EastLink awarded top 5 star sustainability rating for second year in a row

The GRESB Infrastructure Assessment has awarded Melbourne’s EastLink the top “5 star” rating for the second year in a row.

The internationally recognised GRESB Infrastructure Assessment covers the environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of 160 infrastructure assets located around the world.

EastLink’s sustainability performance is unmatched by any toll road:

• Top “5 star” rating awarded by GRESB in 2016 and 2017
• High traffic – 250,000 vehicles per day
• Fast – 95 km/hr average vehicle speed measured in the 100 km/hr zones
• Safe – casualty accident rate just 2.46 per 100 million vehicle kilometres
• Lowest tolls in Australia – just 16 cents per km for cars
• 480 hectares of landscaping with 4 million native trees, shrubs and plants
• 60 wetlands treat rainwater runoff
• 35 km EastLink Trail for cyclists, runners and pedestrians
• Distinctive architecture and 12 public artworks
• Local call centre employs local people with local knowledge.

EastLink spokesperson Doug Spencer-Roy said, "To be awarded GRESB’s top 5 star rating for the second consecutive year demonstrates that EastLink is a world-leading infrastructure asset."

"Unlike other roads, EastLink’s 60 wetlands treat rainwater running off the road surface. This ensures that water is returned to a relatively high quality before entering local creeks.”

"In an Australian first, EastLink has recently upgraded its 10 tunnel exhaust fans to incorporate variable speed drives, which will result in considerable direct energy savings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The upgrade will also reduce vent stack fan noise in the adjacent community," he concluded.