“While we acknowledge the importance of housing, its provision … must be principally aimed at supporting the primary function of the Monash Technology Precinct,” its submissions says.
“The area around the Monash SRL station should be more focused on tertiary education and employment in research, development, advanced manufacturing etc … rather than traditional office space.”
An artist’s impression of the SRL station at Monash University.
The authority’s plans have already attracted criticism for treating office space as a “public benefit” that will permit developers to exceed building height limits.
Monash says that for the university to “continue to grow, significantly contribute to the Victorian economy, and drive the advancement of the Monash Technology Precinct”, it is critical the SRL plans “do not inhibit or dilute the potential of the precinct or hinder the university’s ability to master plan and develop its own landholdings”.
The CSIRO says in its submissions that it is also confused about why its Clayton research centre was listed as a strategic site, while raising “significant concern” that electromagnetic interference from the SRL trains could affect its research equipment.
Transmission electron microscopes, for example, are “advancing what can be imaged to sub-nanoscale” and “magnifying a sample upwards of 1 million times requires the quality of data to be precise and the stability of the environment to be absolute,” the submission says.
“CSIRO is concerned that the impacts of electromagnetic interference … will impact sensitive equipment on site, reducing their effectiveness and restricting geographically the location of sensitive equipment. This constraint on precinct planning has the potential to impact the science that CSIRO can achieve.”
The Moderna vaccine plant at Monash University in Clayton.
Electromagnetic interference from trains in the Metro Tunnel has disrupted the use of MRIs and other equipment at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Melbourne University near the new Parkville station.
Deakin University, which is adjacent to Burwood station, also said it was concerned that construction and operation of SRL East might disrupt its research facilities.
The Environment Protection Authority told the Suburban Rail Loop Authority that it should consider further measures to manage the risk of allowing high-density development on 1051 sites across the six precincts that potentially have contaminated soil and could expose residents to health risks such as higher rates of cancer.
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Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny has referred elements of the SRL’s precinct plans to a Planning Panels Victoria advisory committee. The committee will hold public hearings starting on August 25 and provide independent advice on the plans to the minister before she decides whether to approve them.
Monash University’s interim chief operating officer, Simon Kupec, said he expected to resolve the university’s concerns with the Suburban Rail Loop Authority. The authority was contacted for comment.
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