1

North East Link Committee 25-8-2017

community@northeastlink.vic.gov.au SUBMISSION
5 AND TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

Sir/Madam,
as a resident in Viewbank it might be held I have a certain bias in which route a
freeway connection might be build, that is pro or con pending on what benefits there might be or
adverse issues, such as a feeder road clogging then Lower Plenty Road and so adjoining streets,
10 near Rosanna Road. I have tried to avoid such bias to come out in this submission.
I grew up in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and well recall that when I was about 10 years old (way
back in 1957) there was this bold plan to simply build a Metro which was to have a tram line on
a rail every 10 minutes from the outer suburb to the centre of the city. It appeared a daring plan
in particular where the elevation of the rail on pylons above ground also required the destruction
15 of residential buildings. At the end of the Metro outer areas terminals were created to which
busses were going every direction. The Zuidplein terminal is well known ever since. It is this
kind of advance planning that some 60 years later still thrives. The terminal now houses a large
shopping centre also.
I am the executive of the estate of my wifes late husband Mr Jaroslav Hlavka MIE Aust CP
20 Eng. Who was an employee of the Board of Works and was involved in the ground sampling of
the future Eastern Freeway. From reading his material it is clear that the river flow had to be
redirected to allow for the Eastern Freeway route. This means that extensive soil testing had to be
carried out as to the stress that may be executed upon the possible route of the future (as it was
then) Eastern Freeway. It is therefore clear that with various past projects the ground
25 preparations then carried out to enable the Eastern Freeway to be build and the dramatic increase
of traffic since then may easily be on the maximum stress levels of what was at the time to be
deemed to be the maximum threshold for such future usage of the eastern Freeway. It therefore
isnt just a simple widening of the Eastern Freeway but a risk that with future increase of the
usage of the Eastern Freeway if the link between the Eastern Freeway and the Ring Road at
30 Greensborough were to be built then at some point of time the entire project might be found
beyond the capacity of the area. Clearly any road that is built is calculated for future stress levels
and to exceed them would be irresponsible. It would in my view be not just silly but
irresponsible to build a connection between the Eastern Freeway and Greensborough Ring road
merely because it might so to say be a cheaper option when over time this can have horrendous
35 consequences. If the area were to shift causing limited usage of the Eastern Freeway then this
will not be a simple matter to resolve. As such for that alone I view the usage of the Eastern
Freeway as part of a road link should not be deemed appropriate. Because of future further
expansions I view that there might be too much expected from the eastern Freeway to serve as a
gateway to the Ring Road. And this doesnt even take into account the additional pressure on the
40 existing and future traffic flow on the Eastern Freeway that travel to the city.

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In my submission it would be far better to plan a route connection that is without any baggage as
like that of the Eastern Freeway, and can be built based upon future expectations and expansions.
For this also I would hold that connection A would be totally undesirable.
With connection B my concern is that it goes south of Greensborough and as such may still
5 cause pressure upon the area towards Rosanna/Viewbank. This as once drivers go in a certain
direction they may tend to continue south wards. In my view pending what is contemplated as to
future expansion of the Melbourne Metropolitan area connection C and connection D might
be a better solution.
One should avoid being narrow minded and argue that connection D might be too far out, if in
10 fact city planners expect this area around connection D to be a built up area within a decade.
However, connection C in my view might be the best route to use for a variety of reasons.
If the Metro kind of design was duplicated as was planned in Rotterdam, then what would
eventuate is that the most direct route being connection C be planned and built using above
ground freeways that are planned for expansion over time, and as such the pylon to carry this
15 freeway over wetland or other sensitive areas need to be built to allow future expansion. Ample
of cities around the world that have limited space to build freeways are using elevated freeways
where the pylons are actually embedded in the surrounding sea.
The benefit of a connection C will be that terminals could be built near expansion areas where
train/tram/bus commuters can then access facilities. As such a Zuidplein kind of hub/terminal.
20 All that is needed is a hub being built near an off/on ramp. It means that a person say travelling
from Dandenong can travel via the East link and connection C to the relevant hub and then may
use public transport from there for any short route. Obviously unlike the congestions at railways
stations the hub should allow for ample of parking. What is needed is not just to build a North
East Link but an advance planning where possibly satellite cities might be created where
25 personal vehicle use may be avoided. I do not hold it justified to build a connection D with
such future long term planning of satellite cities. However view that connection C might be the
appropriate route for this.
The problem as I view it with our current network systems are that they are not properly
integrated, other than perhaps the train services. What is needed is a transport hub established
30 near the connection C to be built road link so that public transport can move in all directions
and future expansions are calculated for this.
When I have to travel from Viewbank to sunshine I take the current ring road because it a voids
me to having to go through heaps of traffic lights. It might be a longer route but considering time
and usage of fuel it is the better option.
35 Building just a North East Link without regard to associated issues such as public transport
connections such as the Zuidplein hub means that the route likely will be outdated before it is
even completed.
Such as hub would make no sense with connection A because it is an already built up area.
Any road planning in my view should not be made with planners having blinkers but to consider
40 future metropolitan expansions. How can it serve the freight community by having a freeway
link build that for future purposes with an on/off ramp can provide easy delivery without having
to crawl through residential streets?
Near Tullamarine Airport one can notice all kind of freight stations and this allows a better
access for those who are involved in freight transport. A road system that would allow trucks to
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haul more than 1 trailer over freeways with having then storage terminals (distribution centres)
near on/off ramps means that then those kind of trucks will not clutter the ordinary road system.
The problem with any tunnelling will be that future expansion could be limited and hence using
elevated freeways might be a far better option. While there may be arguments that to build the
5 pylons could be harmful to nature/wildlife one need to make compromises that in the overall and
in the long term this might be acceptable considering how this kind of elevated roadwork can
assist otherwise by keeping pollution, etc, as much as possible down.
It might also to be considered that the connection C should be not near the end of the current
Ring Road of Greensborough but between that and Plenty Road off ramp. This would also avoid
10 obstructing the current traffic flow and would allow in future those wanting to travel to
Greensborough to do so at ease.
Another problem that exist is that there are everywhere people erecting temporary obstructions
closing of part of roads, even if merely wanting to load a furniture truck. In fact at the corner of
Lower Plenty Road and Waiora Road

15
First they blocked an entire lane because they were removing a low brick fence. After that they
removed all the buildings after that at other times. Had the first cleared behind the brick fence
then no road lane closure was needed. Likewise near building sites, lane closure is common even
so perhaps a mere 1 truck an hour is entering/leaving the site. The same was when in Bell Street
20 towards the Freeway there was a driveway created for a VACANT block of land. A lane was
closed and the traffic was banking up for more than a kilometre. After the driveway was created
the property remained VACANT for many years thereafter.
With the Lower Plenty Road-Waiora Road junction you find at time an entire lane closed off
with traffic banked up. Yet, all there is needed (in particular as there are traffic lights) is for a
25 truck driver to wait for the lights and use this with a person letting the traffic wait for a few
second for the truck to move out of the driveway.
The same is where at Murray road Preston you got 3 yellow display trailers within about 20
metres advertising for different companies. The same yellow trailers are used on highways to
warn motorist. It means that a motorist ends up ignoring those yellow trailers as they are all over
30 the town. They are side tracking the attention of motorist unduly.
I urged the government years ago that any yellow trailer with lights to warn motorist should have
fitted on top a VicRoads sign, so a motorist can distinguish between what are road warnings or
more business advertising.
Then you find yellow trailers alongside the highway none of them showing any display. It might
35 be they are out of power (flat battery) or not being used. In my view, if a yellow trailer is not
used (but taxpayers still pay for their hiring!) then there should be a cover over them. As is
applicable to ordinary signs that are temporary suspended, such as speed signs that due to
roadworks cannot be applicable.

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 4
Then if a motorist comes near a yellow trailer not covered and neither operating then the motorist
could call in and report it. This provided on the trailer there is a number of the trailer and a
number to call of the road authority which authorised the trailer to be there.
Ordinary I never use CityLink but found recently being forced to travel on it and received a
5 charge. This was withdrawn after I wrote in. The problem was that the yellow trailers messages
were confusing. Actually I noticed at times motorist ending up right on the corners not knowing
to turn off or to continue. A highly dangerous situation. Any signage regarding road issue should
carry the illuminated VicRoad sign to indicate this is an official road sign.
Road signage regarding construction areas must be placed to allow sufficient time for a motorist
10 to change lanes if needed. When you are in high speed traffic doing 80 kilometres an hour in
peak hour traffic and then see a sign 200 meters toll way, it is a bit late to change lanes to avoid
entering a toll road. And at times one cannot even see this sign is travelling next to a row of
trucks.
In Murray Road Preston one can drive the road and suddenly find to be in a right turn lane only
15 because there are no warning signs in advance to indicate this and the arrow is not visible when
a long line of vehicles are waiting in this lane long before it becomes a right hand turn lane only.
In my view we have a grossly disorganised road system that is bound to increase dangers.
In fact the new rule of 40 kilometres regarding an emergency vehicle is an absurdity. I drove past
3 of such vehicles within an hour. It turned out 2 of them were parked in an off road parking area
20 with lights flashing. Simply the police had their lights flashing on the vehicle in a carpark (at 2
different locations) but when travelling along the road this is not visible unless one is nearby.
another incident caused a car smash where an Ambulance came from behind me with lights
going. The vehicle in front of me sought to get out of the way and well smashed into a car. The
ambulance was in a different lane, but drivers were panicking.
25 Worst is the roundabout system. I grew up in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, where a roundabout is
a single road. You can only turn left onto it and you can only turn left from it. As such you need
to be in the most left lane to turn off from the roundabout. This has been the concept for over 60
years in The Netherlands.
Yet, in Australia there are ample of car smashes because of the confusion it creates to turn right
30 through a roundabout.
When one build then a freeway the same nonsense is duplicated when the on/off ramps are at
roundabouts.
With the proposed North East Link this nonsense should be avoided. Place gantries where there
is a direction change with overhead lights of the type used in Johnston Street, Collingwood. In
35 my view using such kind of gantries on roads being altered would make a huge difference to the
safety of motorist. The cost of such gantries is negligible compared to the cost of human lives,
etc.
When I grew up we didnt bother about slogans to recycle, as it was simply part of our life style.
We didnt dispose of computers because we had none. We didnt dispose of plastic bags because
40 we had only paper bags from the grocery stores. And on and on it goes. We were not unfriendly
to environment rather it was part of our nature to avoid harm to the environment without making
it an issue.
Freeways are a need and serve the environment if they are appropriately placed without our
roadwork systems and combined with hubs. After all, those hubs could become meeting centres
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with easy freeway access. Not having freeways in fact can be far more unfriendly to the
environment then having them, because motor vehicles are burning away fuel that might be far
less than having freeways in the right locations. As such even any pylons build in sensitive
environmental areas could still be far more responsible in the long term that trying to tunnel
5 through sensitive areas. Where there could be an accident (And who doesnt know about reports
of many drivers killed in tunnels) it might be far wiser in the overall to use elevated freeways on
pylons through sensitive areas which also allows for widening of the freeway in time to come.
To dig for tunnels always must be with in mind of future expansion, and really the huge cost of
digging unlikely will encourage anyone to dig for tunnels so wide that in future generations there
10 can be expansion. As such, realistically building a limited freeway system with future very
expensive widening isnt a realistic option.
I also like to highlight that on the Ring Road near Plenty Road off ramp for some time speed was
reduced to 40 Kilometres an hours even so no one could be seen working in the area. Motorist
then simply assume the signs are overlooked to be removed. At other times the road restrictions
15 continues for kilometres attend even so workers were only noticed near where the speed
restriction commenced. While I do not worry about keeping in the speed limit shown others
however simply fly past. It is simply irresponsible for anyone to leave speed signs in place where
there is no active work being carried out. Likewise, I find that when you drive along a freeway
you see on the left an 80 kilometres speed sign and at the same level at the right site you see a 60
20 kilometre speed sign. It means that someone either forgot to remove one speed sign or that the
lower speed is applicable but forgot to cover up the 80 kilometre speed sign. Whatever it might
be any road project, not just freeways should be better supervised by VicRoads to ensure that
drivers safety and so lives are not needlessly placed in jeopardy.
It should be understood that private corporations may seek to make short cuts regardless of how
25 it impacts upon traffic if they can safe a dollar and this is why I view VicRoads should be more
alert to supervising roadworks and to ensure that any closure or variation of road conditions are
advised to drivers well in advance.
In general to construct a freeway through an established residential area can be devastating to
certain people, such as the elderly, who might be without private transport vehicle and would be
30 forced to walk around for kilometres that could be well beyond they physical capacity to do so
and forget about the public transport that you might have to walk a kilometre or more with as
walking frame, etc.
I cannot express enough of my thanks to the Late Mr Jaroslav Hlavka MIE Aust CP Eng for
which I have the privilege and honour to have been able to read his writings, etc, and this
35 enabling me to get a better understanding what was involved in the Eastern Freeway project and
the ground work then performed in soil sampling, and the risk to stress the area beyond capacity.

This document is not intended and neither must be perceived to refer to all details/issues.

Awaiting your response, G. H. Schorel-Hlavka O. W. B. (Friends call me Gerrit)

40 MAY JUSTICE ALWAYS PREVAIL

(Our name is our motto!)

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