Revised designs for Melbourne’s North East Link toll road reduce noise protection measures along a section near a primary school, according to multiple reports. The outlets describe changes that move away from earlier plans that included noise wall treatments positioned closer to the school. In the latest design versions, some segments either have fewer metres of noise wall than previously proposed or have had noise protection features downgraded or removed entirely. The reporting says the adjustments are reflected in updated plans released quietly, rather than through prominent public-facing communications. The changes relate specifically to how noise will be managed for nearby school grounds, with the revised layout described as walking back the level and extent of the wall measures. The articles present the same core claim: that noise wall metres near the primary school are reduced due to alterations in the project’s engineering design. The reports do not provide a single alternative protection measure as a replacement in all locations, focusing instead on the overall reduction or removal of planned noise barriers near the school.