.. .. ~@~~~[Q) ~~@~(Q)~ ~[Q)W W(Q)~~lNJ@ ~~ ~ 711. 3099 456 TOWN & COUNTRY [;IKI GIP:V PLANNING BOARD ~ wp4 lllBCO ~-- 3535 ' lliilii~I~~ ~ TOWN AND COUNTRY M0004099 . PLAN N1 NG HP .£\.rD.a:· LIBRARY TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING BOARD ~AST GIPPSLAND REGIONAL STUDY WORKING PAPER NO. 4 "TRANS PORT AND COMMUNICATION" JULY 1977 ·' ., 711.3099 5714006 456 GIP:V Transport and wp4 communicatiOn ' . / TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE INTRODUCTION 1. Principal Characteristics of Existing Transport and Communication Services. 3 2. Transport and Communication Issues in Regional Planning. 14 LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE 1.1 Length of Sealed and Unsealed Roads in Municipalities of East Gippsland 1973/74. 6 1.2 Dwellings in Municipalities of East Gippsland with T.V. Receivers, 1971. 7 1.3 Availability of Motor Vehicles at Private Dwellings in East Gippsland 1971 9 1.4 Summary Data on Movement of Goods in Central and East Gippsland, 1971. 11. 1. 5 Rail Freight Movements at stations in East Gippsland 1975/76 1.6 Summary of Mail Traffic at official Post Offices in East Gippsland 1975/7~ 12 1. 7 Percentage of Sale Residents listening to various Radio Stations (and Frequency) 1974 13 i.8. Sales of Metropolitan Daily Newspapers in East Gippsland 1976 13 :2 .1 Traffic on Roads in East Gippsland . 1972/76. 15 2.2 Composition of Traffic on Roads in . EastGippsland 1972, 1976 16 .. 2.3 Selected Data Relating to Road Traffic in East'Gippsland during Christmas/ New Year Holiday Period 18 2.4 Percentage change in Population and Rail Eassenger Journeys for Selected Urban Centres in Victoria 1935-1970 19 2.5 Changes in Outward Passenger Journeys and Population at Railway Stations in East Gippsland 1970/71 - 1975/76 19 2.6 Freight Movements to and from Railway Stations in Central Gippsland, 1970/71, 20 1973/74 I 19,75/76 2.7 Selected Statistics Relating to Mail Traffic in East Gippsland Region, 1970/71, 1973/74, 1975/76 21 2.8 Major Works Completed on Princes Highway East in East Gippsland, 1971/72- 1975/76 25 LIST OF TABLES (cont'd) 2.9 Country Roads Board Programme for ·• Upgnading Princes Highway East 1978 to 1982. 26 2.10 Percentage of Total Revenue Expenditure Devoted to Roads and Streets by Municipalities in East Gippsland, 1967/68 to 1973/75 31 2.11 _Percentage of Total Loan Fund Expendi­ ture Devoted to Roads and Streets by Municipalities in East Gippsland 1967/68 to 1973/74 32 2.12 Comparison of Costs of .. Travel between East Gippsland and Melbourne 35 .. ~ LIST OF FIGURES 1. East Gippsland Transport Network - Major Features 3 2. State Highways and Declared Main Roads 4 3. Official Post Offices in East Gippsland 6 4. Circulation of Local Newspapers 7 5. Patterns of Telephone Traffic - East Gippsland 10 6. Omeo Highway - Proposals for Re-routing. · 27 _) INTRODUCTION .. 1. A PROGRAMME OF REGIONAL PLAl>lN;I:NG STUDIES . During.1976/77, the Town·and Country Planning Board, in conjunction with the East.G~ppsland Regional Planning Committee, is undertaking a programme of studies relating to various aspects of plaru)ing for the future of the East GippslandRegion. The study programme is divided into a number of separate study activities and tasks, as summarised below. STUDY ACTIVITY TASK 1. Demographic & Economic Factors A .-.Analysis of Structure B Industry Analysis C - Projection of Employ­ ment and Population 2. Land/Resource Use Conflicts A - Review of Patterns B - Identification of Conservation Areas C - Rural Subdivision 3. Physical Infrastructure and A ~ Water Supply, Sewerage Basic Services and Drainage, Waste Disposal B - Transport and Commun­ ication. 4. The Availability of Social A - Development of Services and Facilities Methodology B - School Leavers Survey C Accessibility to Services D - Rural Industry Decline E Housing F - care of the Aged 5. Legislative/Administrative A - State and Local Framework of Planning Government Planning Powers B - Coverage of Planning Control 6. The Role of Local Government 7. Role of Tourism· in East A - Economic, Social and Gippsland Physical Impact of Tourism· B - Implications of Seasonal Pattern C - Policy Requirements 2. SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF WORKING PAPER NO. 4 .The Board is issuing progressively Ci series of Working Papers incorporating the results of the analysis incorporated into each task or activity. The puri>ose o:f these Working Papers is to facilitate and encourage as widespread discussion as. possible of the various issues involv~d in formulating ef fec­ tive planning strategies and polic.ies for· the future of the East Gippsland Region. · 2· = This fourth wor'king Ppaer reports on .the analysis of "Transport.and Communication" in the East Gippsland Region embraced by Study Actj,.vity No.· 3, Task B (see above). The objectives of that analysis were as follows: (i) to undertake a broad review of the existing situation with respect to the availability, cost, quality and reliability of transport and communication facilities and services in East Gippsland; (ii) to assemble data relating to the capacity of the existing transport and commUnications network (including extensions and modifications currently proposed by the various responsible authorities) to cater for the.demand for such facilities in the region and its component parts in the future, having regard ·to the leve.l and nature of economic and population growth which appears likely to take place; and (iii) to provide a .·basis for. developing recommendations relating to the programming of works required in various parts of the regiop in the future, having regard to the strategic planning options which appear to be availal:>le to the region in the future. Working Paper No. 4 is divided into two chapters as follows: (i) Chapter 1 describes the principal characterist­ ics of existing transport and communic~tion services and facilities in the East Gippsland. Region and discusses the role which the various services and facilities play in the economic and social life of the region; and (ii) Chapter 2 identifies and discusses some of the major issues involved in the future planning and provision of transport and communication services and facilities in East Gippsland, having '.~egard to the character and condition of existing networks and services, existing plans and programmes for the further development of that network, and possible changes in the character of demand .for tr.ansport and communication services and facilities .i,n. the future. The formulation of plani;; _and p:r:~·rammes .. for the construct­ ion and operation of .tran·sport and communication facilities in the East Gippsland Region, as elsewhere in Victoria, is a complex, highly specialised and time consuming task. The Board has neither responsibility nor the competence to undertake the specialised planning activities associated with the provision of such facilities. Rather the present Working Paper.Seeks to ·identify the role .which transport and communication facilities will be called on to play in the future economic and social life of East Gippsland, and to identify and discuss the prj,.ncipal implications for regional strategic planningof the provision ·of transport and communi­ cation faciliti1as and services. FIGURE 1: TRANSPORT NETWORK - MAJOR FEATURES r--..\.. \,,.r I ... ( ' .... l. ' '\ \ ....... ___ /.1 ___ .... ' .... SCALE·· 20 10 0 20 40 l.......-1 1:;;?'"1 kilometres Highways Other Major Roads . I I I II I . Rai1ways 0 Ai.rports * Mi.1i.tary Aerodrome 3 1. PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTICS OF EXISTING TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION SERVICES. This chapter describes the main features of existing transport and conununication networks and services in East Gippsland. Its purpose is to provide a data base for the discussion of the major issues surrounding. the future provision of transport and conununication services and facilities in East Gippsland which appears in Chapter 2. Chapter 1 is divided into three parts as follows: Section 1.1 provides an overview of the existing network of transport and conununication facilities and services in the Reg~on and reviews the relationship between the existing network and the physical character and historical development of the Region. Section 1.2 describes in detail the different sorts (modes) of transport and conununication facilities and services available in the region. Section 1.3 reviews the role which each mode plays in the economic and social life of East Gippsland. 1.1 An Overview of the Transport and Conununications System In .East Gippsland (a) Principal Features of the Existing Network Transport and Communications in East Gippsland centre around a corridor running laterally through the coastal plain incorporating the Princes Highway and the trunk rail route connecting the region to Melbourne. From this central spine extends a network of State highways, declared Main Roads and minor roads, which link smaller centres in the Region to the main transport spine and to the major urban centres of Sale and Bairnsdale. These ~ain features of the transport network in the Region are shown on Figure 1. Complementing these Iand-ba$ed transport systems in the Region are a series of airfields located at Sale, Baitnsdale, Mallacoota and Orbost - only some of which are capable of taking regular services (See Figure 1), a network of official and unofficial post offices, and an extensive network of teleconununications services (Radio, T.V. and telephones). _The Region is also served by local and Melbourne based newspapers. (b) Physical, Historical and Land Use Setting As in any Region, the transport and conununications net­ work in East Gippsland reflects the influence of the location and physical character of the Region, its historical development and its economic, social and cultural links with other p,arts of the State ~nd Australia. Physically, the most influential aspect in the development of the network has been the isolation of both the region as a whole from the rest of the State, and of areas within the region from each other.