The Victoria Street Water Main Renewal Project is about to begin its final stage of works.

Starting from the night of 26 May 2024 for approximately four weeks asphalt re-sheeting will occur on the southern side of Victoria Street between the intersections of Exhibition Street and William Street. These works will occur in block-by-block sections between 8pm and 6am for one night in each block. Re-sheeting in the major intersections of Exhibition St and Russell St will begin at 10pm instead of 8pm to ensure we complete these sections safely and efficiently.

Currently, testing is also underway on the newly installed 1.8km of water distribution mains in the southern side of Victoria Street. Once testing has been completed, this new section of water mains will become fully operational and will begin providing water across Melbourne.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone along our project alignment for your patience and understanding whilst we have been completing these once in a lifetime works. Victoria Street is on the way to being serviced by a new, larger water main that will improve distribution capabilities and reliability in the area for another 100 years to come, and will continue to service your needs now and into the future.

The last section of pipe installation works at the intersection of William Street and Victoria Street. You can see the path the newly installed water main has followed by looking at the new asphalt along Victoria Street.

Tram passing the work zone at the intersection of William Street.

Construction has begun on the final stage of pipe replacement works for the Victoria Street Water Main Renewal Project. Night works are currently taking place on the southern side of Victoria Street between the intersections of Peel Street and William Street to replace the final lengths of 140-year-old cast iron pipes. These works are expected to be completed by mid-April 2024.

We still have to complete some smaller, additional works at various places along our alignment which will help improve water distribution and network control across Melbourne.

A new valve will be installed on the southern side of Victoria Street at the exit of Queen Street (in front of the Queen Victoria Market) starting on 10 April for two weeks. These will be night works between 8pm and 6am, Sunday to Thursday. Traffic management teams will be on site to assist vehicles and pedestrians moving around the area.

A connection piece also needs to be installed on Rathdowne Street at the intersection of Queensberry Street to connect two existing water mains together. These will also be night works between 8pm and 6am, Sunday to Thursday and are expected to take one week to complete from 21 April.

Finally, asphalt reinstatement will occur along the entire southern side of Victoria Street between the intersections of Rathdowne Street and William Street. These works will involve removing and replacing a small, 40mm deep section of the asphalt to ensure the road is level. More information about reinstatement will be provided closer to when these works are due to begin.

Once these final additional works have been completed, Victoria Street will have a brand new, larger water main distribution system that will serve Melbourne for many years to come. This project is a once in a lifetime experience, so we thank you all for your continued patience and understanding while we have been completing these works.

Updated information regarding repair works at intersection of Victoria Street and Therry Street

The start date for night works to perform repairs at the intersection of the southern side of Victoria Street and Therry Street has been delayed.

Works will now begin on Sunday 24 March for three nights. Works will take place between 8pm and 6am, Sunday to Thursday.

It is necessary to complete these works at night to minimise disruption to traffic and bus services on Victoria Street. We will do our best to manage noise levels and where possible we will perform our noisiest works at the start of construction hours. Please note that unavoidable noise associated with construction will still occur throughout the night.

Please see the below map that shows the location of these works:

Please see the notification on this page titled ‘Therry St repair works’ for more information.

Construction has resumed on Victoria Street to continue installing the final sections of the aging water main in the southern side of the road. Construction is currently taking place between the intersections of Elizabeth Street and Peel Street, which is the second last stage of pipe replacement works occurring on this project.

Upcoming works

Construction has begun between the intersections of Elizabeth Street and Peel Street. In this section nearly 300m of cast-iron water mains will be replaced with new, poly plastic pipes and additional valves. These will be night works taking place between 8pm and 6am, Sunday to Thursday.

While these works are taking place, you can expect the following construction activities to take place:

The excavation and saw cutting of the road and the old cast-iron water main, the installation of new lengths of pipe, and the reinstatement of the ground and asphalt once all works have been completed.

The use of steel road plates at times to cover open excavations. These road places can be loud at times when fast-moving vehicles travel over them, or due to the uneven road surface of Victoria Street. Our teams are endeavouring to make sure that when road plates are used they create the least amount of noise as possible and will be in the area during the day to check on them, as well as on each working night.

This section of construction is expected to be completed by early March 2024.

We are expecting to begin the final stage of pipe replacement works, which will take place between the intersections of Peel St and William St on the southern side of Victoria St, in early March. Specific start dates and additional information will be provided in a works notification closer to the commencement of these works.

Why we’re working at night

We understand the inconvenience of completing noisy construction works at night, but it is necessary to complete these works on Victoria St at night to minimise disruption to traffic, public transport and businesses in the area. We apologise for any inconvenience.

For the duration of these works we have attempted to perform our noisiest works at the start of our construction hours. Please note that unavoidable noise associated with construction will still occur throughout the night, but our teams will try and schedule activities like saw cutting as early as possible.

Christmas shut-down period

Construction works on Victoria Street will pause from the morning of Friday 22 December 2023 and will resume in the week beginning Sunday 14 January 2024. Our project team will also be taking a break from 22 December 2023 to 8 January 2024 and will reply to any emails or calls when they return.

While work is paused, our storage areas on the southern side of Victoria Street will be removed and the car parks will be reopened.

January works

We will restart work on site from Sunday 14 January 2024. Investigative works will take place on the southern side of Victoria Street between the intersections of Peel and Williams streets. These works will occur at night between 8pm and 6am from Sunday to Thursday.

Pipe replacement works will resume in the week beginning Sunday 28 January 2024 between Elizabeth and Peel streets for two weeks before the next stage of works between Peel and William streets begin. Additional information about upcoming works will be provided in advance of these works commencing.

Work to restore the road will occur from Sunday 21 January, beginning at Exhibition Street and working west along Victoria Street to the Swanston Street intersection.

Work is currently taking place on the southern side of Victoria Street between Swanston and Elizabeth streets. We have now renewed 2.4km of water mains and connected them to the surrounding water network to service the community. Investigation works around Therry Street are now complete and your water mains between and Russell and Therry streets will be fully replaced by early November.

Upcoming works

From late November 2023 we will start work between Elizabeth and Peel streets on the southern side of Victoria Street. This will involve digging up the westbound lane to remove the old, 140-year-old water main and installing a new, larger pipe. This will take around 6 weeks to complete.

Our crew will be taking a break from 22 December 2023 to 27 January 2024. We will still need to store some plant and equipment on the street, but the majority of our footprint will be relocated for the break.

Night works

If you’d like more information about what nights we’ll be working near your home and how we can support you, please reach out to our team - victoriastreet@gww.com.au

Industry capability and inclusion achievements

While we’ve been busy with construction work, we’re also working to create community benefits through our employment practices.

During the last 2 months:

43% of staff on our project have come from a disadvantaged background. We use social enterprises, NDIS providers and Kinaway certified Aboriginal businesses to facilitate this.

11% of project hours were completed by apprentices, trainees, and cadets. This creates opportunities for people to learn and supports an increase in Victoria’s skilled workforce.

30% of project hours were completed by individuals identifying as female, creating opportunities for women in the construction industry.

We have now renewed 1.7km of pipes and connected them to surrounding water infrastructure to service the community. The water pipe between Exhibition and Mackenzie streets has been replaced and we are continuing west on the southern side of Victoria Street. We’ll be back to finish off the road and mark the lines when a longer section of the street is completed.

Work in the Russell Street intersection will be finished by Friday 26 August and the road reinstated on Tuesday 29 August, into Wednesday morning.

Current works

Works are currently taking place on the southern side of Victoria Street between Mackenzie and Swanston streets. We’re upgrading and connecting the existing water main to the new pipe in Howard Street and to the large distribution main that runs underneath the northern side of Victoria Street.

Upcoming works

From mid-September 2023 we will start work between Swanston and Elizabeth streets. This will involve digging into the westbound lane to remove the old water main and installing a new pipe. This will take around 12 weeks to complete.

Night works

We know that night works can be challenging for the people who live on the streets we work in. We’re committed to keeping noise and lights to a minimum while maintaining the safety of our crew.

If you’d like more information about what nights we’ll be working outside your home and how we can support you, please reach out to our team - victoriastreet@gww.com.au

Industry capability and inclusion achievements

While we have been busy with construction work, we have also focused on creating opportunities for priority jobseekers, facilitating employment for women in construction and promoting training and upskilling among our workforce.

During the last 3 months:

Nearly 40% of our staff on this project have come from a disadvantaged background. We use NDIS providers and Kinaway certified Aboriginal businesses to facilitate this.

12% of project hours were completed by apprentices, trainees, and cadets. This creates opportunities for people to learn and supports an increase in Victoria’s skilled workforce.

32% of project hours were completed by individuals identifying as female, creating opportunities for women in the construction industry.

Works updates

Works have been completed on the northern side of Victoria Street between the intersections of Cardigan and Nicholson streets. Over 1.7km of cast iron water mains have been relined and connected to surrounding water infrastructure to continue to provide a clean and reliable water supply across Melbourne.

Thank you for your patience while we have completed this important work.

Current works

Works are currently taking place in Victoria Street between Exhibition Street and Russell Street, West Melbourne. We’re upgrading and connecting the existing water main to the new water main in Howard Street and to the large distribution main that runs underneath the southern side of Victoria Street.

Upcoming works

Starting in September 2023 we will be continuing to progress pipe renewal works along Victoria Street from Russell Street working towards Swanston Street.

Industry capability and inclusion achievements

While we have been busy with construction works, we have also focused on creating opportunities for priority jobseekers, facilitating employment of women in construction, generating social value, and promoting training and upskilling among our workforce.

Female participation

During the last 3 months the project achieved an average of 45% project hours completed by individuals identifying as female.

Disadvantaged Victorians and social procurement

Nearly 40% of our staff on this project come from a disadvantaged background.

We have engaged social enterprises that are female start-up businesses as well as NDIS providers.

Training and upskilling

We have invested in training and upskilling our current staff, and this project currently employs a female student from RMIT University as an undergraduate site engineer.

During the last 3 months we have seen an increase of project hours completed by apprentices, trainees, and undergraduates, going from 10% to 16%. This creates opportunities for people to learn and supports an increase in Victoria’s skilled workforce.

Stage 1

In January we completed water main renewal works on the northern side of Victoria Street, between Cobden Street and Cardigan Street. We are now working between Cardigan, Rathdowne, and Nicholson Streets. These works should be completed by mid-to-late March 2023.

In the last two months we have completed the following:

• Reinstating sections of the roadway and bluestone guttering in Howard Street.
• Upgrading 600m of aging water mains on the northern side of Victoria Street between the intersections of Cobden Street and Cardigan Street using slip-lining techniques. This included reinstating the roadway following the completion of works.
• Works at the intersections of Cobden Street, O’Connell Street, and Bouverie Street to connect the new water main to the existing network.

In the coming month, you can expect the following

• Works between the intersections of Cardigan Street, Rathdowne Street, and Nicholson Street while we upgrade the final 800m of water pipe on the northern side of Victoria Street.
• Works to connect this new water main to existing network.
• Reinstatement of the roadway at Cardigan Street, Lygon Street, Rathdowne Street, La Trobe Street, and Nicholson Street intersections.
• Testing of the new 1.7km water main, from the intersection of Howard Street to Nicholson Street. This may involve more works in selected areas.

The completion of works on the northern side of Victoria Street will mark the end of our first stage of this project.

Once the new water main is operational it will service thousands of properties across North Melbourne and Carlton.

Stage 2

Stage 2 is scheduled to start in April 2023 and involves replacing 1.8km of water mains along the southern side of Victoria Street, between Exhibition Street and William Street. We will be working in this area for the next six months.

In late 2022 we did some work underneath the intersection of Victoria Street and William Street. We need to return to this area around late March/early April 2023 to finalise this work, and will provide you with more information before we start.

Works are ongoing on the northern side of Victoria Street, but will be taking a short break over the Christmas and New Year period. Our works will pause from 23 December 2022 and we will be returning on 9 January 2023.

Over the past month our crews have completed the first 350 metre section of re-lining works on Victoria Street between Howard Street and Cobden Street. Our crews have been working at night time to complete these works.

Thank you Howard Street

Works have also wrapped up in Howard Street after our extended stay in the area. Howard Street is now serviced by a new, reticulated water main that connects directly to surrounding properties, and an upgraded water distribution main that connects North Melbourne and the inner city. Areas of asphalt and bluestone have been reinstated, and materials and equipment removed from car parking spaces just in time for the end of year break.

We would like to thank the residents, local business and visitors to the area for their patience as we have completed works on this stage of works for the Victoria Street water main renewal.

Moving forward, our team will still be operating in Howard Street from our site office located at 46-48 Howard Street and our site compound on the corner of Howard Street and Queensberry Street in 2023, but water main renewal works in the area have been completed.

Looking forward to 2023

In early January 2023 night works will recommence between Cobden Street and Bouverie Street to upgrade the existing water main. These works will occur between 7pm and 6am, Sunday to Thursday for around two weeks. This is the second of five stages of works, taking place on the northern side of Victoria Street to re-line over 1.7km of aging water mains.

In late January 2023 will will start night works in the third section between Bouverie Street and Cardigan Street.

Water main renewal works in Howard Street have nearly been completed. Over the last month we have:

• Captured CCTV footage of the inside of the existing water main in Howard Street in preparation for slip-lining works in late October/early November 2022. This was done by running a small robot through the pipe to inspect the condition of the 140-year-old cast iron water main.
• Installed a large 750mm valve in Howard Street that has connected all of the water mains in the area together. Greater Western Water can now manage and adjust the flow of water along Howard Street and Victoria Street with greater precision.
• Excavated several shafts along Howard Street and in William Street in preparation for slip-lining works. Slip-lining is a technique where a new pipe is pulled through an old pipe with a rig to re-line it, and involves excavating into the roadway and old pipe to create entry and exit shafts.
• Slip-lining works in Howard Street being completed. Once water main renewal works in Howard Street have been finalised we will still be operating in the area for a short period to reinstate the roadway and areas of bluestone that have been excavated.
• The start of night works along the northern side of Victoria Street to slip-line 1.7km of water mains. These works will occur in sections between Howard Street and Nicholson Street, with the first section being between Howard Street and Cobden Street. These works will occur between 7pm and 6am from Sunday to Thursday for around four weeks. The following section of works will be between Cobden Street and Bouverie Street.
• Our site compound on the corner of Howard Street and Queensberry Street being used during the night. We are storing equipment and materials at our site compound where possible to prevent storing them in the street. We also have a lunch room and toilets set up for our construction team to use. When night works begin on Victoria Street the site compound will be in use during the night to move materials and equipment, and by our construction team while they are working.

As we move into November you will see:

Over the next several months we will be working along the northern side of Victoria Street. This portion of works will be ongoing until early 2023, before we begin replacing the water main on the southern side of Victoria Street until mid to late 2023. Combined, these works will replace 3.5km of 140-year-old cast iron water mains to ensure a clean and reliable water supply for North Melbourne, Carlton and the inner city into the future.

Our crews have been busy since commencing work on the project in Howard Street, North Melbourne. Since we started we have:

• Installed a new reticulated water main, which is now operational and services all property connections on the western side of Howard Street. We have also completed a partial reinstatement of the road and footpath to return the outdoor seating to Ample Café and Code Black Coffee, just in time for spring and the start of daylight savings.
• Erected a site compound at the corner of Howard Street and Queensberry Street. This area will be used to store and move equipment to the locations of our works to avoid occupying large areas of street parking outside of working hours. We will also be installing amenity portables at our site compound for our hard-working construction team. This compound will be used during the day and night throughout our works as required, until mid to late 2023.

As we move into October you will see:

• Our crews undertaking investigate works and installing the final components to connect Howard Street’s water services. Our team has captured CCTV footage of the inside of the existing water main in Howard Street to analyse the condition of the pipe before we begin slip-lining. We are also installing a large valve that will connect the new pipe in Howard Street to other existing water mains, allowing Greater Western Water to manage these pipes more effectively.
• Then for approximately three week from the late October, our second stage of works on Howard street will start. We will be using a technique called slip-lining to upgrade the existing water main that distributes water throughout the area. Slip-lining is where a new pipe is inserted into an existing pipe and pulled through to re-line it. This is done be excavating a series of pits to access the existing pipe from and using the space around the pits to weld together and insert the new lengths of pipe.

Once works in Howard Street have been completed, we will begin night works on the northern side of Victoria Street. These will also be slip-lining works, with one pit excavated near the Howard Street intersection, and another between the Cobden Street and O’Connell Street intersections.

After this section is complete we will progress eastwards along the northern side of Victoria Street to Nicholson Street in five sections, reinstating each area after we leave. Works on the northern side of Victoria Street will be ongoing until approximately January 2023, and we will then commence works in Rathdowne Street and on the southern side of Victoria Street until mid to late 2023.

Works will start on Howard Street, North Melbourne on 1 August 2022. We expect that these works will take approximately 3 weeks to be completed.

During this time you will see:

• A full closure of the western side of Howard Street and the cycling lane will be in place during construction hours. Traffic management teams will be in the area to assist with business deliveries, and access to driveways and properties.
• A full closure of car parking lane on the western side of Howard Street will be in place at all times, including weekends.  Vehicles will not be able to enter or exit car parking in the centre of the road via the western side of Howard Street during construction hours.  We’ll notify you should works disrupt access to Moss Lane and Gardiner Street.
• From 1 August 2022, there will be a partial closure, during construction hours, of the Queensberry Street roundabout for approximately three days, with detours in place. Please plan ahead as these changes may result in delays.

We’re undertaking investigation works in Victoria Street to finalise the water main design, which involves surveying and drilling boreholes to locate all underground services.

Works are planned to take place on Victoria Street from Elizabeth Street to Nicholson Street from 16 May 2022 to 17 June, taking 3 to 4 days in each location.

Works are planned to be undertaken at night, between 8pm and 6am on Sunday to Thursday, as we move through the area.