Regional students discover minecraft and metro tunnel

Students in regional Victoria are learning about the Metro Tunnel Project’s archaeological discoveries and Melbourne landmarks by digging in to the world of Minecraft thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.

Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas today met students at Woodend Primary School to introduce them to the Mini Melbourne virtual city.

The educational resource features Flinders Street Station, St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne Town Hall and Federation Square – helping students to visualise how the Metro Tunnel project interacts with the city before their upcoming visit to Metro Tunnel HQ in the heart of the CBD.

Mini Melbourne has been a huge success since the initial public release in May with more than 14,000 people have downloaded the public version of Mini Melbourne.

Schools are also reaping the benefits of Minecraft: Education Edition as the total number of active users in schools topped 25,000.

Among the activities on this tool is Archaeology Adventure, where students join a virtual dig at the Metro Tunnel sites in Swanston Street to learn about artefacts that have been uncovered.

Minecraft is an open-world video game that allows players to roam in virtual spaces and create their own buildings and cities. Mini Melbourne is a Minecraft world-first – the first "virtual city" built as an educational resource for students around the world to learn more about our great city.

Mini Melbourne was created for Minecraft: Education Edition, an open learning platform that supports curriculum-based learning in Victorian schools while encouraging students to work independently and in teams.

Minecraft is a global phenomenon with more than 176 million copies sold worldwide, and the software is used for education purposes in more than 100 countries.

Some of Melbourne’s busiest metropolitan train lines – Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham – will run through the Labor Government’s Metro Tunnel, which is due to open in 2025.

This will create capacity for over half a million additional passengers a week across Melbourne’s train network during the peak periods.

The Metro Tunnel’s benefits will extend to regional passengers with people on the Bendigo Line saving up to 20 minutes a day on their journeys.

Quotes attributable to Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas
"Mini Melbourne is a terrific educational tool that allows students outside of Melbourne to explore the city and the Metro Tunnel project."

"By encouraging Woodend students to uncover archeological discoveries and use their imagination, young Victorians will gain a new appreciation for how the Metro Tunnel interacts with the city’s history."