><a href="http://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/crossings/chandler-rd,-noble-park">Chandler Road, Noble Park</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/chandler_rd.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Chandler Road, Noble Park. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/chandler_rd.jpg?itok=kp9RwUDS" title="Chandler Road, Noble Park. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Chandler Road, Noble Park. Image courtesy of www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au</figcaption></figure>More comment and analysis will be published later this week.
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It's elevated rail for the Dandenong corridor level crossing removals

<html><body>
It was announced this morning that the level crossings either side of Bayswater station at Scoresby Road and Mountain Highway are next in line to go.

In a noticeable shift from previously unveiled grade separation and station designs, the method chosen to grade separate will involve partially lowering the rail line and partially raising Mountain Highway. A full rail under road grade removal will occur at Scoresby Road.

Kevin Devlin, the CEO of the Level Crossing Removal authority explained this option was chosen in order to allow for the continuing use of the rail yards and maintenance depot which currently sits alongside Bayswater station. The maintenance depot is accessed from the main line at a junction right next to the Mountain Highway level crossing and this will be rebuilt at a lower grade as part of the overall works.

An alliance consisting of Laing O'Rourke, Fulton Hogan and Aecom have been confirmed as the preferred bidder with the cost of the entire project coming in at $177 million.

Bayswater station is currently an island platform with an underground pedestrian ramp providing passenger access in to the bus bay and car park. The new station will see an island platform accessed via an entry brought closer to Station Street with an overhead ramp, stairs and lift depositing passengers on the new platform sitting at a lower grade.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/TS_i0mIRoM4" width="100%"></iframe>

The Ringwood corridor and Belgrave branch are inching ever closer to being fully grade separated; when after all the announced projects have been completed only Union Road in Surrey Hills, Mont Albert Road near Mont Albert Station, Bedford Road in Ringwood, Alpine Street in Ferntree Gully and Hilltop Road in Upper Ferntree gully will remain as a level crossing.

Level Crossings that still exist on the Lilydale branch include Dublin Road in Ringwood East, Coolstore Road in Croydon, Manchester Road in Mooroolbark, Melba Avenue in Lilydale and Maroondah Highway at the terminus of the Lilydale line.

Manchester Road and Maroondah Highway are on the Victorian Government's <a href="http://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/crossings">list of 50</a> but have no news about their status has been announced as yet. Union Road and Mont Albert Road in Surrey Hills-Mont Albert are not on the list.

<h2>Bayswater to join the Box Hill, Blackburn and Ringwood party?</h2>

It will be an interesting exercise to monitor planning activity in the region given City of Knox have done <a href="http://www.knox.vic.gov.au/Page/Page.aspx?Page_Id=360">extensive planning</a> to focus development around the station precinct and the urban growth boundary is limiting any further suburban growth beyond the area (not to mention Mount Dandenong is a natural barrier for further fringe-belt growth).

The powers that be effectively locked the eastern suburbs of Melbourne away from further sprawling down the Yarra Valley into Yarra Glen and Healesville and up into the hills decades ago and the new housing stock in the entire region is a story of new medium and high density development at the major nodes on the Ringwood corridor. It makes sense that Bayswater should join them.

<ul>
<li>
<a href="/new-apartments/box-hill-vic-3128">Box Hill projects</a> (22)</li>
	<li>
<a href="/new-apartments/blackburn-vic-3130">Blackburn projects</a> (11)</li>
	<li>
<a href="/new-apartments/ringwood-vic-3134">Ringwood projects</a> (8)</li>
</ul>
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Bayswater next in line to see level crossing removals

<html><body>
Premier Daniel Andrews and Treasurer Tim Pallas have earlier this morning announced that work is set to start on two level crossing removal projects which were previously foreshadowed in June.

The alliance comprising Leighton Contractors, Aurecon and Hyder Consulting have been formally awarded the contract for level crossing removals at Blackburn Road in Blackburn, Heatherdale Road in Mitcham and Furlong and Main roads in St. Albans.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sau!4v1441667331524!6m8!1m7!1s_3C5TgPAvVL8T53uZ-1Dxw!2m2!1d-37.7441826!2d144.7995151!3f155.31287563945853!4f-1.5376843491907266!5f1.4340163937942116" style="border:0" width="100%"></iframe>

A media release distributed by the Victorian Government states that works at Main Road and Furlong Road are expected to begin by October and will be completed in 2017. The removal of Blackburn Road and Heatherdale Road level crossings is set to start later this year and will take 12-18 months to complete.

The Main Road project will see a new St. Albans station built and the Furlong Road project will see a new Ginifier station rebuilt and moved closer to Furlong Road.

The media release provides a more precise cost figure for the total value of construction of the 4 project sites, $481.2 million, and reiterates the Victorian Government has fully funded the Blackburn Road, Heatherdale Road and Furlong Road projects and the Main Road removal project is jointly funded by the State and Federal Governments.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sau!4v1441675782747!6m8!1m7!1sVj49hBlFAcI3CEsS1fWY6A!2m2!1d-37.7603226!2d144.8117166!3f333.9703258662817!4f-5.2706638250402875!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border:0" width="100%"></iframe>

<h2>Level crossing removals announced to date</h2>

The Dandenong corridor:

<ul>
<li>Grange Road, Carnegie.</li>
	<li>Koornang Road, Carnegie - includes rebuilding Carnegie station.</li>
	<li>Murrumbeena Road, Murrumbeena - includes rebuilding Murrumbeena station.</li>
	<li>Poath Road, Murrumbeena - includes rebuilding Hughesdale station.</li>
	<li>Clayton Road, Clayton - includes rebuilding Clayton station.</li>
	<li>Centre Road, Clayton.</li>
	<li>Corrigan Road, Noble Park.</li>
	<li>Heatherton Road, Noble Park.</li>
	<li>Chandler Road, Noble Park.</li>
</ul>
Expressions of interest were being sought in June, total value, designs and contractors not yet announced.

The Frankston Line:

<ul>
<li>North Road, Ormond - includes rebuilding Ormond station.</li>
	<li>McKinnon Road, McKinnon - includes rebuilding McKinnon station.</li>
	<li>Centre Road, Bentleigh - includes rebuilding Bentleight station.</li>
</ul>
The Glen Waverley Line:

<ul>
<li>Burke Road, Glen Iris - includes rebuilding Gardiner station.</li>
</ul>
Contracts for these four level crossing removals were awarded to a consortium which comprises John Holland and KBR. $524 million and complete by 2018.

The Ringwood corridor:

<ul>
<li>Blackburn Road, Blackburn.</li>
	<li>Heatherdale Road, Mitcham - includes rebuilding Heatherdale station.</li>
</ul>
The Sunbury Line

<ul>
<li>Furlong Road, St. Albans - includes rebuilding Ginifer station.</li>
	<li>Main Road, St. Albans - includes rebuilding St. Albans station.</li>
</ul>
Contracts awarded to an alliance of Leighton Contractors, Aurecon and Hayder Consulting. $481.2 million. St. Albans projects starting in October, Blackburn and Mitcham projects starting later this year.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/planning-and-projects/melbourne-road-projects/main-road-st-albans-level-crossing-removal">Vicroads</a>
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Work to start on level crossing removals in St. Albans

<html><body>
There are a few outstanding metropolitan strategic planning issues that need to be sorted before any Government commits to expanding the Dandenong rail corridor over and beyond already announced projects. To a large extent, it hinges on how freight is going to be moved in the South East over the longer term.

Back on the 19th of July <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/dandenong-rail-line-needs-two-extra-tracks-to-end-commuter-crawl-20150719-gidpqz">it was reported</a> the Victorian Transport Action Group had warned Spring Street that their project of removing nine level crossings in the Dandenong rail corridor and ordering the next generation of trains to be used on the line will only go part way to solving the line's reliability problems. The Group stated "the Dandenong rail line will need four tracks in the not too distant future" and that "express trains [on the two extra tracks] will reduce travel time for outer urban and regional commuters by more than 15 minutes".

Having multiple tiers of service - stopping-all-stations and express services - would indeed be welcome for outer suburban commuters and also enhance Dandenong's status in the south east by reducing the time to travel between the respective Melbourne and Dandenong CBDs. However, there is one problem, and it's exactly the same problem that the Melbourne Metro Rail project is attempting to fix.

The number of tracks through the inner city.

Cast your mind back to the release of the Eddington report into East-West travel in Melbourne and you might remember the original proposal for rail across the city was to split it into two phases. Phase 1 was to run from South Kensington to Domain Interchange and Phase 2 was to run from Domain Interchange to Caulfield via St Kilda Road / Dandenong Road thereby creating an entirely new track pair right through the inner city to Caulfield.

When the Ballieu/Napthine Government came to power this longer, more expensive two phase approach was ditched and the Phase 1 one approach was altered so the new rail tunnels would meet the existing rail alignment between South Yarra and Hawksburn.

Yes, by all means every station that is to be rebuilt as part of the level crossing removal projects in the Dandenong corridor should be designed with four tracks (but not necessarily four platforms) at each station, however if four tracks were laid and put into use as part of the level-crossing removal project then all it would do is create a massive choke point at Caulfield.

If the VTAG got it wanted - an extra track pair built to Dandenong - (and ignoring the Frankston line's third overtaking track between Caulfield and Moorabbin), to the east and south of Caulfield there would be trains running on three track pairs fighting for space on the two track pairs between Caulfield and South Yarra.

The choke point created at Caulfield under that scenario would reduce the maximum capacity of the four track railway between Caulfield and Dandenong (assuming all passenger services run through to the city as they do now) and therefore likely maintain the status quo in poor reliability.

This is exactly what we don't want.

<h2>Port Phillip versus Western Port</h2>

As part of any study into the need for an extra rail track pair as far as Dandenong, one area of infrastructure contention which every now and then gets its five minutes of fame (<a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/lack-of-rail-driving-melbourne-to-lose-number-one-container-port-status-20150818-gj1lxd">yesterday no less</a>) is the long term plans for containerised freight at Melbourne's seaports. Based on positions in the previous government, the ALP favours, over the long-term, much of the infrastructure moving to the western shore of Port Phillip and the LNP favour expanding the existing Hastings port on Western Port.

The ALP-favoured Bay West expansion would be located near the existing national standard gauge rail network. The Liberal-favoured Hastings option is connected by a rail line that at present but only has broad gauge and all freight traffic would have to mix with metro traffic on the Frankston Line or the Cranbourne line if a branch were created and sent south to link up with the Stony Point line which runs into Hastings at present.

Bay West on Port Phillip or Western Port. Deciding on the long term future for port expansion is paramount, as siding with the Hastings option will have a more profound impact on the rail infrastructure requirements throughout the South East and this action would subsequently open up another round of debate.

One question to ponder: Is it wise to run more and more freight from an expanded seaport on the existing rail network right through the heart of the city where land for rail expansion would be at its most expensive?

Furthermore would an orbital, freight-only, standard gauge rail line running from Craigieburn to Hastings be a viable alternative?

Lead image credit: Wikipedia.
</body></html>

Comment: The Dandenong line and quadruplication

<html><body>
Moonee Valley City Council has opened up its draft Essendon Junction structure plan for community feedback. You can view the draft structure plan and all other supporting documents on the <a href="http://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/essendonjunction">City of Moonee Valley's website</a>.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/essendon_junction_context.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Essendon Junction Activity Centre - Image from Moonee Valley City Council Essendon Junction structure plan"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="421" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/essendon_junction_context.png?itok=qzMctuLD" title="Essendon Junction Activity Centre - Image from Moonee Valley City Council Essendon Junction structure plan" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Essendon Junction Activity Centre - Image from Moonee Valley City Council Essendon Junction structure plan</figcaption></figure>Moonee Valley City Council's vision for Essendon Junction is stated in the plan:

<blockquote>
Essendon Junction will be a great place to live and work and a vibrant destination to visit, with attractive streetscapes and a seamless transport interchange. The Junction will be the cultural and entertainment heart of Essendon, offering an integrated network of streets with innovative developments complementing the existing heritage
<cite><a href="http://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/~/media/Files/Planning%20and%20Building/Long%20Term%20Planning%20in%20Moonee%20Valley/EJNAC%20SP/Essendon%20Junction%20Structure%20Plan.pdf">Draft Essendon Junction Structure Plan</a></cite>
</blockquote>

As expected from any structure plan document, there is a strong emphasis on maintaining existing characteristics, while providing a framework for new development of varying densities within the activity centre.

The activity area is separated into six precincts - all with varying height limits and preferred setback treatments - with precinct number 2 (Essendon Station) hosting the largest height limits of 12 levels on the VicTrack land fronting Mount Alexander Road and precinct number 3 (The Core) having height limits up to six levels, in keeping with current development along Napier Street.

For instance on Brewster Street - which forms the northern boundary of Essendon FC's Windy Hill precinct - there are mandatory landscape setbacks of five metres from a street front, and in the case where a development may abut a sensitive or rear of an adjoining property, a non-mandatory setback of 4.5 metres from the property line is sought with further building setbacks for new development over three levels. Refer to pages <a href="http://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/~/media/Files/Planning%20and%20Building/Long%20Term%20Planning%20in%20Moonee%20Valley/EJNAC%20SP/Essendon%20Junction%20Structure%20Plan.pdf">12 through 15 in the draft structure plan</a>.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/essendon_junction_precincts.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Essendon Junction precinct map"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="376" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/essendon_junction_precincts.png?itok=BMu9Helv" title="Essendon Junction precinct map" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Essendon Junction precinct map</figcaption></figure>On Thursday 23rd of July, Moonee Valley City Council will be holdings its second information session at Ukranian House on Russell Street, Essendon between 6pm and 8pm.

Moonee Valley City Council are encouraging its citizens to engage with them and you can leave feedback, as well as view all other documentation on <a href="http://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/essendonjunction">City of Moonee Valley's website</a>.

<h2>Buckley Street and Mount Alexander Road grade separation</h2>

Central to the draft structure plan is a council-endorsed plan to make major changes to the existing rail infrastructure in the center of the activity centre. At present the Craigieburn line is grade separated over Mount Alexander Road, but still has a level crossing on Buckley Street at Essendon Station.

Buckley Street is on the State Government's list of 50 level crossings to be removed over the next eight years. The supplementary documentation linked from City of Moonee Valley's Essendon Junction page includes <a href="http://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/~/media/Files/Planning%20and%20Building/Long%20Term%20Planning%20in%20Moonee%20Valley/EJNAC%20SP/14%2093660%20%20Appendix%20A%20%20Essendon%20Junction%20Grade%20Separation%20Feasibility%20Study(2).pdf">a report created by GHD Australia</a> in 2013-2014 which sought to provide options for grade separation in the area.

The preferred option 3 would see the following occur:

<blockquote>
In this option, the rail drops below Buckley Street and through the existing heritage station precinct. A new below grade station would be located in the middle of the activity centre with the potential for a station entrance on Mount Alexander Road or near the existing station. The final location of the platforms would depend upon their required length and alignment.

Mount Alexander Road would be reinstated to grade. The tracks would travel below Mount Alexander and start to rise back to grade, north of Raleigh Street. This is the preferred option out of the 3 scenarios. The cost involved with the larger area of excavation and the construction of the underground station is seen to be justified given the value of their associated benefits. The deeper excavation ensures that the heritage station and its integrity are left intact.

The restoration of the Mount Alexander road surface to natural ground level eliminates the barrier of having the road below grade level; as it is currently or above grade level, as is the case in Option 1. Therefore this option provides the optimal opportunity for modal interchange and increased pedestrian connectivity, which is crucial for the development of the activity centre.

Locating the underground platforms between the existing heritage station and Mount Alexander Road, as per Option 3, maximises station accessibility with opportunities for entrances from Mount Alexander Road, Russell Street or Rose Street.
<cite><a href="http://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/~/media/Files/Planning%20and%20Building/Long%20Term%20Planning%20in%20Moonee%20Valley/EJNAC%20SP/14%2093660%20%20Appendix%20A%20%20Essendon%20Junction%20Grade%20Separation%20Feasibility%20Study(2).pdf">GHD Australia, Essendon Junction Grade Separation (Draft Feasibility Assessment Report), December 2013</a></cite>
</blockquote>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/essendon_junction_future_dev_parcels.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Future development parcels created by grade separation"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="298" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/essendon_junction_future_dev_parcels.png?itok=I6fTbO9d" title="Future development parcels created by grade separation" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Future development parcels created by grade separation</figcaption></figure>The report also includes a high-level cost estimate which GHD stresses would require further investigation. No single grade separation project currently underway is the same as any other in the metropolitan area, however it does make for interesting reading into all the input costs of a grade separation project.

A screen grab from page 71 of the <a href="http://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/~/media/Files/Planning%20and%20Building/Long%20Term%20Planning%20in%20Moonee%20Valley/EJNAC%20SP/14%2093660%20%20Appendix%20A%20%20Essendon%20Junction%20Grade%20Separation%20Feasibility%20Study(2).pdf">Essendon Junction grade separation feasibility study</a>:

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/essendon_grade_sep_costs.png" rel="gallery-all" title="High level cost estimate provided by GHD"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="408" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/essendon_grade_sep_costs.png?itok=_OQI-U4L" title="High level cost estimate provided by GHD" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>High level cost estimate provided by GHD</figcaption></figure><h2>Comment</h2>

Moonee Valley City Council's preferred option for grade separation to my mind is a sound one, as it ticks all the right boxes: removing a level crossing, retaining a heritage station building (bonus points would be awarded for repurposing it as a community facility), far stronger train to tram connectivity, restoring Mount Alexander Road to a proper boulevard and removing the current rail barrier at Raleigh Street.

Assuming GHD's cost estimates for under $200 million are correct and when the entire Essendon Junction structure plan is taken into consideration - more specifically the amount of dwelling supply and economic activity it will create over time - I don't believe it would be all that difficult for the benefits to outweigh the costs in this context.

Here's hoping the State Government adopt the council's preferred grade separation option.
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Essendon Junction structure plan and Buckley Street grade separation

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The Premier and Minister for Public Transport this morning announced four more level crossing removals had been funded - Main and Furlong Roads in St. Albans, Blackburn Road in Blackburn and Heatherdale Road in Mitcham.

"These four level crossings will all be removed by 2018, and are part of our $2-2.4 billion commitment in the 2015-2016 Victorian Budget to remove at least 20 of these congested death traps over four years" the Premier said.

Leighton Contractors, Aurecon and Hyder Consulting will be working together to both design and build the four grade separation projects with input from public sector agencies VicRoads, Public Transport Victoria and the operator of the metropolitan rail network, Metro Trains Melbourne.

In a media release distributed on Tuesday morning, the Government has announced the package of works will cost around $480 million including $151 million from the Federal Government. This federal money is reportedly derived from savings made on the Regional Rail Project which began operations on Sunday.

Heatherdale Road, Blackburn Road and Furlong Road projects will be funded by the Victorian Government and the Main Road grade separation project funded by the Regional Rail Link savings.

In terms of rail corridor changes, at all four project sites the rail lines will be lowered under the existing road grade and three stations will be re-built as a consequence: St. Albans, Ginifter and Heatherdale.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sau!4v1435019591184!6m8!1m7!1so6nLJDygseyT_7R6joKtsQ!2m2!1d-37.818875!2d145.213361!3f282.51!4f-2.819999999999993!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border:0" width="100%"></iframe>

​Of all four level crossing removal projects which were awarded today, Heatherdale is likely to be the more intriguing from a design perspective. As seen in the google street view above, the existing station is already on a downhill (toward Ringwood) grade and lowering the rail line below the existing road grade will likely require a large amount of excavation to the west of the station in order to smooth out the rail corridor between Mitcham and Heatherdale stations.

As Blackburn Road and Heatherdale Road are completed, the only remaining level crossings between the city and Ringwood will be located at Union Road in Surrey Hills and Mont Albert Road in Mont Albert. Given Surrey Hills and Mont Albert Stations are located within a kilometre of each other, Apartments.com.au expects that both of these stations - which have three tracks and platforms like the recently announced Frankston line level crossing removals - would be completed at the same time, whenever they are prioritised by Government. These two level crossings do not feature in the list of 50 grade separation projects.

With the announcement of Main Road and Furlong Road projects today, once complete in 2018, all Sunbury line trains as far as Watergardens will be running on track with no level crossings, thanks to previous removal projects in the region with the most recent being Anderson Road as part of the Regional Rail Link project.

The State Government has also announced that geotechnical investigations have begun in the Dandenong corridor where nine previously announced level crossings are to be removed and four stations are scheduled to be rebuilt.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/level-crossing-removal-locations.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The 50 level crossings the Government aims to remove over eight years. Economicdevelopment.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="417" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/level-crossing-removal-locations.jpg?itok=doEZZzJe" title="The 50 level crossings the Government aims to remove over eight years. Economicdevelopment.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The 50 level crossings the Government aims to remove over eight years. <a href="http://economicdevelopment.vic.gov.au/transport/major-projects/level-crossing-removal-project/level-crossing-removal-locations">economicdevelopment.vic.gov.au</a></figcaption></figure><h2>Level crossing removals announced to date</h2>

The Dandenong corridor:

<ul>
<li>Grange Road, Carnegie</li>
	<li>Koornang Road, Carnegie - includes rebuilding Carnegie station.</li>
	<li>Murrumbeena Road, Murrumbeena - includes rebuilding Murrumbeena station.</li>
	<li>Poath Road, Murrumbeena - includes rebuilding Hughesdale station.</li>
	<li>Clayton Road, Clayton - includes rebuilding Clayton station.</li>
	<li>Centre Road, Clayton</li>
	<li>Corrigan Road, Noble Park</li>
	<li>Heatherton Road, Noble Park</li>
	<li>Chandler Road, Noble Park</li>
</ul>
Expressions of interest were being sought in June and an earlier media release from the Minister for Public Transport stated the work was expected to start in 2016 - and today's announcement confirms that - and complete by 2018. Total value, designs and contractors not yet announced.

The Frankston Line:

<ul>
<li>North Road, Ormond - includes rebuilding Ormond station.</li>
	<li>McKinnon Road, McKinnon - includes rebuilding McKinnon station.</li>
	<li>Centre Road, Bentleigh - includes rebuilding Bentleight station.</li>
</ul>
The Glen Waverley Line:

<ul>
<li>Burke Road, Glen Iris - includes rebuilding Gardiner station.</li>
</ul>
Contracts for these four level crossing removals were awarded to a consortium which comprises John Holland and KBR. $524 million and complete by 2018.

The Ringwood corridor:

<ul>
<li>Blackburn Road, Blackburn.</li>
	<li>Heatherdale Road, Mitcham - includes rebuilding Heatherdale station.</li>
</ul>
The Sunbury Line

<ul>
<li>Furlong Road, St. Albans - includes rebuilding Ginifer station.</li>
	<li>Main Road, St. Albans - includes rebuilding St. Albans station.</li>
</ul>
Contracts awarded to an alliance of Leighton Contractors, Aurecon and Hayder Consulting. $480 million. St. Albans projects complete by 2017, Ringwood corridor projects complete by 2018.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.818875,145.213361,3a,75y,282.51h,87.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1so6nLJDygseyT_7R6joKtsQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en-GB">Google Street View</a>.
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St. Albans, Blackburn and Mitcham set to see more level crossing removals

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The business end of getting the Dandenong corridor grade separation project moving is nigh, with the month of June set to see the Government receive expressions of interest from interested parties to undertake the work.

The project will seek to remove the nine level crossings that are currently restricting train frequencies between Caulfield and Dandenong stations on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines, the city's busiest. Similarly Spring Street wishes to have all nine level crossings removed as part of one larger project in order to gain synergies, allow work to be coordinated and have the individual crossings separated sooner according to a media release.

The nine roads to be grade separated are:

<ul>
<li>Grange Road, Carnegie</li>
	<li>Koornang Road, Carnegie</li>
	<li>Murrumbeena Road, Murrumbeena</li>
	<li>Poath Road, Murrumbeena</li>
	<li>Clayton Road, Clayton</li>
	<li>Centre Road, Clayton</li>
	<li>Corrigan Road, Noble Park</li>
	<li>Heatherton Road, Noble Park</li>
	<li>Chandler Road, Noble Park</li>
</ul>
Koornang Road, Murrumbeena Road, Poath Road and Clayton Road are adjacent to Carnegie, Murrumbeena, Hughesdale and Clayton stations respectively and as a result of grade separating the level crossings each of those four stations will also need to be rebuilt.

On June 2, the Level Crossing Removal Authority is hosting an industry briefing and expressions of interest will close toward the end of June. The Public Transport Minister's media release states works will commence in 2016 and be complete by 2018.

<h2>Comment</h2>

Three Frankston Line level crossings and stations, one Glen Waverley Line level crossing and station, five new stations as part of the Melbourne Metro Rail project and now four more stations as part of this Dandenong corridor project; there's currently a lot of design going on around rail stations at present.

In fact, the Pakenham and Cranbourne Lines will become station architectural tour in their own right - from the 1880s era so-called "MATH" (Malvern, Armadale, Toorak, Hawksburn) stations, to 1990s era slap-up-a-platform-and-a-shed stations of Cranbourne and Merinda Park - the two lines are going to be anything by architecturally ordinary when travelling on them from end to end.

It's for this reason - sheer volume of station rebuilds - that when designs are finalised and high-quality renders can be retrieved from the State Government, we're planning to expand our <a href="/developments">project database</a> to track each individual station through our normal data gathering process. Given the State Government aims to complete 20 level crossing removals in its first term, we're going to be busy.

<h2>Media release</h2>

<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="undefined" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_65759" scrolling="no" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/266703762/content?start_page=1&amp;view_mode=scroll&amp;show_recommendations=true" width="100%"></iframe>

Lead image credit: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murrumbeena,_Victoria">Wikipedia</a>.
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Spring Street kicks off Dandenong corridor level crossing removal project

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In a series of media releases, Spring Street has announced it has dumped the previous Coalition government's <a href="/new-apartments/dandenong-vic-3175">Dandenong</a> corridor project - which was originally pitched to them by a private consortium - and have announced their own.

Much noise was made about the PPP/Napthine scheme only removing four level crossings between <a href="/new-apartments/caulfield-vic-3162">Caulfield</a> and Dandenong as well as a smaller number of trains that were to be ordered to run services on this major route. In one of the media releases, the following table was provided as a comparison between the Napthine/PPP scheme and the Andrews Government vision.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/dandenong_corridor_comparison.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Comparison of project features. Source: State Government media release"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="437" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/dandenong_corridor_comparison.jpg?itok=pHQ0j5Yc" title="Comparison of project features. Source: State Government media release" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Comparison of project features. Source: State Government media release</figcaption></figure>According to one media release, expressions of interest are to be called for the grade separations within months and the Premier has preemptively apologised for the shut down of the entire corridor in the name of progress while individual project areas are worked on.

Fair enough Premier, however could we have more detail please?

Given the relative "out of the blue" nature of the project announcement with not much detail beyond the points listed in the image above, here's a wish list of changes Apartments.com.au would like to see happen either in conjunction (priority 1), in the medium term (priority 2) and in the long term (priority 3) with the Dandenong corridor upgrade.

<h2>Priority 1</h2>

Link the infrastructure investment with more intensive land uses adjacent to the rail corridor

This is a golden opportunity to provide more affordable housing in the middle ring suburbs and Spring Street should make inclusionary zoning as mooted by the Planning Minister (or any other policy targeted at increasing the diversity of urban housing stock) apply to all areas adjacent to newly re-built stations as well as throughout any existing or new structure plan in the corridor.

The Government should work with councils to update structure plans within station vicinities, or create new ones where none exist, in order to capture the benefit of the rail investment. The larger number of trains in the Andrews' Government proposal appears to be linked to increased frequencies of service and therefore the major nodes in the corridor scope: Caulfield, <a href="/new-apartments/oakleigh-vic-3166">Oakleigh</a>, <a href="/new-apartments/clayton-vic-3168">Clayton</a>, <a href="/new-apartments/springvale-vic-3171">Springvale</a> and Dandenong should see more intense and inclusive development made possible through the planning scheme.

Plan Melbourne has previously designated these areas as Activity Centres with Caulfield and Dandenong as National Employment Clusters, further reinforcing their importance within the wider network.

Dandenong should be a special case building on the existing revitalising central Dandenong principles. According to the <a href="http://www.planmelbourne.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/131347/Fact-Sheet-Southern-Subregion-May-2014.pdf">Southern sub-region growth fact sheet</a> as part of Plan Melbourne, it is predicted that the area will see another 400,000 to 480,000 people living, for the most part, within reach of a Dandenong corridor station by 2031.

Spring Street should take a leaf out of the New South Wales Government's book and further decentralise public sector organisations and further encourage more private sector investment and employment growth in Dandenong like Macquarie Street has with <a href="/new-apartments/parramatta-nsw">Parramatta</a>.

<figure><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kc_224ozYDc" width="100%"></iframe>

<figcaption>Cranbourne-Pakenham Transformation video from the <a href="http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/cranbourne-pakenham-transformation">Premier's website</a>.</figcaption></figure><h2>Priority 2</h2>

Mass reconfiguration of the bus network to feed the upgraded rail line

A public transport network is a failure if users are still dependent on a private vehicle to access it. Public transport is a logical extension of walking and where distances are too great between the point of origin and the mass transit mode, other forms of public transport need to be either created or reconfigured to ensure there is no dependency on private vehicles.

Beyond Caulfield and <a href="/new-apartments/carnegie-vic-3163">Carnegie</a>, the only other major mode of public transport other than the rail services is the bus network. While a few of the Smart Bus services operate and act as feeder services in the area already, every station - including along the Pakenham and <a href="/developments/cranbourne-vic-3977">Cranbourne</a> segments - should see less focus on car parking and more on bus service expansion.

Rather than focus on the bells and whistles of a Smart Bus service, bus network/feeder policy should focus on these core principles: frequency, route directness and operating hour expansion. The end-game should be to correct the sheer waste of land at stations like <a href="/developments/berwick-vic-3806">Berwick</a> which has hectares of parking that should be put to better use, especially in the scenario where VicTrack own the land.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/14032766753_f55cb66ca7_c.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Springvale Station only had two platforms built as part of the recent grade separation project"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="357" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/14032766753_f55cb66ca7_c.jpg?itok=nJhxSn93" title="Springvale Station only had two platforms built as part of the recent grade separation project" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Springvale Station only had two platforms built as part of the recent grade separation project. Source: <a href="http://www.danielbowen.com/2014/04/26/new-springvale-station/">Daniel Bowen's blog</a>.</figcaption></figure><h2>Priority 3</h2>

At the very least keep one eye on corridor expansion and tell the public about it

No mention was made of expanding the track within the existing corridor however the track and station design should take into account that the corridor will be expanded in future. The logical next step would be to quadruplicate the track between Caulfield and Dandenong thus enabling two tiers of service - stopping-all-stations and express - to operate independently over the longer term.

The future track layout around Oakleigh and Clayton stations should cater for four tracks and four platforms, all other stations should cater for four tracks with only two platforms.

The fastest services on the <a href="/new-apartments/sydney-nsw">Sydney</a> Trains network between Sydney's Central station and Parramatta is 27 minutes. This is achieved through extensive and frequent express services which for the most part run on track which is rated for speeds in the vicinity of 80kph.

A direct Flinders Street service from Dandenong according to the current timetable is 41 minutes.

The City-Dandenong corridor (29km as measured from Flinders Street to South Yarra along the projected alignment of the Melbourne Metro Tunnel project; <a href="/new-apartments/south-yarra-vic-3141">South Yarra</a> to Dandenong station along the existing corridor) is 6km longer than the Sydney-Parramatta corridor (23km measured from Central station along the existing Main Western Line to Parramatta).

Given the advantage of a straighter alignment thus enabling higher speeds with express services, should track be quadruplicated - perhaps as part of a second stage of the Melbourne Metro Tunnel project - it is within the realms of possibility that a similar CBD to CBD trip, time-wise, could be undertaken in Melbourne. This should have the effect of improving Dandenong's profile as a employment and growth centre for people living 'up' the line toward the city, not just for those who live beyond Dandenong and commute to the city at present.

At the very least this should be the ultimate plan: creating another fast, frequent transport spine that caters for short and longer trips right through South Eastern Melbourne in both directions, not just for the current peak-time commuters.

Lead image credit: recently grade separated Springvale Station, via <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springvale_railway_station">Wikipedia</a>.
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The Dandenong corridor wish list

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Both major political parties are talking up level crossing removals as part of their transport policy repertoires; the ALP are promising to remove 50 and the Coalition promising 40. At the recent pay-TV only people's forum, Daniel Andrews was pressured on timeframes should the ALP win Government and he announced an eight-year period to complete the 50 crossing removals.

Eight years is an ambitious timeframe in anyone's book and should ALP form government after November 29th, it will be a benchmark that the Government (should they form it) will be judged on.

As for the coalition's promise of 40 level crossing removals either started, funded or planned, Daniel Bowen <a href="http://www.danielbowen.com/2014/09/24/level-crossing-list/">has an interesting write up</a> breaking down the numbers; it appears the Coalition are claiming the 13 road over rail or rail over road bridges created as part of the Regional Rail Link project as true crossing removals (when there was no level crossing to begin with).

Regardless, the ALP and Coalition clearly aim to ramp up further removals throughout the metropolitan area and given promises from one side of politics - to do so many in a relatively short period of time - it's hard to not feel uneasy about the potential for inevitable compromise should the proverbial hit the fan.

The Office of Victorian Government Architect, as part of their Victorian Design Review Panel series, has a relevant two-pager with the title <a href="http://www.ovga.vic.gov.au/images/VDRP_Lessons_Learned_Level_Crossing_Removals.pdf">Level Crossing Removals: Lessons Learned</a>. The strategic issues section is summarised:

<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>A level crossing removal is more than an engineering project which physically separates road and rail.</li>
	<li>View the project as a catalyst for urban renewal.</li>
	<li>Establish a vision for the site that is broader than improving transport efficiency.</li>
	<li>Include the expertise of urban design professionals in the development of the design.</li>
	<li>Develop site-specific urban design guidelines.</li>
	<li>Allow a reference design to be revised and challenged by the project/bidding team.</li>
</ul>
<cite>Office of Victorian Government Architect</cite>
</blockquote>

I recently had the chance to take a wander around one of the most recent examples of grade separation + new station rebuild at Mitcham. All in all it's an impressive new station with all the trimmings you'd expect.

Station Street which intersects with Whitehorse Road now looks (and more importantly feels) connected with the new concourse built above the lowered tracks with an excellent less-than-50m walk to bus stops on both the northern and southern platforms. Slick deep blue tiles, modern ticket office and a healthy smattering of retail space meld the whole precinct together and the station feels truly a part of the existing commercial strip to the north.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/mitcham_station_modscape1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="New Mitcham Station with grade separation of Mitcham Road. Image Modscape"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="359" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/mitcham_station_modscape1.jpg?itok=ziYjxK6j" title="New Mitcham Station with grade separation of Mitcham Road. Image Modscape " width="580"></a>

<figcaption>New Mitcham Station with grade separation of Mitcham Road. Image Modscape</figcaption></figure>Perhaps my only two criticisms for the station relate to the surface car parks that are a typical feature of many suburban railway stations. To the left of the picture above, an open-air car park sits wasting away when really the land should be put to more valuable use.

Sure there's always going to be a need for commuter car parking, but in situations like Mitcham it was disappointing that surface car parking still dominates the northern periphery of the station.

Visiting urbanist and former Chief Planner of Vancouver, <a href="http://www.toderianurbanworks.com/">Brent Toderian</a>, last month <a href="http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/3aw-breakfast-blog/how-to-make-melbourne-better/20141030-3j6b4">made an extremely valid point</a> when he said Australian cities have an enormous amount of heavy rail infrastructure in place already and our primary failing is getting the land use around stations right.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/mitcham_station_modscape2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Prefabulous, Mitcham Station concourse looking toward Whitehorse Road. Image Modscape"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="359" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/mitcham_station_modscape2.jpg?itok=ZXOo3T-a" title="Modu-fabulous, Mitcham Station concourse looking toward Whitehorse Road. Image Modscape" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Modu-fabulous, Mitcham Station concourse looking toward Whitehorse Road. Image Modscape</figcaption></figure>I guess my fears (and hopes) for Melbourne's grade separation frenzy that we're likely to witness whomever wins Government on Saturday can be summed thus:

We should expect nothing less than the architectural quality of Mitcham for each and every one of the projects which result in a new station rebuild. Plus the Planning and Transport Ministers should work together to ensure that each project doesn't surround each new station with hectares of wasteful surface car parking, regardless of whether a project is in the inner, middle or outer rings of Melbourne.

Modular and prefabricated approach should not only be encouraged but prioritised. If you look at the ALP's aspirations, 50 projects is a lot of work and there's going to be a great deal of commonality between them; a fantastic opportunity to put work in the hands of advanced manufacturers.

Where a station is currently two single platforms, rail engineers, urban designers and the purse string holders should look at rebuilding the new stations with island platforms where possible. Nunawading saw this happen, but Mitcham and Springvale have not had this treatment.

Island platforms make it easier for passengers - no need for passengers unfamiliar with a station's configuration to stop and think which platform they need to go to before heading through the ticketed area (one of many passenger-positive reasons) - and the platforms would have greater passive surveillance from concourses and from outside station boundaries above in the case where a station is lowered like at Mitcham.

And finally, <a href="/news/should-the-mernda-rail-extension-project-result-in-more-intensive-land-uses">let's get land use right</a>. There is plenty of scope for PPP integration at new stations; the Residential Growth Zone should be employed liberally on land adjacent to new stations and car parking should quite literally be out of sight and and out of mind.

Lead image credit: Nunawading Station, Grimshaw via <a href="http://www.e-architect.co.uk/melbourne/nunawading-station">E-Architect.co.uk</a>.

View more Mitcham Station images on <a href="http://modscape.com.au/projects/mitcham-railway-station/">modscape.com.au</a>.
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Level crossing removals

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