Below is a letter sent by SNELA to the Victorian Minister for Health, and the response from the Minister for Transport Infrastructure.
The initial letter
Dear Minister Thomas,
RE: Attached Leaflet Concerning the Threat to School Children’s Health from NE Link
Ms Mary-Anne Thomas MP Minister for Health
Level 22
50 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Dear Minister Thomas,
RE: Attached Leaflet Concerning the Threat to School Children’s Health from NE Link
I write on behalf of Stop NE Link Alliance (SNELA); a group of concerned local residents and affiliated environmental organisations including, Sustainable Cities, a joint arrangement between Friends of the Earth and the Public Transport Users Association; Friends of Banyule, Warringal Conservation Society, and the Blackburn and District Tree Preservation Society.
For your information, please find attached a leaflet concerning the threat to school children’s health posed by vehicle emissions from the air pollution ‘hot spot’ created by NE Link Project (NELP) at the southern tunnel portal in Bulleen and Balwyn North.
The area now subject to NELP’s massive destruction was used by several private schools for playing fields and is surrounded by a number of primary and secondary schools. Facilities are also established for other sporting clubs, the Veneto Club and the Freeway Golf Course.
Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution from motor vehicles for a number of reasons and these negative health effects are increased through physical exercise.
In particular, research has shown that the incidence of childhood asthma is increased markedly by exposure to nitrogen dioxide and PM 2.5^ particle pollution. (Reference; Walter, Clare et al: Traffic -Related Air Pollution and Childhood Asthma – Are the Risks Appropriately Mitigated in Australia?) – (Atmosphere Journal; 2024. 15,842. https://doi.org/10.3309/atmos15070842).
SNELA has distributed thousands of these leaflets to nearby homes surrounding the schools potentially affected by massively increased air pollution in the Bulleen and Balwyn North area and along both sides of the Eastern Freeway.
We are, of course, also concerned about increased air pollution and all of the other negative effects of this disastrous project in the northern section of the NE Link corridor and along the Eastern Freeway. There are many schools, child care facilities, kindergartens and other ‘sensitive receptors’ within 500m of the Eastern Freeway within the municipalities of Manningham, Boroondara and Whitehorse.
As Minister for Health you have a duty of care to protect the health of school children and local residents. We urge you to review the impending situation where a massive increase in vehicle traffic will result in the exposure of school children and surrounding residents to unacceptable levels of air pollution at this location in particular.
The irony, of course, is that this road will also make traffic problems worse, divide communities, increase climate changing emissions and noise pollution not to mention the massive destruction of parkland, canopy trees and open space. Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
John Young
Stop North East Link Alliance
20 October 2024
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The Minister’s Response
Mr Nick Young
Stop North East Alliance
stopnortheastlinkforever@gmail.com
Dear Mr Young
I refer to your letter to the Hon. Ben Carroll MP, Minister for Education regarding North East Link Tunnels (Project) works. Your letter has been referred to me as the Minister for Transport Infrastructure.
I acknowledge your concern about safety for children In the Balwyn and North Balwyn areas. The Victorian Government takes these matters very seriously.
The project has been designed and will operate to meet Victoria’s stringent air quality requirements – which are among the highest standards in the world.
As part of the planning of this major project, in 2019 an Environment Effects Statement (EES) was undertaken – Victoria’s most comprehensive and transparent planning and environmental process. The project established 110 Environmental Performance Requirements through the EES process that inform the design, construction and operation of the project.
Studies were undertaken in the EES that assessed air quality next to major roads and considered the emissions from the tunnel ventilation structures. The health impact assessment found that there would be no significant or measurable impacts on the population health of the community due to these emissions.
More detailed information from the Environmental Effects Statement, including the technical reports on air quality, remains on our website https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/north-east-link-program/planning/state-approvals/environment-effects-statement.
I trust this information is of use to you and thank you for raising this matter.
Sincerely,
Gabrielle Williams MP
Minister for Transport Infrastructure
Minister for Public and Active Transport
27/3/2025.