FW: snippets / daily digest, Thurs.7.12.17
  Roderick Smith

-----Original Message-----
From: Roderick Smith [mailto:rodsmith@werple.net.au]
Sent: Friday, 8 December 2017 10:00 AM
To: 'transportdownunder@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: snippets / daily digest, Thurs.7.12.17

Yahoo has still not fixed the photo problem. Photos attached to emails go to those on direct email, but the photos do not show on the web version. My earlier technique of stitching them via the web is also failing.
Here is Thursday, with the photos, but I will have to indulge in time-consuming backtracking when the fault is fixed.
Thanks Mal for answering Peter's question: yahoo web isn't displaying the text; I have to wait for the daily digest version. That fault has occurred before.

Links:
<www.metrotrains.com.au/planned-work/buses-flinders-street-moorabbin-westall-2-9-january/ …>
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/wirths-circus-was-one-of-melbournes-most-popular-attractions-beside-the-yarra/news-story/2855afb71502056c79ffbfa94c85dc0c>

Attached:

171207Th Melbourne 'Herald Sun':
- staff safety (RTBU).
- wind farm. with tdu.
- letters, roads, energy, water. with tdu.
- Metro changes.
- Wirth's Circus.

1801xx-megabustitution.

171207Th Melbourne 'Age' - Town Hall viewing platform.

Roderick

Metro Twitter, Thurs.7.12
13.30 No Route 58 trams between Stop 134 Orrong Rd & Stop 139 Glenferrie Rd (a traffic incident in Toorak Rd). 14.05, resumed.

Melbourne Express: Thursday, December 7, 2017
City Square has been a rather ugly sight for the past eight months because of all those Metro Tunnel barriers in place.
But yesterday the government unveiled a new platform that will let passersby watch the construction works being carried out on the new underground Town Hall station. The train carriage design is quite novel.
I reckon the view will be particularly popular with young children who are fascinated by all that bulky excavation equipment!
Check out the full story
The viewing platform shaped like a train carriage at City Square, which lets passersby watch the construction of Town Hall station. Photo: Justin McManus
<www.theage.com.au/victoria/melbourne-express-thursday-december-7-2017-20171206-gzzzze.html>

Lord Mayor Robert Doyle confirms CBD security upgrades as Melbourne remains on alert for a probable terror attack
Herald Sun Thurs.7.12.17.
MELBOURNE remains on alert for a probable terrorist attack as more security camerasare set to be rolled out throughout the inner city, according to Melbourne City Council.
Lord Mayor Robert Doyle also confirmed a Sunday Herald Sun report in April that the CBD will get a public siren system to warn of terrorist attacks or other threats to safety.
SIRENS, BOLLARDS AND CCTV TO SECURE CITY
Details of the messaging to be relayed through loudspeakers could be announced by the State Government by Christmas.
Cr Doyle said that intelligence agencies still maintained that the threat of a terrorist attack in Melbourne was probable, and it was unlikely to come from an organised group.
“It’s going to be an individual, someone who’s isolated, someone who’s been radicalised, someone who acts not be being directed but by being so-called inspired,” he said.
“That’s always going to be hard to stop, but so far our intelligence services and our police have done a magnificent job in keeping us safe.”
BOLLARD BID TO PROTECT MELBOURNE FROM TERROR ATTACK
TOUGH MEASURES NEEDED TO KEEP VEHICLES OUT OF CBD
Melbourne is set to get more security upgrades amid terror attack threat. Picture: Kylie Else
The Lord Mayor, who has just returned from a high-level counter-terrorism roundtable in London, foreshadowed the installation of speakers and a rollout of more CCTV cameras in coming months.
“We now know that we need broader coverage of the city and ... we’re going to need to continue to grow that as we expand into (new precincts) Arden-Macauley, E-Gate, as we complete Docklands and more into Southbank,” he said.
Cr Doyle said he was impressed with London’s “run, hide, tell” public address message used in the June terror attack, but said Melbourne might have a different message.
“It’s not the words, it’s the idea that this is a signal to people that there is now imminent danger and they must take steps to protect themselves,” he said.
“What you don’t want is for messages just to go out from those loudspeakers and people trying to listen to them and work out what does that mean, what am I supposed to do?”
Lord Mayor Robert Doyle says CBD security upgrades are on the way.
The Lord Mayor said that people needed to know things like the existence of “havens” in the Bourke St Mall where people could shelter protected by bollards, planter boxes, street furniture and banner poles.
Cr Doyle said he expected an announcement on upgraded security measures some time after Premier Daniel Andrews returned from an overseas trip.
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/lord-mayor-robert-doyle-confirms-cbd-security-upgrades-as-melbourne-remains-on-alert-for-a-probable-terror-attack/news-story/15348e05915c17a55d51b05d2d5ac7db>

Lalor to Epping train line a step closer as State Government buys properties.
Whittlesea Leader December 7, 2017.
•‘It’s a congestion crisis at the moment’.
•Drivers face longer wait on traffic fix.
•‘I go the long way around to go to work’.
A TRAIN line connecting Lalor to Epping North and Wollert has taken a “major step forward” with the State Government set to spend $3..8 million buying land earmarked for a major Northern Suburbs transport corridor.
The money will be drawn from a statewide developers contribution fund and will be used to purchase six privately owned properties on the Wollert Transport Corridor.
The corridor could be used for a range of options, including an arterial road and a bus way, but it’s expected the buy up will fast track the construction of the estimated $600m train line.
Thomastown MP Bronwyn Halfpenny stopped short of confirming the corridor will be used for rail but said “it appeared to be heading that way”.
“The acquisition of this land is a major step forward for the train line to be built,” Ms Halfpenny said.
Thomastown State Labor MP Bronwyn Halfpenny says the purchase of the properties is “vital”. Picture: Supplied
“There has been no timeline set or firm decisions about the mode of public transport but the purchase of the missing link is vital.
“Whether a bus way is built first while we wait for the train line to be built is an option.”
Aurora Community Association spokesman Tony Francis said building the rail must be the priority.
“I fear if they build a bus way then it will remain like that and we won’t get the rail,” he said.
However, Mr Francis welcomed the acquisition as “great news” which would “hearten many in the community”.
“This acquisition substantially reduces the chances of the rail line being unnecessarily delayed and helps guard against the cost of un-acquired land rising prohibitively,” Mr Francis said.
“Completion of the rail line as soon as possible is highly preferable and the longer we wait, the harder it will be to construct it.”
The government crumbled late on Wednesday afternoon and revealed their plans after Leader News got hold of a confidential Whittlesea Council paper that stated Transport for Victoria was actively seeking to buy properties on land set aside for the corridor.
The paper states “TFV is endeavouring to purchase properties in the designated rail corridor as they become available”.
Satya Gogula, Cara Horner, Tony Francis and Steve Boyne want a train line built between Epping and Wollert. Picture: Tim Carrafa
The council preferred TFV use Public Acquisition Overlay tools to secure the train corridor “as soon as possible”.
The six remaining properties, which are all in Epping, make up 14 per cent of total land set aside for the corridor.
It’s uncertain whether the department will enable PAO tools to acquire the land.
The interim business paper estimates the rail project would cost $600m to complete.
Rails Future Institute President John Hearsch said it would be a “change in heart” if the state government was attempting to buy up land set aside for the corridor.
“Twenty-thirty years ago, governments rightly bought up land for transport corridor but it’s something recent governments rarely do,” Mr Hearsch said.
“The land is already protected by Public Acquisition Overlay so it would be odd for the government to purchase properties unless they intended to build on it.”
Whittlesea Mayor Kris Pavlidis said she had not been formally advised of the land acquisition but would “welcome any news of the project progressing”.
“The extension of the train line from Lalor Station to Epping North and Wollert would have significant benefits for our community,” she said.
TFV was contacted for comment.
* This has been earmarked for years, why are they needing to acquire properties? Furthermore, one can only pray safeguards are already in place that the existing Whittlesea rail corridor has not been flogged off, as Cain did to the Doncaster train reserve
* The properties are listed on title as being possibly acquired for the purpose of the train line. They might have already been owned before the overlay was placed.
Therefore as per Victorian law, they're entitled to just compensation.
<www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/north/lalor-to-epping-train-line-a-step-closer-as-state-government-buys-properties/news-story/96d1f7fde27a775e40b4ef5d4edc6f75>

Show full size
1801xx-megabustitution  |  640W x 382H  | 235.45 KB |  Photo details
Show full size
171207-Melbourne'HeraldSun'-staffsafetyRTBU  |  200W x 353H  | 89.05 KB |  Photo details
Show full size
171207Th-Melbourne'HeraldSun'-Metro changes  |  500W x 592H  | 181.34 KB |  Photo details
Show full size
171207Th-Melbourne'HeraldSun'-Wirth'sCircus  |  1000W x 738H  | 438.7 KB |  Photo details
Show full size
171207Th-Melbourne'Age'-TownHall viewingplatform  |  640W x 360H  | 224.25 KB |  Photo details