Early 2019 to late 2020
In Melbourne, a safe, clean and healthy environment is essential to our way of life. Our city is always changing with more people wanting to call Melbourne home. Without improvements and innovations, our sewerage network would reach capacity and our waste would impact on the health of our environment.
That’s why we’re building a new 1.2 kilometre sewer in the suburb of Maidstone to accommodate Melbourne’s growing population. Keeping our city healthy is essential to our way of life today, tomorrow and for generations to come.
Why this project is important
This sewer is one of the main sewers in Melbourne Water’s sewerage network. The new sewer will:
- Provide a secure and reliable sewerage service for more than 86,000 people over the next 100 years
- Transport sewage to the Western Treatment Plant, located in Werribee
- Protect the Maribyrnong River by containing sewage flows.
What are we doing?
The new sewer will be built over stages, using a combination of construction techniques. This includes:
- Tunnel boring machine (TBM) – excavation of launch shaft to install TBM for 800 metres of sewer to be fed underground at approximately 30-40 metres deep
- Bridge construction – a new pipe bridge will be built over the Maribyrnong River to carry the new sewer over is currently under review. Subject to the Maribyrnong flood modelling report findings.
- Open cut trenching – the remaining section of the sewer will be constructed underground at a depth of 2-4 metres
- The new sewer will connect from Ascot Vale to the North Western Sewer located in Maidstone.
Location
Timeline
Planning and functional design and site investigations
Design and construct tender period
January 2021 to May 2021
Tender award
September 2021
Further site investigations, planning and approvals
Early 2021 to April 2022
Detailed design
September 2021 to April 2022
Construction start
March 2022
Construction end
Tunnelling work expected to be completed late 2024.
Improving community outcomes
We’re working closely with Maribyrnong City Council and Moonee Valley City Council to plan a legacy project which will deliver long-term benefits for the Maribyrnong River and local community. This includes:
- New pipe bridge – providing the community with a more accessible river crossing is currently under review
- New shared-use path – connecting a missing link in the Maribyrnong River Trail
- Vegetation – weeds will be removed and replanted with trees and shrubs.
Community bulletins
Keeping you informed
We will inform the local community, impacted residents and businesses through a variety of communications and engagement activities. This can include signage, bulletin notifications, door knocks, social media and more.
Visit the project's website to view frequently asked questions, ask the project a question and sign up to receive email updates.
Impacts
During construction, you may notice impacts to the local area. This includes:
- Changes to local traffic conditions
- Parking and access around work sites
- Speed limit reductions
- Lane closures and some road closures
Traffic management and temporary diversions will be in place for commuters and pedestrians around construction areas.