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From: Roderick Smith [mailto:rodsmith@werple.net.au]
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170518Th Metro Twitter - 1920s - St Kilda (PRoV).

Roderick

Melbourne Express: Thursday, May 18, 2017 .
Gunman at large after Crown shooting
Two city blocks are on lockdown after shots were fired outside Crown early
Thursday morning. Courtesy Seven News Melbourne.
A gunman is at large after firing shots at another man in front of Crown
casino, in Power Street, Southbank, this morning. (See post at 8.28).
More from Tom Cowie at Power Street with police where the gunshots were
fired.
Senior Sergeant Bills said the ballistic team would comb the area and four
bullet shells have been recovered from the scene.
"It's obviously concerning that anyone is carrying a firearm and actually
willing to use the firearm," Senior Sergeant Bills said.
"It appears this in this circumstance they have actually known each
other...it doesn't appear to be a random shooting."
The crime scene is not expected to be open for another couple of hours.
Power Street is closed between Queensbridge Street and City Road.
Power Street is blocked off by police from City Road to Queensbridge Street
as investigations continue into a shooting. Photo: Paul Jeffers.
8.05 Drivers seem to be avoiding the area around Power Street, at Southbank,
where the road is closed between Queensbridge Street and City Road. The
off-ramp at Kings Way also seems clear. We will check in half an hour once
the 9am-start workers hit the CBD roads.
Bus drivers are on strike today. There is always the train, but getting
around town by car or taxi may prove slow.
Sydney bus strike set to cripple commute. More than 1000 bus drivers from
depots in Sydney's south and inner west have walked off the job for 24 hours
over the government's plan to privatise bus services. Vision courtesy Seven
Network.
7.54 Fair call Daniel Bowen from the Public Transport Users Association.
Four or five shots were fired from the median strip of Power Street by the
gunman, Channel 9 is reporting.
7.38 VicRoads has confirmed the streets affected by the gunshots
investigation. Power Street is blocked off from City Road to Queensbridge
Street, Southbank.
Some pictures coming through of the scene in Power Street, near Crown
casino.
Melbourne Express: Thursday, May 18, 2017
Gunman at large after Crown shooting. Two city blocks are on lockdown after
shots were fired outside Crown early Thursday morning. Courtesy Seven News
Melbourne.
<www.theage.com.au/victoria/melbourne-express-thursday-may-18-2017-20170517-
gw7cmz.html> pick up bus tweet

15.5.17 The shameful truth about what happens to your hotel toiletries. with
tdu.
Telegraph, London
<www.traveller.com.au/the-shameful-truth-about-what-happens-to-your-hotel-to
iletries-gw4uge>

May 18 2017 Sydney bus drivers not at work despite strike being ruled
illegal .
Commuters have been warned to expect major disruption and delays to Sydney's
public transport and on roads during Thursday despite a planned bus drivers'
strike being ruled illegal in a late-night Industrial Relations Commission
hearing.
Hundreds of bus drivers failed to turn up to depots in Sydney's inner west
and south early on Thursday morning, which the Transport Management Centre
said would have a "severe" impact on the morning commute across the city.
More videos Sydney bus strike set to cripple commut.
More than 1000 bus drivers from depots in Sydney's south and inner west have
walked off the job for 24 hours over the government's plan to privatise bus
services. Vision courtesy Seven Network.
The drivers' absence comes the morning after Transport for NSW applied for
an urgent hearing in the Industrial Relations Commission to challenge the
planned strike, which was due to start at midnight on Wednesday.
The hearing was held at 8pm on Wednesday. A government spokeswoman said the
IRC reviewed the evidence and found the planned strike to be illegal, and
ordered the drivers to work as normal on Thursday.
Earlier, a total of 1200 public bus drivers had voted to go on a 24-hour
strike to protest at NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance's plan to
privatise some bus services.
The strike will directly affect bus services that run from the Leichhardt,
Burwood, Kingsgrove and Tempe depots, including all school buses in southern
Sydney and the inner west.
The TMC spokesman said it would have a flow-on effect to the city's roads,
as people drove to work instead of using public transport, while train and
light rail services were expected to be more congested.
Union representatives blamed Mr Constance's snap decision to privatise the
services for the strike.
Traffic was heavy on the lead-up to the Anzac Bridge as commuters deal with
a bus strike. Photo: Peter Rae .
Chris Preston, the head of the bus division of the RTBU, said the union
heard about the IRC's order at 5am, and it was too late logistically for
drivers to turn up to their shifts, even if drivers wanted to.
"They would tell me to get nicked," Mr Preston said, of the expected
reaction from bus drivers if he tried to get them to return to work.
Heavy traffic on the Anzac Bridge, as bus drivers go on strike. Photo: Peter
Rae .
"They are that serious that they have been betrayed.
"He's also gone straight to the media," Mr Preston said of Mr Constance.
"He's broken the consultation clause in the award, which is illegal."
Commuters wait for a bus at Strathfield train station during the bus strike.
Photo: Kate Geraghty .
Mr Constance has attributed the decision to privatise services in the inner
west to a high level of customer complaints. But Mr Preston said that if the
minister expected a private operator to deliver better services on the same
crowded roads, with the same buses and drivers "he's having a go at the
commuters".
Mr Constance said the union's excuse that it could not contact drivers on
Thursday morning was "lame".
"The union bosses think they run the show; the bottom line is they don't in
this state," the minister told 2GB.
He said the performance of bus services in the inner west - where 13 per
cent of buses had been failing to leave depots on time - had been
"absolutely unacceptable".
"Let's give the private operator a go," he said.
At 5am on Thursday, the TMC said customers who usually caught buses in
Sydney's inner west and south should "make alternative arrangements today
due to planned industrial action which will significantly disrupt the
network for the next 24 hours".
No school bus services will be operating in Sydney's inner west or south,
with parents advised to make alternative arrangements. School Opal passes
will be valid on any mode of public transport.
"All customers affected by the industrial action are advised to plan ahead,
catch the train or light rail or if possible, make arrangements with
employers to work flexibly," the TMC spokesman said.
"Road users and public transport customers across the network are advised to
allow plenty of additional travel time during peak periods as traffic is
expected to be heavier than usual and patronage on other modes of transport
will be increased."
The TMC said routes 438 and 461 would operate a limited and modified service
along Parramatta Road during the morning and afternoon peak - between 6am
and 10am, and 3pm and 7pm. A number of charter buses could be seen running
regularly along Parramatta Road early on Thursday.
Route 400 (Bondi Junction to Burwood) is affected by the disruption.
Customers using this service to travel to Sydney Airport were advised to
catch the train instead.
Regular bus routes impacted:
401 406 407 408 412 413 415 418 422 423 425
426 428 430 431 433 436 437 438 439 441 442
444 445 460 461 462 463 464 466 470 473 476
477 478 479 480 483 487 490 491 492 493 495
502 504 508 526
L23 L28 L37 L38 L39
M20 M30 M41
X04 X25
School bus routes impacted:
560S 561S 562S 563S 565S 566S 567S 568S 569S 570S 571S 572S 573S 574S 575S
576S 577S 578S 579S 580S 581S 582S 583S 584S 585S 586S 587S 588S 589S 590S
591S 592S 593S 595S 596S 597S 598S 600S 601S 602S 603S 604S 605S 606S 607S
608S 609S 610S 611S 612S 613S 614S 615S 616S 617S 618S 619S 620S 621S 622S
623S 624S 625S 626S 627S 628S 629S 630S 631S 632S 633S 634S 635S 636S 637S
638S 639S 640S 641S 642S 643S 644S 645S 646S 647S 648S 650S 651S 652S 654S
655S 656S 657S 658S 659S 660S 661S 662S 663S 664S 670S 671S 672S 673S 674S
675S 676S 677S 678S 679S 680S 681S 682S 683S 684S 685S 690S 691S 692S 693S
700S 701S 702S 710S 711S 712S 713S 714S 715S 716S 718S 720S 721S 725S 726S
730S 731S 732S 733S 734S 735S 736S 738S 740S 741S 743S 745S 750S 751S 753S
755S 757S 760S 761S 762S 763S 764S 765S 765W 766S 767S 768S 769S 780S 781S
Related Content:
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union says the strike will "affect routes across the
inner west and southern Sydney".
Prepare for commuter chaos as bus drivers hit back over 'outrageous attack'
..
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union says the strike will "affect routes across the
inner west and southern Sydney".
Sydney bus strike hits commuters as drivers walk off the job .
<www.theage.com.au/nsw/sydney-bus-drivers-not-at-work-despite-strike-being-r
uled-illegal-20170517-gw7cnf.html>

May 18 2017 Further disruptions for Sydney commuters as striking bus drivers
defy new orders .
Sydney commuters endured further disruptions to bus services in Sydney's
inner west during the evening peak on Thursday despite fresh orders from the
industrial umpire for about 1200 drivers to return to work.
While the Rail, Tram and Bus Union has notified drivers of the latest
orders, national vice-president Dave Woollams said drivers were unlikely to
return to work because of their anger at the NSW government's decision to
privatise services in the city's inner west and south without warning.
Sydney bus drivers strike for 24 hours.
More than 1200 bus drivers walk off the job for 24 hours after the NSW
government announced the privitisation of bus services in the city's south
and inner west. Vision: ABC
"Charlton Heston in a chariot is not going to get them back," he said at a
rally on Thursday. "They have told us they are not going back."
Mr Woollams said privatisation would result in a casualisation of the
workforce and a private operator ditching services if they proved
unprofitable.
But Transport Minister Andrew Constance said the drivers' defiance of two
orders had strengthened his resolve to put bus region six - covering suburbs
from Kensington in the city's south-east to Olympic Park in the west - in
the hands of a private operator.
"[Customers] don't deserve to be treated like this by a reckless, selfish
act on the part of a union who, time and time again, demonstrates contempt
for customers," he said.
The union faces fines of $10,000 for each return-to-work order by the
Industrial Relations Commission that is breached, while the government has
warned drivers that their pay will be docked for the hours they are on
strike.
Private operators put on 60 buses on inner-west routes on Thursday during
the morning peak, while more ran during the afternoon rush-hour to limit
disruption from the 24-hour wildcat strike. Extra staff were also rostered
on for light and heavy rail services to cope with greater demand.
Many commuters at Strathfield station were unaware of the disruption to bus
services. Photo: Kate Geraghty .
Despite the contingency plans, school buses did not run in or to the inner
west on Thursday afternoon, while services from Railway Square along
Parramatta Road to Five Dock and Burwood were limited.
Mr Constance, who was standing alongside Liberal MP for Drummoyne John
Sidoti, said cabinet was in unison in the plans to privatise services, which
he justified by citing a high number of complaints about inner-west bus
services - a point the union has blamed on road congestion.
Baulkham Hills resident Jackie Alvarez says buses often run late. Photo:
Kate Geraghty .
The commission's fresh orders at 10am on Thursday required the union to
notify its members of the legal consequences of disobeying them within 30
minutes.
The orders to immediately return to work will remain in force for three
months.
While eager to privatise routes in the inner west, the government has
ditched preliminary plans for an operator other than the government-owned
State Transit Authority to run a much-touted new route to Sydney's northern
beaches.
It has exposed the politics of public transport and divisions within the
Liberal Party about privatising bus services in the city's blue-ribbon
north-east.
Commuters across the inner west had mixed reactions to the 24-hour strike on
Thursday, some expressing sympathy and others frustration.
Vincent Tizzone, a retired railway worker from the Central Coast, said
notices should have been erected at bus stops to inform commuters of the
strike.
Mr Tizzone, 68, said strike action was not always the best option for
workers to take but "obviously the government is not negotiating".
"I don't think they would take action unless they really had to," he said.
Like scores of others, Baulkham Hills resident Jackie Alvarez was waiting at
a bus stop at Strathfield station unaware that the strike had affected the
service she catches five days a week to work in Chiswick.
Ms Alvarez, 39, said buses ran up to 30 minutes late most days.
"It is getting more expensive and it's not improving," she said.
Related Content
An artist's impression shows a new B-Line style bus.
'Contract area': The Sydney bus service that will stay in state hands .
The latest decision to privatise services will affect about 1200 drivers.
Sydney bus privatisation plan sparks accusations of betrayal .
<www.theage.com.au/nsw/further-disruptions-for-sydney-commuters-as-striking-
bus-drivers-defy-new-orders-20170518-gw7hog.html>

May 18 2017 RACQ proposes 12 new bridges and tunnels to tackle congestion in
Brisbane .
Peak motoring body RACQ has proposed 12 new Brisbane River crossings as a
means to stop Brisbane grinding to a halt.
The proposals included direct river crossings, three-stage projects and
duplication of existing bridge crossings, which could create new links
between suburbs such as Moggill, West End,Toowong, the CBD, Kangaroo Point,
New Farm and Hawthorne.
Peak motoring body RACQ has proposed 12 new river crossings for Brisbane as
a way to tackle congestion. Photo: Michelle Smith .
RACQ spokesman Paul Turner said it was time Brisbane started planning for
the future.
"The basic fact is Brisbane has a river, a major river, running right
through the middle of it and if we don't get the planning right around
future bridges and tunnels then we will grind to a halt," Mr Turner said.
One of the proposals involved increasing the capacity for buses on Victoria
Bridge Photo: Harrison Saragossi .
"There is not a lot on the planning table, we believe, for river crossings
right across Brisbane at the moment either from the council or the state
government so we think it's time to get back out there, get people talking,
get the discussion going.
"What we want to do is go out to the people of Brisbane and ask them what
they think is the most important for our future, whether it's a bridge or a
tunnel we want to make sure the people of Brisbane get their say, both for
and against these 12 different proposals that we are putting forward."
RACQ launched its Bridging Brisbane survey in May to get feedback from the
public on the proposed river crossings.
Brisbane City Council discussed RACQ's bridge proposals at an infrastructure
committee meeting on Tuesday, where it backed some suggestions and dismissed
others completely.
RACQ has proposed duplicating the Walter Taylor Bridge at Indooroopilly.
Photo: Bradley Kanaris
* Moggill Road Bridge. This new river crossing would connect Moggill Ferry
Road at Riverview with Moggill Road (where the ferry currently operates).
The RACQ report said this bridge would link the western part of Brisbane,
north of the Brisbane River, with Riverview train station and the urban
areas of Ipswich.
The proposed bridge would be a single road lane in each direction with bike
path on one side and footpath on the other. The RACQ said it would be a low
cost bridge project.
The council said they supported this bridge in principal as long as the
impacts to the council's road network were mitigated and in line with
community expectations.
* Bellbowrie to River Hills. This would be a bridge with a single road lane
in each direction with bike path on one side and footpath on the other and
would connect Birkin Road, Bellbowrie, with Sumners Road at Riverhills.
The RACQ report said this connection would improve access to shopping
centres on both sides and add a public transport link between Bellbowrie and
Wacol or Darra train stations.
"The bridge would reduce congestion on Moggill Road during peak hours and
shorten many trips that require a river crossing, taking pressure off
Centenary Motorway," the report said.
"This proposal has been raised many times in a range of documents and media
stories. It was included as the Bellbowrie to River Hills River Link in the
Western Brisbane Transport Network Investigation of 2009."
This bridge has been categorised as a medium cost bridge as it would require
upgrades to the approach roads.
The council supported aspects of this proposal, but did not support the
single lane of road, agreeing the bridge should be a pedestrian and cycle
bridge only.
* Centenary Motorway Upgrade. It has been proposed the Centenary Motorway
Bridge should be upgraded to eight lanes, with associated upgrades along and
across the Centenary Motorway from Legacy Way outbound to the Ipswich
Motorway Interchange.
This upgrade was strongly supported by the council.
"This would improve safety along the corridor and reduce congestion,
particularly as demand grows from the Springfield development," the RACQ
report said.
"Investment in this upgrade would reduce the need to fund other proposals
such as the Walter Taylor bridge duplication and South West tunnel.
"This upgrade proposal was included in the Western Brisbane Transport
Network Investigation of 2009 and Connecting SEQ 2031 in 2010.
"This is a high cost project due to the bridge and associated widening works
required to the north and south."
* Walter Taylor Bridge. This proposal is a duplication of the existing
Walter Taylor Bridge that connects Indooroopilly to Chelmer.
It was suggested this river crossing be immediately downstream of the Jack
Pesh pedestrian and bicycle bridge and provide a single lane in each
direction, or to provide the southbound movement on the new proposed bridge,
with Walter Taylor Bridge catering for northbound traffic.
This bridge would only cater for car and bus traffic.
This bridge would require road upgrades and would be a medium cost project.
The council supported the future duplication.
* South West Tunnel. This multi-billion dollar river crossing would be two
parallel two-lane tunnels linking Moggill Road and the Western Motorway
interchange with the Ipswich Motorway and Granard Road interchange.
RACQ proposed the users of the tunnel would be charged a toll.
"This proposal is an alternative to the Centenary Motorway upgrade, Walter
Taylor bridge duplication and the East West Link, so it has the potential to
eliminate the need for other major expenditure," the RACQ report said
The council said they would not support this very high cost road proposal.
* East West Tunnel. This proposal is for two parallel two-lane tunnels
linking the Western Motorway and Toowong Village to the Pacific Motorway and
O'Keefe Street at Buranda.
The council did not dismiss this project but classified it as a long-term
possibility.
The RACQ report said users of the East West link could be charged a toll.
"It is an alternative to the South West tunnel and the West End to Toowong
or St Lucia bridge proposals, so it has the potential to eliminate the need
for other major expenditure," the report said.
West End to St Lucia
A bridge connecting Montague Road at West End with Guyatt Park and Macquarie
Street has been partially supported by the council.
The council supported a pedestrian and cyclist bridge connecting the two
suburbs but not in the proposed areas as the council did not support loss of
parkland.
This bridge is a low cost proposal.
* West End to Toowong. A bridge supporting all modes of transport has been
proposed to connect Victoria Street at West End with Land Street at Toowong.
"The Land Street link allows the bridge to go over Coronation Drive so it
does not disrupt this major corridor, while providing connections for
traffic in all directions," the RACQ report said.
The council supported the idea of this river crossing but suggested it be a
pedestrian and cyclist bridge only and be located further upstream.
* Victoria Bridge. This proposal is a modification of the existing Victoria
Bridge to increase its capacity for buses.
The council is supportive of this proposal as it aligns with their future
plans to convert Victoria Bridge to a green bridge for the Brisbane Metro
and bus services.
"The current Brisbane Metro proposal removes the two existing general use
lanes so that the bridge becomes a green bridge only, catering for
pedestrians cyclists and buses," the RACQ report said.
"The new arrangement proposes four bus lanes and wider shared path for
pedestrians and cyclists on the downstream side."
This would be a medium cost project.
* Wilson triple jump. This proposal involved three bridges that would link
the Brisbane CBD with Kangaroo Point, New Farm and Hawthorne.
It is inspired by architectural engineer and co-author of the original Cross
River Report, R Martin Wilson.
Stage one would be a bridge from the CBD Botanic Gardens to Kangaroo Point,
stage two a connecting bridge from Dockside ferry terminal to Merthyr Road
at New Farm Riverwalk and the final stage a bridge from Merthyr Road to the
Hawthorne ferry terminal.
RACQ proposed that pedestrians, cyclists and buses to have access to the
triple jump bridge.
The council did not support the final stage of this high cost proposal, but
did support stage one and two as pedestrian and cyclist bridges only.
* Bulimba to Teneriffe. A bridge connecting Skyring Terrace or the
Commercial Road ferry terminal at Teneriffe with the Oxford Street ferry
terminal at Bulimba has already been widely discussed.
This connection was proposed in the Lord Mayor's Taskforce Brisbane Mass
Transit Investigation: Options for consideration in 2007 and again in 2010
via Connecting SEQ 2031.
The RACQ report said the proposed bridge would be single road lane in each
direction with bike path on one side and footpath on the other, catering for
pedestrians, bike riders and buses only.
The council does not support buses using the bridge but was supportive of a
pedestrian and cycle bridge in principle.
* Bulimba to Hamilton. This bridge proposal was designed to connect with the
upgraded Kingsford Smith Drive by connecting the Brett's Wharf ferry
terminal with the Apollo Road ferry terminal at Bulimba.
The proposed crossing would be a single lane road in each direction with
bike path on one side and footpath on the other, catering for all modes of
transport.
The council did not support this proposal as they believed it would have
traffic impacts for Bulimba and Kingsford Smith Drive.
The bridge survey is open until June 30.
The close calls that almost derailed a $165...
<www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/racq-proposes-12-new-bridges-and-tunnel
s-to-tackle-congestion-in-brisbane-20170518-gw81us.html>