As part of Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel Project, the Victorian Government is giving Victorians the chance to name the five new underground stations to be built as part of the project.
Premier, Daniel Andrews, and Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, opened the station naming competition while inspecting a ‘mini’ Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) that will tunnel under St Kilda Road.
The mini-TBM will dig a 190m-long tunnel under St Kilda Road from Albert Road to Domain Road in South Yarra to relocate a 120 year-old section of sewer and make way for the new underground station at Domain.
The machine will be remote-controlled from a site office at Albert Road and finish in less than two weeks.
It is a glimpse of what’s to come, with major tunnelling works to begin under the city centre in 2018.
Ahead of this work, Victorians will have the opportunity to name the new stations located at Arden, Parkville, Domain and under Swanston Street in the CBD.
All suggestions will be considered and ideas could draw on a range of elements, including geographic locations, local heritage and people who have made a significant historical contribution to Victorian life.
Premier, Daniel Andrews, said, “We want as many Victorians as possible to have their say on what they’d like the five new underground stations to be named.”
An advisory panel will assess all suggestions and submit a shortlist of names to the Government for consideration.
Winners will get an exclusive behind the scenes tour of the Metro Tunnel worksites and the massive Tunnel Boring Machines, as well as an exclusive sneak peak of ‘their’ station just before it opens to the public.
The Metro Tunnel Project will create up to 7,000 jobs and source almost 90 per cent of materials locally, with 93 per cent of steel also manufactured locally.
Victorians have until 22 October 2017 to submit their station name suggestions at metrotunnel.vic.gov.au or at Metro Tunnel’s installation at the Melbourne Writers Festival at Federation Square, from 27 August to 3 September 2017.
