Julianne B

On Wednesday and today, Thursday, alert residents and campaigners opposed to the East West Link warned us that a team of surveyors were marking out trees for removal in the vicinity of the proposed tunnel entrance in Royal Park West as well as in the areas of Royal Park near Brens Drive and in the State Netball and Hockey Centre. It was reported that on the escarpment alone 80 trees were marked for destruction. The surveyors stopped work this afternoon and drove off in a convoy.

Legal advice sought on signs of premature works

Yesterday the Protectors of Public Lands Victoria Inc and the Royal Park Protection Group Inc.sought legal advice and our lawyer has now written to Linking Melbourne Authority and Lend Lease, the company leading the East West Connect consortium. It was pointed out that the Minister for Planning’s decision to approve the first stage of the East West Link project is the subject of judicial review proceedings in the Supreme Court and that we understand that the matter is listed for hearing commencing mid-December 2014. Given that proceedings are imminent, we pointed out that we consider it premature for the contractor to be marking any tree for removal at this time. We asked that Linking Melbourne Authority and Lend Lease undertake that all works in Royal Park will cease pending the outcome of the legal challenge.

If any anti EW Link campaigners undertake checks in west Royal Park to see if further work is being undertaken, can you only observe and document the work? We feel that any blockade or protest at this stage might be counter productive. Can people leave the markings of the surveyors as evidence of the work started? Also if you can be careful to respect the indigenous vegetation area in west Royal Park and not disturb the habitat of White's Skink?

We will keep you posted!

Julianne Bell
Secretary
Protectors of Public Lands Victoria Inc.Inc. and
Spokesperson for the Royal Park Protection Group Inc.
PO Box 197
Parkville 3052
Mobile: 0408022408