Melbourne Hill Road drainage upgrade

Phase one works

We're please to share that we're nearing completion of phase one works.

Due to recent wet weather and hard rock excavation, we’ve been delayed in finishing the current works.

We’re doing everything we can to ensure the works are completed as soon as possible, and we estimate they will be completed by August 2024.

The completion of phase one will mark the end of the project's road works.

Revegetation works

We’ve also begun the process of revegetating the area by removing weeds.

We’ll begin replanting various native Warrandyte species in mid-September.

These plants are intended to support the area's biodiversity and enhance the road's appearance.

We’ll continue to support and maintain these plantings for the next two years while they become established.

Planting list for Melbourne Hill Road:

Phase two works

We’re in the process of designing the phase two works, which we expect to begin in the 2025/26 financial year.

The majority of these works will be on private land, and we expect some traffic impacts.

We appreciate your support throughout this phase of the project.

We've completed around 30 per cent of phase one's third stage of works, and we're on track to complete this phase by July 2024. Meanwhile, we’re actively working on the design for phase two.

Read our previous update for more information on how stage three of phase one works.

We will keep you informed and provide another update closer to the completion of phase one.

Our contractor returned to the Melbourne Hill Road site in mid-February 2024. They are now working to complete the remaining stage three, phase one works.

As a part of the stage three construction, a pipe will be installed across the road at the roundabout of Melbourne Hill Road, Drysdale Road, and Leber Street. The roundabout will be temporarily closed for approximately one week to complete these works.

Construction will continue to take place on weekdays from 7.00am to 4.00pm. The road will be closed in a work zone of approximately 100 metres at any given time. We have construction compounds on site for material storage and signage on site to assist traffic flow in the area. We will begin reinstatement and cleanup works as we complete each 200 to 300-metre section of the road.

To ensure the works are completed as quickly and efficiently as possible, construction vehicles and equipment will be parked in secure areas on Council's nature strip along Melbourne Hill Road, even at night.

Temporary disruptions to driveway access

When the works reach your driveway, there will be a temporary restriction to access your property during work hours, until we complete the work around it. To minimise any inconvenience, our contractor, Kalow Holdings Ltd, will contact you at least 48 hours before to discuss their plans.

Usually, your driveway access will be limited for one to two days, depending on weather and site conditions. However, our contractor will try to maintain your property access after hours. If you need your vehicles during the day, please remove them from your property before 7:00 am. Emergency vehicles will always have immediate access, including access to residential properties.

We thank you for your patience and understanding during construction and welcome any questions or feedback you have.

For more information:

• Visit Your Say Manningham

• Email us at manningham@manningham.vic.gov.au

• Call us on 9840 9333.

Phase one works remain paused while our contractor completes the necessary works at Everard Drive. Works are expected to recommence in late February 2024. In the meantime, we continue preparing for phase two.

We have appointed a surveyor, Lawlor & Loy, to complete the survey works for this phase. In March 2024, they will begin marking the position of the new drainage pipe within property easements.

Lawlor & Loy will contact property owners directly to arrange a suitable time to complete the survey. Depending on the property details, this will take 30 to 60 minutes to complete.

If you have any questions about these works or the project, contact us at manningham@manningham.vic.gov.au or 9840 9333.

As we come to the end of 2023, we are delighted to inform you that more than 50% of the work for stage three of the Melbourne Hill Road drainage upgrade project phase 1 has been completed.

Our contractor has temporarily moved on to work on the Everard Drive Drainage project. They are expected to return to Melbourne Hill Road in mid-February 2024.

This pause in work will give everyone a much-needed break from construction and traffic detours during the holiday season.

There will be no road closures until the contractor resumes work on Melbourne Hill Road. All construction equipment has been removed from the site, and the stockpiles and project area have been safely barricaded as required. Our contractor has reinstated most of the disturbed area.

We appreciate your continued patience and support throughout 2023 for this project.

We look forward to making further progress (and completing phase one works) in 2024.

The drainage upgrade's first phase is progressing through stage three. Unfortunately, due to adverse weather conditions and encountering rock along the alignment, the project's completion is delayed until February 2024.

We are happy to report that we have begun planting to revegetate areas where we've completed weeding and drainage works near Houghton and Heidelberg-Warrandyte roads.

As part of the planting, we have introduced 14 plant species, including six types of Wattles. Most of these plants are mid-storey shrubs of varying sizes, providing a diverse range of habitats and food sources for various animals, birds, and insects in the area. These Wattles are critical for various reasons. For example, Black Wattles produce gum that Sugar Gliders rely heavily on during winter. Nectar glands in Wattles attract a wide range of native insects, like ants and bees, and birds, such as honeyeaters and thornbills. The oil-rich attachment in Wattle seeds is also attractive to ants and birds, particularly the vulnerable Gang-gang Cockatoo. Studies have shown that an area's more diverse range of Wattles directly impacts bird diversity.

We also included Prickly Wattles to provide a safe habitat for small birds. In addition, we planted Snowy Daisy-bush, which produces white flowers that attract butterflies, and Sticky Hop-bush, a rare plant in Manningham. Planting it here will help boost the local population, which occurs naturally only a few hundred meters away.

We greatly appreciate your continued support and patience as we complete these works.

If you have any questions or feedback about this project, please contact us at 9840 9333 or manningham@manningham.vic.gov.au.

We’re pleased to inform you that construction for phase one is progressing as per schedule.

Stage one is complete, and we’re progressing through stage two which we expect to complete in the next week. From next week, we will begin stage three. Please see the below map showing the road closure for stage two and three.

Phase one of the project comprises four stages in total. If you wish to review the road closures for all stages, we have provided comprehensive maps detailing the closures for stages one to four. View the road closure maps.

We thank you for your continued support and patience as we complete these works.

If you have any questions or feedback about this project, contact us at 9840 9333 or manningham@manningham.vic.gov.au.

Thank you to everyone who attended our Melbourne Hill Road Drainage Upgrade Community Information Session on 27 April 2023. As discussed in the session we’re now ready to commence phase one of construction on this project.

Construction will begin in mid-June and will include a package of early works such as:

• Site set up, locating underground services and surveying
• Implementation of traffic management and environmental management plan
• Installation of drainage system, which will start in July

Works will begin at the corner of Melbourne Hill Road and Colin Avenue. Please refer to the attached plan for details of the works and traffic management plan.

Who is the contractor for this project?

Kalow Holdings Ltd has been appointed as the contractor.

How long will these works go for?

We expect that phase one of construction will take approximately five months, subject to weather and site conditions.

Will Melbourne Hill Road be closed during construction?

During the construction process, we may be required to close sections of road. Appropriate detour signage and traffic management will be in place to assist with traffic flow. Every effort will be made to reduce any inconvenience during the progress of these works.

Will access to my property be restricted?
During construction occurring directly outside a driveway, there will be temporary restrictions on residential access during working hours (7am-4pm). To reduce inconvenience, our contractor, Kalow Holdings Ltd, will reach out to affected residents with at least 48 hours' notice to discuss their plans. Typically, restricted driveway access will last no longer than one to two days, subject to weather and site conditions. During this time our contractor will endeavour to maintain property access afterhours and asks that residents who need their vehicles during the day remove them from their properties before 7am.

What if I need to access emergency services but access to my property is restricted?

The contractor will always provide immediate access to emergency vehicles during the works, including access to residential properties.

Will my bins be collected as usual?

Please put your bins out for collection the night before your usual collection day as they will be picked up prior to 7am.

Are any trees going to be removed as part of the works?

Yes, as previously communicated the upgrade will require some tree and vegetation removal. The design aims to balance the drainage upgrade needs, while minimising impacts on roadside vegetation and the character of the area. At the completion of the project, we will replant vegetation and/or trees where possible.

We thank you for your patience and understanding during construction and welcome any questions or feedback that you might have.

For more information:

• Email: manningham@manningham.vic.gov.au
• Phone: Project Manager Sawali Rai on (03) 9840 9333

By late April, we’ll appoint contractor to remove the 12 trees (and environmental weeds) from the road reserve. The removal works will begin in early May and are expected to take 1-2 weeks (weather permitting).

If you would like more details, please join us for a face-to-face information session on Thursday 27 April 2023 from 11am to 12pm at the park in front of 100 Melbourne Hill Road, Warrandyte. During this session, we will further explain the process, reason, and outcome of the weed removal (including shrubs and small trees identified as environmental weeds) works.

Follow below link for more information about Environmental Weeds:

www.manningham.vic.gov.au/protecting-our-environment/protecting-plants-and-ecology#environmental_weeds_and_pest_plants

Following our communications in 27 September 2022, we’ve obtained a permit to remove 11 native trees. These trees are highly impacted due to their proximity to the drainage works and, in some cases, because they are in poor health.

Under the dangerous tree exemption rules, we will remove an additional Swamp Gum due to its poor health condition.

Environmental weeds removal will also take place along Melbourne Hill and Houghton roads as part of these works. This will improve conditions for locally indigenous flora species (including new and established trees) to grow naturally within the immediate environment. It will also benefit indigenous flora by opening up the canopy layer spaces and reducing competition for light. Additionally, these works will reduce exotic leaf litter contributing to the suppression of native species and future spread of weeds.

Please see the attached map for the environmental weeds clearance area.

The table below outlines characteristics of the 12 native trees to be removed.