N e w s Public Transport Users Association www.ptua.org.au ISSN 0817 – 0347 Volume 38 No. 5 December 2014 East West Link dead, but our work has just started The election of an Andrews Labor Government in Victorians have made it clear they would rather Victoria marks the 'end game' for the community change the government than allow what the late campaign against the costly and destructive East Paul Mees called "this mad scheme" to proceed. West Link tollway. The election result makes it clear that in the 21st However, much remains to be done to articulate a century, no government should count on winning positive vision for transport in Melbourne and votes on the back of big road projects. Victoria, and to secure the support of the new Optimistically we should hope that with this result government for major public transport initiatives. Victorian (perhaps even Australian) politics finally While we congratulate the ALP and Premier Daniel rids itself of the backflips, lies and spin doctoring Andrews on their we have seen for years, not least in transport policy. historic election A n victory, we have entrenchment of reminded the the trend toward new government one-term that Victorian governments is electors will the unpalatable hold them to alternative. their promise to We therefore cancel the East look forward to West Link and the Andrews release all Government contracts, side responding to its letters and mandate and business case consolidating its documents to election victory public scrutiny. with a robust Victorians want public transport, and most care little programme for public transport infrastructure and for the road project foisted upon the state by former services, using the savings from not proceeding Premier Denis Napthine after abandoning key public with the East West Link. Even allowing for transport promises. The new Andrews Government compensation payments and the return of Federal has a mandate to ensure the East West Link is dead funding, the savings to state budgets over the next and buried. 25 years are considerable (in the order of $300-500 This is, we should remember, the third time a million annually). government has gone to an election with some The new government has already committed to version of the East West Link. Jeff Kennett floated remove 50 level crossings, extend the South the project and lost in 1999. John Brumby's Morang line to Mernda, fund additional bus transport plan backed 'Westlink' as the first stage of services, trial all-night trains on weekends, and Rod Eddington's east-west road, and lost the election revive the original Melbourne Metro rail tunnel via in 2010. Parkville. Continued p3 PTUA News – December 2014 – Page !1 Keeping in touch… Committee Member meetings • Anthony Morton – President Melbourne: PTUA office Tim Long – Secretary Meetings will be advertised in PTUA News and on our website Ross House, Phil Bourke – Treasurer www.ptua.org.au 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Daniel Bowen Telephone (03) 9650 7898 Eastern Suburbs: e-mail: [email protected] Alison Clarke Fourth Tuesday of every month, 7pm Matthew Ferrantino “The Barn” (behind Box Hill Baptist Membership Enquiries Church) Ian Hundley Call or e-mail the office (see above) 3 Ellingworth Parade (off Station St) Tony Mohr Box Hill PTUA members can obtain cheap yearly Myki passes – see www.ptua.org.au/ David Robertson Geelong: First Saturday of every month (except members/offers Petra Stock Jan), 10:30am Bruce Sutherland Multimedia Room, Courthouse Youth Internet Arts Centre Jennifer Williams Our web site is at www.ptua.org.au Corner Gheringhap and Little Malop Branch convenors: Streets, Geelong The PTUA runs email lists for member Paul Westcott – Geelong discussions, and to stay up to date with Terry Konstandelis – Eastern PTUA events. Members can also view Suburbs archived newsletters online: www.ptua.org.au/members/resources Lynne Kosky 1958-2014 In this issue We note the untimely passing in early December of • East West Link dead - p1,3 Lynne Kosky, who was public transport minister from 2007 to 2010. • PTNT campaign p4-5 Ms Kosky was criticised during her time as minister • What now for regional PT? p7 for appearing not to be interested in the nuts and • The Public City p7 bolts of the public transport system, and over Newsletter contributors - Daniel Bowen, Tony performance of the Myki system (a project which Morton, Cait Jones, Paul Westcott. was actually initiated by her predecessor, Peter Edited by Anna Morton. Batchelor). Printed by Kosdown, Port Melbourne. But her tenure was also marked by a big increase in Our thanks to Margaret Pullar and the dedicated investment in the network, particularly on the train mailout team. network, as the Labor government finally started to respond to widely publicised issues such as rapidly growing patronage and crippling summer heatwaves. New Zealand PTUA Starts Up By the time she retired in early 2010, billions of dollars of projects were underway, including the first Across the Tasman, the new major suburban rail line in Melbourne for 70 New Zealand PTUA has years (Regional Rail Link, which despite the name is arrived, and launched almost entirely within the metropolitan area) and their first campaign. unprecedented train fleet expansion. While not affiliated with our PTUA, we wish them Our thoughts are with her family and friends. luck! You can learn more about PTUA NZ at www.ptua.org.nz PTUA News – December 2014 – Page !2 East West Link dead, but our work has just started Continued from p1 Pakenham-Cranbourne rail his government a mandate for the The former Labor Opposition was corridor project. East West Link overriding that of understandably cautious about Above all the government must Victoria's own government against overpromising in an election held remember the world's great cities it. in a climate of mistrust. Now it is didn't get where they are by Fortunately, it appears not in power, it must acknowledge that building roads, but by supporting everyone in the Federal this limited programme falls well sensitive urban development with Government shares Mr Abbott's short of what is required to fix excellent public transport, walking view, with reports emerging that Melbourne and Victoria's transport and cycling networks. As in these Treasurer Joe Hockey and other system for the 21st century. cities, transport must be planned Coalition MPs are open to seeking The Metro tunnel can ultimately and managed by strong yet nimble alternative uses for the $3 billion provide the equivalent of about public agencies with the right of federal funds in Victoria. three West Gate Bridges in people and the right budget. Even if the ideological bar on passenger terms (and allow the Abbott still digging in funding urban public transport original West Gate to function For our Prime Minister, the loss of were to persist, there are more more effectively as a freight the "East West Link referendum" beneficial uses for these funds on corridor), but its delivery on 29 November presented an country roads or freight rail. But a timeframe is too far in the future to opportunity to honourably rethink sensible Federal Government satisfy more immediate needs for his ideological opposition to would heed the advice of better public transport to support federal funding of urban public Infrastructure Australia on this urban productivity and job transport. We pointed this out in question and use the funds to creation. an open letter which can be found support productive investment in One action the new government on our website at urban rail infrastructure that could take very quickly, requiring www.ptua.org.au genuinely supports high-value activities and job creation. virtually no additional Our open letter also infrastructure or rolling stock, is to reminded Mr Abbott that boost train frequencies outside prior to his government's Advertisement peak hours. This has already taken $3 billion funding place on the Frankston and commitment to the East Dandenong lines where trains run West Link, the previous every 10 minutes through the day. Labor Government had Plan Your This should be rolled out more made a similar $3 billion extensively, to make better use of commitment to the Future the track capacity we already have Melbourne Metro rail and encourage patronage and project, and it would be revenue growth for more diverse Gain the knowledge and skills to work with only proper to reallocate people, communities and organisations and make a positive diference. travel needs. funds to that project Other initiatives that should be given the new RMIT ofers postgraduate programs that consider the social, economic and political forces involved in shaping a considered in this term of government's priorities. sustainable future for our cities, regions and planet. With online courses, practical work placements and international government include the rollout of opportunities, you have the fexibility to design a study plan Unfortunately, as of tailored to your needs. high-capacity signalling to boost − Master of Urban Planning and Environment when we got to press Mr − Master of International Urban and Environmental track capacity for peak services, Abbott is still insisting Management the filling of gaps in the tram that the 2013 Federal network, and the retrieval and re- Apply now for 2015 election result - despite www.rmit.edu.au/programs/postgrad/environment scoping of stalled Coalition failing to deliver the initiatives such as Southland Coalition a two-party station, the Doncaster and preferred majority in Rowville extensions, and the Victoria - somehow gives PTUA News – December 2014 – Page !3 A snapshot of the Public Transport Not Traffic Campaign The Public Transport Not Traffic campaign is a coalition of over 35 community groups from across Melbourne opposed to the East West Link, led by the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA).