West Gate Tunnel project overview

Our role in the West Gate Tunnel project

We're helping the project understand its environmental impacts and obligations under the Environment Protection Act 2017(opens in a new window). We're working with the project across all phases, including environmental assessment, early works, construction and operation.

We advise the project on matters relating to:

air pollution
contaminated land
contaminated and waste soil management
greenhouse gas emissions and resource efficiency
human health
land use and planning
noise and vibration
surface water and groundwater.

The West Gate Tunnel project and the environment

The Minister for Planning decided that an environment effects statement (EES) was required for this project.

The EES assesses the potential environmental impacts of the proposed development. It provides an approach to manage these impacts. The EES is available from Victoria's Big Build(opens in a new window).

Impacts relating to pollution and waste identified in the EES are:

noise and vibration
odour, dust and vehicle emissions
run-off from construction sites
impacts on groundwater
hazardous waste
waste soil.

We made a submission to the EES process:

EPA submission on the West Gate Tunnel Project environment effects statement

PDF 1.09 MB

West Gate Tunnel WA assessment report

PDF 2.85 MB

There were 504 submissions for the West Gate Tunnel Project from:
- councils (City of Melbourne, Maribyrnong City Council, Hobsons Bay City Council, City of Port Phillip, Moreland City
  Council, City of Yarra)
- government agencies or departments (including EPA, VicRoads and Department of Health)
- interest groups, community organisations, local clubs
- cultural, health and education establishments
- commercial/business operations
- owners’ corporations
- individuals.
Read the full list of names in the West Gate Tunnel Inquiry and Advisory Committee report.
Based on science, modelling and evidence, we have maintained a consistent position that tunnel ventilation filtration is not required.
We communicated this during the EES process in 2017, and applied it to the works approval. However, as a precautionary measure, the works approval (now development licence) included conditions requiring the capacity to retrofit ventilation filtration if ground level impacts from emissions during the operation of the tunnel vary from that expected in our modelling.
Consultation for the project is required to be done by the proponent of the project during EES. The Department of Transport and Planning (formerly DELWP) is the authority that assesses if the consultation was done properly.
As part of the EES process, the proponent was required to provide a Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP). The CHMP specifies that Traditional Owner (TO) and Registered Aboriginal Party (RAP) were involved in stakeholder consultation by the West Gate Tunnel Project. The TOs and RAPs were:
- Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation
- Boon Wurrung Foundation
- Wurundjeri Tribe Land and Compensation Cultural Heritage Council.
Read the summary on TO consultation in Report O – Aboriginal Cultural Heritage (page 31) Permissions

Development licence (formerly works approval)

In December 2017, we issued a works approval 155546 under the Environment Protection Act 1970 for the West Gate Tunnel project.

The works approval and its conditions are available on Permissions DL000155546 listed under More permission details and Documents.

Before mid-2021, we issued works approvals for the design, construction or modification of complex industrial or waste management facilities. A works approval provided us with the opportunity to influence the design of works prior to construction to ensure operating standards would be met.

For the project, a works approval was required for its ventilation systems.

The Environment Protection Act 1970 is no longer in effect. We no longer issue works approval. Instead, we issue development licences under the Environment Protection Act 2017.

Operating licence

We have issued an operating licence for the ventilation systems associated with the West Gate Tunnel Project. This infrastructure includes:

2 ventilation stacks
jet fans
air quality monitoring equipment designed to detect and report vehicle emissions.

Jet fans inside the tunnel direct vehicle emissions toward the ventilation stacks. The stacks contain several large exhaust fans. They are designed to safely disperse emissions into the atmosphere.

No emissions are released from the tunnel entry or exit portals. All emissions are captured and managed through the ventilation system. These systems are built to meet strict environmental standards. They will be continuously monitored to ensure they operate safely and effectively. Air quality monitoring is in place to ensure the system:

operates within approved limits
protects community health.

As part of the licence conditions, the operator must submit:

annual reports to us assessing emissions
system performance
if further mitigation measures would be reasonably practicable.

The conditions of their licence (OLR02), including discharge to air limits, can be found on the Public register OL# - OL000300101.

Updated 24 July 2026