A token gesture or a sign of commitment? A group of 18 to 24-year-olds has been meeting regularly since March, assisting in the development of the Suburban Rail Loop.
Young Victorians have been given a unique opportunity to influence the development of neighbourhoods surrounding the new Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East underground stations through an SRL Youth Panel established earlier this year.
The group, consisting of 18 to 24-year-olds, has been meeting regularly since March to discuss ways to increase housing supply and choice across Melbourne. Through detailed workshops, they have provided feedback on future jobs, services, and green spaces that could be supported across the SRL East corridor, spanning from Cheltenham to Box Hill.
Suburban Rail Loop Youth and Community Panels
- Young Victorians are providing feedback on future jobs, services, and green spaces
- SRL East: March – October, Cheltenham to Box Hill (community consultation)
- SRL East: October (feedback session)
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
Six Community Panels, representing a cross-section of the communities near the new SRL East stations—Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley, Burwood, and Box Hill—have also been meeting throughout the year.
The new rail line, expected to open in 2035, will connect more people to education, jobs, and more affordable, quality housing. The SRL stations at Monash and Deakin universities will unlock educational opportunities for thousands more Victorians and provide access to healthcare and other services across the middle suburbs.
The Youth and Community panel discussions have offered the community a chance to engage in more in-depth conversations, expanding on feedback from the Draft Precinct Visions for SRL East neighbourhoods and the proposed Key Directions consultation, which received over 5,400 community responses.
All Youth and Community panels will report back with their findings at a special feedback session in October. Their input, along with ongoing community engagement, is informing the development of structure plans for these neighbourhoods. Further opportunities for community members to have their say will be available.
Melbourne is expected to grow to 9 million people by the 2050s—the size of London today. SRL will not only transform the city’s public transport network but will also help shape how Melbourne grows in the decades ahead, supporting the delivery of more homes where people want to live.
Find out more about the Suburban Rail Loop here.
