-----Original Message-----
From: Roderick Smith [mailto:rodsmith@werple.net.au]
Sent: Thursday, 22 June 2017 3:42 PM
To: 'transportdownunder@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: snippets, Thurs.22.6

Links;
<www.domain.com.au/news/what-melbourne-can-learn-from-and-teach-other-major-cities-20170622-gwvqpi>
<www.theage.com.au/business/markets/six-charts-that-explain-why-oil-is-in-a-bear-market-20170621-gwvefp.html>

Attached:

170622Th Melbourne 'Age' - Oxford Scholar Hotel.

170622Th Melbourne 'Herald Sun':
- energy. with tdu.
- McKenzies baking products [not transport, but a feel-good item featuring surviving Australian enterprise in an era where they vanish or are taken over. I cooked with a packet of McK Italian soup mix yesterday].
- tunnel disruptions & lies.

170623Sa-25M St Kilda bustitution (YT).

Roderick

Metro Twitter, Wed.21.6.17
The Essendon Info Hub at 20 Russell St is open & accepting submissions from 1-7pm Thurs 22 June & from 10am-12pm Fri 23 June.
Level Crossings‏ If you live in Essendon don't forget to get your Planning Scheme Amendment (PSA) submission in by 5pm Fri 23 June!

June 21 2017 Man hit by truck crossing Adelaide Street [ie Man crossing Adelaide St hit by truck].
A man has been hit by a truck on Adelaide Street in Brisbane's CBD in what a witness said was an "absolutely disgusting" accident on Wednesday.
John Smith said he watched the man as he was "hit pretty hard" by the truck..
A man has been hit by a truck on Adelaide Street in Brisbane's CBD. Photo: Drew Creighton .
"It was pretty scary, the poor fellow, he was still unconscious when they put him in the ambulance." Mr Smith said.
"He wasn't moving.
The injured pedestrian was later transported to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. Photo: Drew Creighton .
"People were just horrified, a couple of ladies yelled out and a couple of ladies were beside of him (the injured man) and must have had first aid gear on them."
Police were called to the scene about 11am and were diverting traffic. The accident scene was cleared by 1pm.
The injured pedestrian was later transported to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, and a police spokeswoman said the man had non-life threatening injuries.
"He was still breathing, I think the impact of the truck must have made him go into shock," Mr Smith said.
By submitting your email you are agreeing to Fairfax Media's terms and conditions and privacy policy .
Police investigations were continuing into the cause of the incident.
<www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/man-hit-by-truck-crossing-adelaide-street-20170621-gwvd87.html>

June 21 2017 Privatisation: has it really been that brilliant? Just look at electricity . with tdu.
<www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/privatisation-has-it-really-been-that-brilliant-just-look-at-electricity-20170621-gwvcyp.html>

June 21 2017 Clean Energy Finance Corporation lobbying for wood-fired power to replace coal . with tdu.
<www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/clean-energy-finance-corporation-lobbying-for-woodfired-power-to-replace-coal-20170621-gwvn2f.html>

June 21 2017 Hitting the dust: Metro tunnel works blamed as Oxford Scholar pub shuts its doors .
A once-thriving Swanston Street pub will shut next Friday, after beer sales collapsed amid the construction of Melbourne's Metro rail tunnel.
The Oxford Scholar, opposite RMIT University and on the corner of Swanston and A'Beckett streets, has been run by Malcolm Wulf for the past 25 years.
More videos Work begins for $10.9 billion Metro Rail Project.
Drilling rigs have been moved to Franklin and A'Beckett Streets on the northern side of Melbourne's CBD as early work ramps up on the $10.9 billion Metro Rail project. Vision: Victorian Government
He rents the building from RMIT and had a strong business until tunnel works started in January.
The works meant a number of crucial outdoor tables had to go. The construction also made it hard for people to tell whether the pub was open – dust from constant construction works meant all the pub's doors and windows had to be kept tightly shut.
The pub's lifeblood – its student clientele – immediately dropped off and business has not recovered. In April, Mr Wulf said his revenue had dropped by between $3000 and $5000 a week.
"We can't afford to keep trading; we just can't continue to fund the losses," said Mr Wulf, whose pub has not been offered any form of compensation from the Andrews government.
The $10.9 billion rail tunnel under the city centre will run from Kensington under the CBD to South Yarra.
Mr Wulf said he had taken legal advice about the possibility of suing the government over the damage to his business.
The Oxford Scholar will close next week. Photo: Daniel Pockett .
The closure comes as a blow to a group of half a dozen current and former public servants who have drunk at the Oxford Scholar for the past two years.
"None of us have any objection to the Metro Tunnel, but the fact it is impacting this business so badly is terrible," said John Page, whose group drank at the Duke of Kent pub in La Trobe Street until it was shut down to make way for apartments.
Oxford Scholar publican Malcolm Wulf. Photo: Eddie Jim .
"The Metro [Tunnel authority], the council and the state government just seem completely disinterested to the fact it's hurt Malcolm [Wulf]. There's been no compensation, just nothing."
Mr Wulf said the Metro Tunnel authority had tried to help out with some online promotion, but that this was a largely misguided attempt.
Last drinks: Oxford Scholar regulars John Page, Bob Hopkins, John Ryan and Raymond Evans. Photo: Daniel Pockett .
"It was dealing with the problem once the problem had almost finished us," he said.
The removal of outside tables at the start of the year when students were first likely to visit the pub, and such events as the Australian Open tennis and grand prix were generating large city crowds, meant the pub had suffered.
The pub before rail tunnel construction works began. Photo: Supplied .
Mr Wulf said next week's closure of the pub would be "a fairly large day" for him, as many former staff and regulars had promised to visit.
A spokesman for the tunnel authority said that it had been working with the pub to provide practical support since 2015. The authority had provided way-finding signage, sealed windows, upgraded air filters, moved services and assisted with new food offers to attract customers.
"While a project of this size will cause some unavoidable local disruption while it is being built, the Metro Tunnel will deliver decades of benefits for Melbourne and Victoria," he said.
Opposition public transport spokesman David Hodgett said small businesses affected by the tunnel's construction should be looked after, and in the Oxford Scholar's case the disruption was extreme.
He said Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan "should seriously consider providing assistance in this instance".
A Melbourne City Council spokeswoman confirmed the pub's outdoor tables permit in A'Beckett Street had been cancelled in January when works on the Metro Tunnel started.
She said council officers had met with Mr Wulf in May to discuss concerns over taking away his outdoor tables. "We have also spoken to him on the phone several times," she said. The council had undertaken a number of site visits that had confirmed that moving the pub's outdoor tables onto Swanston Street "was not a viable option".
Related Content
Mr Wulf behind the bar at his business, which he says is being hurt by the Metro rail tunnel construction works.
Publican claims Metro tunnel is destroying business .
Metro Rail test drillings Melbourne: The city as a construction zone .
<www.theage.com.au/victoria/hitting-the-dust-metro-tunnel-works-blamed-as-oxford-scholar-pub-shuts-its-doors-20170621-gwvme3.html>

Popular Melbourne pub to close after Metro Rail construction harms beer sales.
Herald Sun June 21, 2017.
A POPULAR Swanston St pub will shut its doors next week after losing thousands of dollars in sales from the construction of Melbourne’s Metro rail tunnel.
The Oxford Scholar Hotel, opposite RMIT, has announced next Friday will be its last day in action after spending months struggling with a collapse in customers caused by dust and noise from the work site.
“Business has been pretty quiet lately due to the works going on next door,” junior night manager Angus Fraser said.
“We lost our smokers area out there because of it. There’s lots of work going and it’s reduced traffic around the area.
“Just after Christmas, we opened back up, construction had started and they (customers) definitely dropped off.”
When work began the pub lost access to a number of outdoor tables and publican Malcolm Wulf had said the business was losing up to $5000 a week in revenue.
A Melbourne Metro Rail Authority spokesman said the body had worked to minimise disruption.
Mr Fraser said the construction had also discouraged customers from coming inside.
“They’ve been trying to work something out with the council and State Government but it hasn’t helped,” he said.
“We’ve got to close it. RMIT are the tenants so we’re just going to keep operating for the next week and a half until then.”
Earlier this year publican Malcolm Wulf, who has been running the bar for 25 years, had speculated his business was losing between $3000 and $5000 a week in revenue.
Malcolm Wulf earlier this year speculated his business was losing between $3000 and $5000 a week in revenue.
A Melbourne Metro Rail Authority spokesman said the body had worked to minimise disruption to the pub.
“We’ve been working with the Oxford Scholar Hotel to provide practical support to the business,” he said.
“We will continue to consult regularly with local residents and businesses across the project to manage impacts during construction.
“While a project of this size will cause some unavoidable local disruption while it is being built, the Metro Tunnel will deliver decades of benefits for Melbourne and Victoria.”
Opposition public transport spokesman David Hodgett said businesses disrupted by building works should be provided some form of support.
“On Skyrail there was assistance for residents to temporarily relocate and the same should be provided for business,” Mr Hodgett said.
“It is a long-term established business in Melbourne that has been unduly affected and the Minister should give due consideration to providing support or assistance.”
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/popular-melbourne-pub-to-close-after-metro-rail-construction-harms-beer-sales/news-story/f01c8e1341d12865517cf4f978bdc7a1>
Another Labor quango which can't cope with the engineering, only the spin. There are benefits of having the tunnel, but the ones offered by the misnamed authority don't stand the truth test, and the benefits do not require this amount of disruption: the first loop was built without it.Edit (in 6 minutes)
* Bloody shame for the owners and team and bloody shameful by the Andrews government (again) that they force this to happen. No planning, no foresight, just pretend to consult but never listen!Shame shame shame!
* Why wasn't all this done 20 years ago? The signs were there, but no.
* The State Government has an ABSOLUTE duty to make sure that these businesses don't suffer. The should be offering financial support, not just practical support. What a joke.
* Sad news! Had my 21st birthday party here in 1993!
* Another labor disaster.
* You only have to look at what happened on the Gold Coast when they built the light rail nothing but empty shops and souvlaki stands.Must have sent a lot of people broke Same is happening in Sydney. Governments just don't learn. The thing probably needs to get built but the shop owners need fair compensation. Even if you can weather the storm not all your business will come back
* Very sad. Spent much of my uni time there. The wonky pool tables, the spongy beer-soaked carpet, and the juke box playing Nirvana and the Sex Pistols. Good times.
* Another Andrews Govt casualty. The list keeps growing with reasons to vote them out. As if we needed one.
* The Metro tunnel is completely unnecessary. If trains were running every 2 minute through the loop, then it would be at full capacity, but they're not.
The opposition have done a very poor job of calling the government out on this one.
It's jobs for the boys, with the usual kickbacks for the pollies, and we will foot the bill for it.
* It would also help if train drivers left on time at the beginning of the journey so they were on time! At Lilydale they make sure they have their coffee with them before leaving.
* The opposition is doing a very poor job of calling Andrews on anything. Is that Guy bloke still around?

Commuters take advantage of Opal loopholes
AAP Thrus.22.6.17.
COMMUTERS sick of paying too much to travel are using loopholes to evade fares by more than a million dollars—and transport staff are turning a blind eye.
A loophole in the Opal card system allows users to tap off with a negative balance and then throw the card away — without having to pay the full fare of the trip.
The Sydney rail rort could, at least in part, be stopped by closing the barriers at stations but even commuters underpaying by more than $10 are being let through every time.
More than a year after the NSW Government cracked down on Opal card loopholes that allowed people lower cost or even free travel, canny travellers have still found a way to circumnavigate the system.
The loophole is most often abused at Sydney’s airport stations because of the pricey $13.80 gate fees added to rail tickets.
The minimum amount required to tap on during peak is $3.38, which means a trip from Parramatta Station to Domestic Airport, which would normally cost an adult $18.62, could cost just $3.38.
The NSW Audit Office said that last year the number of Opal cards with negative balances increased to 363,000 leaving the government $1.3 million out of pocket. The year before the figure wasn’t even $500,000.
According to a 2016 report from the NSW Audit Office, unregistered Opal cards with negative balances cannot be recovered unless the passenger tops-up the card.
The trick is to use unregistered cards and go into a negative balance.
The report reveals negative balances may not be recovered if customers purchase additional cards and discard the negative balance cards.
Public transport users can tap on so long as they have enough on their cards for the cheapest possible fare — off peak that’s just $2.36. Once they reach their destination they can exit through the gates even if the actual fare was substantially higher.
As Opal cards are free, users can simply throw the card away and start afresh with a new Opal.
NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance has condemned commuters who abuse the loophole, calling it “fare evasion”.
“People should always travel with enough balance to get where they need to go,” Mr Constance said.
<www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/commuters-take-advantage-of-opal-loophole-travelling-to-and-from-sydney-airport/news-story/071e45d5558131a68e97bd544275e2f2>

June 22 2017 School holiday roadworks to cause major commuter pain on Tullamarine Freeway and St Kilda Road.
Motorists are being warned to brace for huge delays heading to Melbourne Airport when the Tullamarine Freeway closes for night-time roadworks, as part of a 16-day construction blitz next month.
Travellers have been told to plan ahead or risk missing their flights, with the freeway set to close in both directions for at least four nights in July.
More videos Expect Melbourne travel delays over school holidays .
Motorists are being warned to brace for huge delays throughout July as the state government embarks on a 16-day "construction blitz". Vision: Victorian Government.
Meanwhile, commuters have been told to avoid St Kilda Road during the school holidays completely due to works on the Metro Tunnel.
Premier Daniel Andrews made no apology for the major disruptions, saying the works were necessary. "This massive construction blitz will be disruptive - so plan ahead, consider alternative routes and allow more time to get where you need," he said.
Brace for long detours when the Tullamarine Freeway closes at night next month. Photo: Luis Ascui .
The Tullamarine Freeway will be closed for four nights in July as part of the CityLink Tulla Widening project.
The freeway will be closed in both directions between Racecourse Road and Bulla Road on July 1, 2, 8 and 15.
Detours are expected to add at least an extra 30 minutes travel time to Melbourne Airport.
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However, similar closures in January this year added an extra 60 minutes to the journey between the CBD and Melbourne Airport.
graphic
"If you are going to the airport plan for delays for getting on the Tullamarine Freeway," Roads Minister Luke Donnellan said.
"Don't expect to be able to get there in a short period of time, plan to look at the alternatives, plan to ensure that you actually look ahead and make sure you get there."
He said said the government had chosen to ramp up construction work during the school holiday period between July 1 and 16 when the roads were typically quieter.
Meanwhile, motorists are being warned to completely avoid St Kilda Road between July 1 and 11, when the road will be reduced to a single lane in each direction between Domain Road, Kings Way/Toorak Road.
The closures will allow workers to build new tram tracks along Toorak Road and two new tram stops, so the 58 tram can continue to be operational when the new underground station at Domain is built as part of the Metro Tunnel.
Buses will replace trams along St Kilda Road, from July 1 to 11, between Domain Road and High Street.
Tree removal on St Kilda Road for the construction of the Metro Rail Tunnel.. Photo: Justin McManus.
Major roadworks to widen the Monash Freeway and the M80 Ring Road and upgrade the Swan Street Bridge are also expected to cause heavy congestion.
It comes as the once-thriving Swanston Street pub will shut next Friday, after beer sales collapsed amid the construction of Melbourne's Metro rail tunnel.
The Oxford Scholar, opposite RMIT University and on the corner of Swanston and A'Beckett streets, has been run by Malcolm Wulf for the past 25 years.
But Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allen said the government had taken steps to assist the business by improving signage and installing air filters..
"The Metro Tunnel authority have been working with that business since 2015 and over that period of time there has been a range of assistance... provided to that business," she said.
"At the end of that process that business has made its own decision and its own choice but we will continue to work with businesses on a case by case basis."
For a full list of works visit vicroads.vic.gov.au
<www.theage.com.au/victoria/school-holiday-roadworks-to-cause-major-commuter-pain-on-tullamarine-freeway-and-st-kilda-road-20170621-gww1bo.html>

Melbourne winter construction blitz: commuters warned to prepare for delays [anything for management convenience, and all the arrogant lot can do is issue warnings. Once upon a time, real engineeers could cope].
Herald Sun Thurs.22.6.17
•How long your drive will take in 2030
•Melbourne to Sydney in 53 minutes
•This is Melbourne’s future and it’s huge
•Say hello to Melbourne’s future family
•Melbourne’s west needs own minister
VICTORIANS are being warned to prepare for “significant disruption” on roads, trams and trains as a construction blitz is carried out during the school holidays.
Premier Daniel Andrews warned commuters to prepare for delays of up to 30 minutes as work ramps up across the city.
Areas impacted include:
— St Kilda Rd which will be reduced to one lane.
— Trams along the route will also be replaced by buses.
— Travellers heading to the airport are being told to plan for delays with work on the Tullamarine widening.
— Level crossing removals will see train passengers moved on to buses on the Dandenong and Hurstbridge lines.
Melbourne morning commute:
— Delays are also expected on the Monash Freeway and the Western Ring Road.
— Level crossing removals will also be carried out in regional areas.
Mr Andrews apologised for the impact on commuters but said the works are necessary.
“Our state at the moment is undergoing the biggest infrastructure program we have ever seen,” he said.
“There will be very significant disruptions.
“It makes sense to use the school holidays when the traffic levels are down.”
The construction blitz will last 16 days.
People moving through the St Kilda area will be impacted most with 30 minute delays expected across the area.
Roads Minister Luke Donnellan urged Melburnians to avoid St Kilda Rd when possible.
<www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/school-holidays/melbourne-winter-construction-blitz-commuters-warned-to-prepare-for-delays/news-story/0b1875d644aefc647c23569dae9ba280>