Melbourne’s largest tollway network, Eastlink has been ranked first for sustainability among transportation assets around the world in the inaugural 2016 GRESB Infrastructure Assessment.
EastLink received the ranking which covers the environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of 134 infrastructure assets and 51 infrastructure funds across 53 countries and six continents.
EastLink’s Managing Director, Charles Griplas, said he was delighted that EastLink’s sustainability performance has been recognised internationally.
“To be ranked number one by GRESB for transportation asset sustainability demonstrates that EastLink is a world-leading infrastructure asset right here in Melbourne,” said Mr Griplas.
“It is notable that GRESB has also ranked EastLink first among toll road operations, first among assets in the Oceania region, and second among all types of infrastructure assets across the globe.
“With its modern design, 24/7 traffic control room, intelligent transport systems, incident response teams and traffic control vehicles, all operated by a highly motivated and customer-focused team, EastLink is the safest freeway in Melbourne, offering the highest quality of service and reliability to motorists.
“EastLink’s environmental sustainability is unique for a road, including 480 hectares of landscaping, four million native trees, shrubs and plants, and more than 60 wetlands that treat rainwater running off the road surface. This ensures that the water is returned to a relatively high quality before entering local creeks,” said Mr Griplas.
Mr Griplas said, in an Australian first, EastLink is now upgrading its 10 tunnel exhaust fans to incorporate variable speed drives, which will result in considerable direct energy savings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 6,441t CO2-e per annum. The upgrade will also reduce vent stack fan noise in the adjacent community.
