-----Original Message-----
From: Roderick Smith [mailto:rodsmith@werple.net.au]
Sent: Friday, 11 May 2018 4:56 PM
To: 'transportdownunder@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: Thurs.26.4.18 daily digest.

Amazing how LXRA can face trenching at Edithvale (a place where elevation
works, because of Nepean Hwy), but couldn't at Glen Huntly ('water table, we
can't cope'), and wouldn't for Caulfield - Oakleigh ('we can't cope').
This incompetent body feeds the gullible and dictatorial government, and the
result is a disaster fossilised for decades.

Attached:

180426Th Melbourne 'Age' - Melbourne 'highline'?

180426Th 'WA Today' - Subiaco trams.

180426Th Metro Twitter:
- Strathmore.
- Rosanna.

- Melbourne 'Herald Sun':
- airport ripoff parking.
- letters (road & rail).
- Metro changes.

Roderick.

Thurs.26.4
6.08 Major Delays Citybound (an equipment fault at Sunbury).
7.10 Where is the 7.08 train from Hallam?
- 7.24 Cranbourne/Pakenham lines: Major delays after an earlier an equipment
fault near Westall.
- 7.38 So you cancel inbound Cranbourne trains?
- 7.53 Should be a new rule! If you can’t give good service and the trains
are not on time then the customers shouldn’t have to pay for that ride!
- 7.55 Still listening for announcements at Yarraman. Could we have an
update?
- 8.01 We are experiencing delays of up to 20 minutes while we recover.
- 8.04 I have been at Yarraman for nearly 40 minutes and two trains have
gone past as express. Your 20 minutes = my 40 minutes and counting. Will
Metro refund my fare today?
- 8.43 Amen.
- 8.44 I agree, that’s what I tweeted as well, everyday a new fault , they
are just sitting and don’t worry about taxpayers money.
- 12.49 To which Cranbourne service are you referring? We had cancellations
this morning.
- 13.48 I'm referring to the performance stats during peak hours.
- 7.37 4.5 can you please publish your datasets on your trains?
8.17 Because of a car blocking rail tracks, a replacement bus service will
operate between Frankston and Stony Point.
Make a submission on the Edithvale & Bonbeach Environment Effects Statement
by 5pm on Wed 2 May. with a video of rc boats. See http://bit.ly/2GFj8h1
16.42 Earlier minor delays Clifton Hill - South Morang (police). Trains are
on the move again and delays should clear quickly.
- 16.46 When will crossings be opened at Reservoir? Crowds of people stuck
on either side and traffic backed up on High St.
- 16.49 Never mind. Open now.

At Strathmore, upgrade work to the Pascoe Vale Rd commuter carpark begin on
Monday. While the work takes place, the gravel Pascoe Vale Rd carpark will
be closed. Parking is available in the new Bridge St carpark.
Station car park upgrades: Strathmore
The existing informal car park at Strathmore Station is being upgraded and a
new car park is being built, creating a total of 70 new commuter car parking
spaces.
The new car park on Bridge Street, with 30 spaces, is now open.
Works on the Pascoe Vale Road car park are taking place from Monday 30
April. During construction the gravel car park on Pascoe Vale Road will be
closed. Please use the car park on Bridge Street, or consider alternative
parking
arrangements.
To find out more, view the construction poster.
The Strathmore Station car park upgrade is part of the Victorian
Government’s $20 million commitment to fund additional parking spaces at 16
stations on railway lines experiencing high growth in passenger numbers.
Construction is underway until June 2018
Strathmore Station is being upgraded with 70 new car parking spaces.
Stage 2 works will begin on 30 April 2018. During construction the car park
on
Pascoe Vale Road will be closed, please consider alternative parking
arrangements.
The new Strathmore Station car park is being delivered by VicTrack, on
behalf of the
Victorian Government, as part of the Station Car Park Upgrades Program.
<https://victrack.com.au/projects/key-projects/station-car-park-upgrades/str
athmore>

Edithvale and Bonbeach Environment Effects Statement.
Edithvale wetlands
The level crossings at Edithvale and Bonbeach are set to be removed by
lowering the rail line into a trench. Because of their proximity to the
internationally significant Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands, these projects are
subject to an
EES process.
This EES is a detailed study into the potential impacts of the Edithvale and
Bonbeach level crossings projects.
It describes potential effects of the Edithvale and Bonbeach level crossing
removal projects on the environment and recommends ways to avoid, minimise
or manage these impacts.
•Read the Environment Effects Statement
•Read the summary document
•Fact sheets on key findings
The EES focuses on three key areas that could be impacted by the projects:
•The Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands and other ecosystems
•Groundwater levels
•Groundwater quality
Key findings
The EES found that trenches are feasible at both Edithvale and Bonbeach. The
EES found any potential impacts from the projects on the environment are
considered to be minor and will be monitored throughout construction and for
several years after completion.
Wetlands
The EES found that the level crossing works would not impact the
Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands. This is because groundwater changes resulting
from the project are highly unlikely to occur closer than one kilometre from
the Edithvale
wetlands.
View Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands fact sheet view wetlands and vegetation
video
Groundwater levels
Part of the EES focused on how to manage potential impacts the projects may
have on groundwater levels and the ecosystems that depend on it.
It found that any potential changes to groundwater levels at Edithvale can
be effectively managed through our design technique.
At Bonbeach, changes to groundwater levels are relatively minor and unlikely
to have a significant impact.
View Groundwater levels fact sheet view groundwater levels video
Groundwater quality
The level crossing removal projects are designed to minimise any potential
effects on groundwater quality.
In Edithvale, our design technique means that the groundwater quality will
not be impacted.
At Bonbeach, the EES found that the risk of impacts to groundwater quality
was extremely low.
View the Groundwater quality fact sheet view groundwater quality video
Video
•Groundwater quality
•Groundwater levels
•Wetland and vegetation
The EES, draft Planning Scheme Amendments (PSA) and all public submissions
received on the EES will be considered by an independent Inquiry, appointed
to provide expert advice to the Minister for Planning at public hearings, in
June
2018.
https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/media/publications/ees

Melbourne Express, Thursday, April 26, 2018
8.46 The Stony Point line has been suspended between Frankston and Stony
Point because an overturned car is blocking the tracks near Leawarra. Police
said that two cars collided on Frankston-Flinders Road shortly after 8am,
causing one of the cars to be flipped up onto its roof. Tow trucks are on
the way to clear the scene. It does not appear that anyone was injured in
the crash.
8.33 Stony Point line suspended because of an overturned car . A car has
flipped onto its roof and is blocking railway tracks in Frankston, leading
to the suspension of the Stony Point line. The car is on the tracks near
Leawarra. The line was suspended between Frankston and Stony Point about
8am when the car flipped and ended up on the tracks. Replacement buses are
being organised for affected passengers.
8.27 There has been a string of delays and cancellations on the Cranbourne
and Pakenham lines this morning. It appears that trains are running about 20
minutes behind schedule.
Hurstbridge railway line passengers are going to be spending one more week
on the buses. It's because of a failure to foresee signalling complications
in a level crossing removal project.
A 2016 video outlining upgrades on the Hurstbridge line
Remember how Frank from the Frankston line is now Frank in Fiji? The
Melbourne Express regular used to be the first to inform me of any
disruptions on the Frankston line, but he went quiet last year, which led me
to wonder if a) the
Frankston line was running smoothly at all times, or b) that he had given up
on catching the train and was driving to work each day. It turns out he
had taken the third option and moved to Fiji. He's been sending me some Fiji
sunrise pics in the morning, lately.
<www.theage.com.au/melbourne-news/melbourne-express-thursday-april-26-2018-2
0180426-p4zbo1.html>

Resident's action group claim North East Link boss's wife is a 'spy' 26
April 2018.
The wife of the North East Link Authority's chief executive has been
labelled a "spy" after it was revealed she had joined a closed online group
opposing the $16.5 billion road project.
Duncan Elliott admitted on Wednesday morning that his wife Carissa Elliot –
who is also the executive assistant to the chief executive of VicRoads – is
a member of an active Facebook group campaigning against the road.
North East Link Authority chief executive Duncan Elliott. Photo: The
Standard
Questioned on ABC Radio's morning program about her position on the road
linking the M80 Ring Road and the Eastern Freeway, Mr Elliott admitted that
his wife was part of the online group, and confirmed that she was not
opposed to the
road.
"No, I don't think she's opposed to the plan," Mr Elliott said in an
interview with host Jon Faine.
"My wife's social media activities is something for her to consider ... I
wouldn't call her a spy, I think she's probably taking an interest in the
project given that her husband is working on it," he said.
"If she was working on a big project I would probably look to what is being
said about her project as well."
Protesters running the closed group called 'Say No to North East Link Option
A', say that Ms Elliott, who removed her surname from her page on Facebook,
joined the group in November last year. Option A refers to the route that
was
ultimately chosen for the 11-kilometre road.
An administrator of the online group, Lorrae Willox, said Ms Elliott claimed
that she opposed the road in a survey she completed to become a member.
Protesters opposed to the North East Link gather in a threatened Balwyn park
last year. Photo: Darrian Traynor
"It disappoints me that she said she is anti-Option A when she works for
VicRoads, and she is the wife of the man running the program," she said.
"People can make up their own minds about what that might mean.
"I think we have a very strong campaign and a strong moral stance against
this project ... but what worries me is ... how many other spies does NELA
have?"
A VicRoads spokesman said Ms Elliott was not involved in the North East Link
project because the road was being managed by the North East Link Authority..
He said VicRoads staff "are members of the community and they are free to
use social media".
In response to further questions from The Age, Mr Elliot said he and his
wife live in the north-east, and "we're both interested in the project".
"I'm not sure why there's a ruckus about my wife being in a local Facebook
group, but we'll keep away from it."
He said the authority was working closely with the resident group opposing
the road.
The North East Link Authority predicts that up to 120,000 cars will use the
proposed toll road each day.
The authority has already contacted about 140 businesses and the owners of
75 residential properties across the proposed area that could potentially be
acquired for the project.
Construction on the toll road will begin in 2020 and is expected to be
completed by 2027.
The Age has approached Ms Elliott for comment.
<www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/resident-s-action-group-claim-north-eas
t-link-boss-s-wife-is-a-spy-20180426-p4zbqi.html>

Toll road to kill off future Doncaster rail: public transport group 26 April
2018.
The North East Link, the costliest road expansion plan in Victoria’s
history, will kill off future plans for a railway line to Doncaster, a
transport users group has warned.
The $16.5 billion toll road will expand the Eastern Freeway from 10 to 16
lanes in sections around Bulleen.
A mock-up of a rail line down the centre of the Eastern Freeway. Photo:
Yarra Campaign for Action on Transport
It will also see a busway built on the northern side of the road, for the
Doncaster shuttle that currently travels along either side of the Eastern
Freeway.
Infrastructure Victoria, the state’s adviser on spending, found in 2016 that
a long-term plan to build a rail line down the Eastern Freeway did not stack
up.
North East Link Authority chief executive Duncan Elliott said building lanes
into the freeway's median meant more homes would not need to be acquired to
allow expansion up to 16 lanes.
"The upgrade has been deliberately designed so as not to rule out a future
rail line being built," he said.
But Public Transport Users Association president Tony Morton said the
massive North East Link project knocked out any realistic future possibility
of the rail project, which would provide trains to Manningham – the only
council area in metropolitan Melbourne without it.
“What’s being proposed is a radical reorganisation of the road corridor
between Clifton Hill and Bulleen,” Dr Morton said.
The toll road plan will see the wide median strip in the middle of the
Eastern Freeway since it was built in the 1970s deleted to add new car
lanes. The busway would then be built alongside the expanded freeway.
“This provides space for the bus lanes they want to put on the outside of
the road – but the outside will never be suitable for rail due to conflict
with entrance and exit ramps,” Dr Morton said.
He said the plan to delete any future possibility of a rail line to
Doncaster locked in road-based vehicles being the only way of getting around
the region. “Even the proposed buses won’t be future-proof, and will in time
become slow
and crowded just like the busway services in Brisbane.”
He described Premier Daniel Andrews and his Roads Minister Luke Donnellan’s
plan to lock out future rail proposals as “not merely short-sighted, it’s
bordering on spite for the people of Manningham who spent years campaigning
for a
train".
Infrastructure Victoria has found the North East Link was the state's
"priority road project" and would help people get around Melbourne more
easily as well as enable trucks to avoid the city centre.
The government's key infrastrucutre advisor, Infrastructure Victoria, said
the North East Link should be built within 10 to 15 years, because it would
help ease "some of the most congested parts of the road network" as well as
boost
cross-town travel.
Roads Minister Luke Donnellan has previously said the North East Link would
provide a “much needed alternative” to existing high productivity freight
vehicle routes and mark an “important step in delivering orbital road
network
accessibility to industry".
The North East Link Authority predicts that up to 120,000 cars will use the
proposed toll road each day.
The Public Transport Users Association pleas to protect the rail route on
the Eastern Freeway follow warnings last week from environment group Friends
of Banyule, who are concerned at the impact of the toll road on parklands,
rivers and open space in the area.
The group’s president Dennis O’Connell said the road expansion would prevent
any future rail line down the Eastern Freeway.
“This route will take up land identified in the Doncaster Rail Study in
2014, for stations at East Kew and Bulleen, effectively preventing future
construction of Doncaster Rail. Other options were not, in our view,
adequately
considered,” Mr O’Connell said.
The North East Link Authority has been contacted for further comment.
<www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/toll-road-to-kill-off-future-doncaster-
rail-public-transport-group-20180426-p4zbqs.html>
* Build the Doncaster rail line Daniel.
* It's all about helping some private companies making money out of people
need to travel for work, and 2 major party politics. Manningham definitely
need a rail network, yet somehow someone can say the business case does not
stack up: since when the public transport is to make money? The purpose for
having government and tax is to build infrastructures which otherwise would
not make business case for private sectors, excluding tolls, which is
totally a wrong idea to say the least.
Furthermore, population increase has become a serious issue to the point
that it is really reached to live or death situation. There are too many
people in Australia due to recent mass migration. It ought to be stopped
before this
country turns into a country like America with massive social issues.
* I'd be fascinated to know how they are going to deal with the extra
volumes of traffic exiting into Hoddle St and Alexandra Pde.
I'd suggest they build a tunnel running under Alexandra Pde which could meet
up with City Link.
* I suspect that the thousands more cars that arrive (16 lanes, all ending
up on Hoddle St...) will be stuffed into those car-crushing machines in
order to make them fit.
* If you moved there when there was no rail you have no right to complain. I
walk eight minutes to my local station. Its the main reason I live here
* On that logic, no new public transport infrastructure would ever be built..
* Trains, not roads which inevitably become packed. And where are all these
cars going?
And yes, this is yet another outcome of the population ponzi.
* If there is room for a Busway, then rail will remain a possibility. The
busway can be upgraded to light rail and, these days, driverless light rail
can carry 500 passengers every 2 minutes at 130km/hr e.g. Dubai and numerous
Chinese cities. Mind you, it would be better to skip the step and construct
the light rail as part of the project. That is the real benefit of this
alignment rather than the longer all tunnel version.
* So why not just build a skyrail or elevated or ground level o-bahn type
busway- both of which would use less lane space as part of this development?
* The road lobby at work again. They have never wanted rail to Doncaster.
* They built their headquarters on the Kew rail reseve to stopthe train
being put back. The RACV the oil industry and Vic Roads have been in cahoots
for decades. They would kill public transport just like the did in LA if
they thought they could get away with it
* The East-west link was designed to kill off any hope of Doncaster rail.
The Tullamarine upgrades since Citylink is designed to kill off airport rail
(or make it a lot more expensive).
Let’s not mention skyrail/level crossing removal and if any consideration
has been given to provision a 3rd track one day.
One day people are going to realise just how much governments dislike rail,
and will do anything to make it unviable.
* Not Government. The Oil industry the road freight industry and Vicroads.
They are a law unto themselves
* the Eastern Freeway railway is a massive failure of Victorian govts all
the way back to the 1970s... shortsighted ... roads obsessed politicians who
have got transport planning wrong for decades!
* I don't even live in the area and i think it's utterly ludicrous to add 6
lanes instead of a train line, even if it just follows the freeway. then
later a periphery line, etc. Surely it would get decent use, even with a
giant carpark somewhere at the end.
* So the North East Link Authority lied about preserving the easement, then
sent their CEOs wife to spy on a group opposing them. You couldn't make this
stuff up.
* Option A is possibly the worst option for both North and East communities
- Blind Freddie can see this! It means we are tied too this road forever!
Look at the end of the road it all hard stops on Alexandra Parade -
Apparently
according to NELA only a 7% increase of traffic- They won't give me the
worst case scenario figures cause they don't have any! Wake up Melbourne if
you use the Eastern or Live in the North this will be the worst outcome for
you.
* And what is the point of the busway built on the northern side of the road
going to do for people who live in Doncaster and for those people that rely
on catching the 907? The problem with the 907 is that it NEVER EVER arrives
on time because there's no bus drivers available to drive the actual buses!
This infuriates me and hundreds of other people who catch the bus in
Doncaster. Public Transport Victoria knows there's no bloody train station
in Doncaster yet they put one 907 every 30 minutes in peak hour on the road..
Have you guys actually seen the line at 7:30am at Doncaster Park and Ride?
Again -- what is the point of putting a busway when there's no buses!?
FIX THAT FIRST!
<www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/storyline-time-travel-through-melbourne
-s-past-20180328-p4z6rk.html>

Lord mayoral candidate Sally Capp proposes High Line park in Melbourne 26
April 2018
Talking points
•The plan would see decks put over rail yards from Federation Square to
Etihad Stadium.
•The parkland would be connected by 2.5 kilometres of walking and cycling
paths.
•New York's High Line spans 2.3 kilometres and cost $US 152 million..
Melbourne could get its own version of New York's iconic High Line park in a
contentious plan made by lord mayoral candidate Sally Capp.
The project, estimated at $300 million, would see parkland built on huge
decks above rail yards in the city.
Lord mayoral candidate Sally Capp wants a High Line park in Melbourne.
Photo: Justin McManus
They would begin near Federation Square, stretch down the Yarra River past
Flinders Street Station to Southern Cross station and end near Etihad
Stadium.
Connecting the new open spaces would be 2.5 kilometres of elevated walking
paths and bike lanes to fix the gap in the Capital City Trail and aim to get
cyclists off the Southbank promenade.
The proposed route of the Melbourne High Line.
New York's famous High Line, which opened in 2009, comprises a linear park
spanning 2.3 kilometres along a disused rail viaduct on the western edge of
Manhattan and has set an international standard in urban design.
Ms Capp told radio station 3AW on Thursday that she expected the cost of her
project to be around double the $US152 million spent in New York.
Plans for the Melbourne High Line.
But she said that cost was not insurmountable and, if elected, she would be
appealing to state and federal government for financial assistance as well
as encouraging private sponsorship and public donations.
"I do know from discussion so far this is a lot more economically feasible
than trying to sink rail yards," she said.
Lord mayoral hopeful Jennifer Yang says a High Line is not a priority.
Photo: Justin McManus.
But fellow lord mayoral candidate Jennifer Yang slammed the proposal, saying
the council has other priorities.
“Sally Capp’s billion-dollar thought bubble will do nothing to address the
homelessness crisis or fix the toxic culture at Town Hall," Ms Yang said.
“Ms Capp should spend less time focusing on grabbing a headline, and instead
support my idea of building Father Bob’s Refuge for Women and Children in
Little Bourke Street.
“There is a real choice to be made in this election: housing for the
homeless, or pricey parks.”
“Housing for the homeless, or pricey parks”
Ms Capp told The Age the project would set Melbourne up for the future,
improving green space, public transport, accessibility and liveability as
the city grows.
The former Property Council boss said creating over 10 hectares of new
public space would clearly be a "massive undertaking" over many years.
"But transformational projects like this require big vision at the start,
then committed people who are determined to bring them to life," she said.
<www.theage.com.au/melbourne-news/lord-mayoral-candidate-sally-capp-proposes
-high-line-park-in-melbourne-20180426-p4zbq5.html>
* There was a huge fight against Boris Johnson and Joanna Lumley's "Garden
Bridge" plan in London which reverted money from needy causes, and it was
won by campaigners. Lets not elect Sally Capp and go through all that. And I
am a
gardener by the way. If she wants to spend money on gardens: Footscray Park
could do with the money.
* All the "parks" shown in the images are either parks already, or private
land holdings.
Parks in the sky also rob Melbourne's streets of light and movement, both
essential for their 'health" as streets.
* The best way to create parks is to stop building indoor sporting arenas
and other things on existing parkland. There once was nice parkland from the
MCG to the Yarra. Now we have concrete. Open space has been used for
hospitals. It is time to stop carnage of open land for 'cheap' development.
I am stunned. At some stage soon I expect to see a proposal to build in the
Yarra so we can build a park on top of it. That is show stupid our (wannabe)
political leaders are becoming.
* I always laugh when I read 'Melbourne' and 'New York' in the same article..
* Yes it would be great, particularly if it has an Apple store. And lots of
coffee places.
* A similar idea has already been proposed by the local community
http://www.westernconnection.org.au/
* This sounds genuinely good - can I vote for it ?
The cyclist / pedestrian thing on Southbank is terrible for both - cyclists
are absolutely set up to fail there and have no viable alternative. (Queue
the outrage from pedestrians who will go on about being hit / nearly hit ....
and if only cyclists obeyed the rules. Yawn - nothing's changing until the
structure changes.)
Build it - and provide some real separation - and they will come.
* Decking - the home handyman's dream.

Infrastructure debate must recognise boom in temporary population 26 April
2018.
Imagine this: the number of international visitors to Sydney and Melbourne
each year doubles to about 8 million and 6 million respectively by 2030.
Overseas arrivals to Australia doubles to 18 million.
Like Paris, London and Singapore, international visitors to our two largest
cities each year outnumber permanent residents within a decade.
Crowded lecture halls are increasing at universities. Photo: Edwina
Pickles.
Growth in international students adds to the trend. Our education sector is
already breaking records with 542,000 enrolments this year from overseas
students in universities, private colleges, English courses and schools - up
13 per
cent on a year ago.
Fairfax Media in March reported foreign-student numbers at Sydney
universities jumped 50 per cent more in the past two years than they did in
the entire prior decade.
Yes, booms in international tourism and education are good for business. But
their implications for the community are under-represented in debates about
Australia’s population growth and its effect on infrastructure, traffic
congestion and living standards.
We mostly talk about permanent residents in population debates: the natural
rate of population growth and migrant and refugee intakes. Less considered
is the coming boom in Australia’s temporary population and its effects.
Temporary and permanent residents, of course, have a different impact. An
international tourist who visits Australia for three weeks has far less
impact than a permanent resident. So too does an international student who
studies here
for three years and goes home.
Still, Australia’s temporary population could become so large in the next
decade that it must be considered in infrastructure planning and the broader
population debate. Millions more tourists and students will use Australia’s
airports, roads, shopping centres and accommodation, adding to congestion
and competition for services.
Don’t get me wrong: I like growth in international tourism and education.
Strong gains in service exports to Asia are vital for our long-term economic
prosperity.
But consider what’s ahead. There were 8.9 million international visitors to
Australia in the year to February 2018, up 6.6 per cent on a year earlier,
Tourism Australia says. That compares to less than 6 million international
visitors in 2012.
International tourists spend an average of 33 days in Australia, a figure
inflated by offshore visitors who come for education or employment and spend
more than 100 days here. Chinese tourists who visit family and friends spend
45 days here on average.
On my rough maths, if 8.9 million international visitors to Australia grows
at, say, 7 per cent annually, arrivals will hit 17.8 million by 2028.
Assuming each stays for a month on average, that’s equivalent to about 1.5
million extra permanent residents by then.
The federal government last year forecast 15 million international visitors
to Australia by 2026-27, using an annual growth rate of 5.8 per cent. That
forecast, which I suspect will prove too conservative, implies another 6
million
international visitors annually within a decade.
The upshot: more pressure on capital-city infrastructure and overcrowding.
Yes, Australia’s population might be approaching 30 million by then, so the
temporary population looks manageable and is small compared to permanent
residents (on an annualised basis).
But here’s the kicker: Australia is only scratching the surface in
international tourism. For all the talk about Chinese tourism, we are only
getting about 1 per cent of that country’s outbound tourism market, even
though Australia
ranks highly for safety with prospective Chinese tourists and our location
in Asia and time zone are advantages.
The OECD estimates 3.2 billion middle-class Asian consumers by 2030, from
about half a billion in 2009. As more Asians join the middle class, demand
for services, such as travel and education, will soar. The international
travel boom in Australia has a long way to go.
Also, as more tourists arrive, it’s likely they will stay longer on average,
adding to population pressures. Growth in self-directed, older international
travellers is an emerging trend. The one-week whistle-stop tour of Australia
in a coach tour, long favoured by Asian tourists, might not be as prevalent
in coming years as more tourists find their way around.
If these trends strengthen, Australia’s temporary population could become
much larger than politicians and policymakers realise and compound our
woeful infrastructure planning.
Look around. Our major airports are choked with passengers. Parts of our
capital cities are swamped with temporary visitors, particularly around
tourist attractions. Some suburbs that have universities with lots of
international
students are groaning under population pressures, traffic congestion and
excessive property development.
As in other international cities, there could be a backlash if the boom in
temporary visitors is not managed or if some suburbs change their character
too much in response to the influx of foreign tourists and students.
A balanced, sensible debate about population is long overdue. Yet our
politicians shirk the topic and the community has too little say on
Australia’s appropriate population growth. Within that, we must consider
long-term growth in
temporary visitors in population and infrastructure-planning discussions,
not only permanent residents.
If major capital cities cannot keep up with population growth now, what
happens when millions of extra tourists and students arrive here each year
by 2030, on average staying longer?
Australia’s soaring temporary population could become a permanent problem.
* Forget official admitted population figures (25 m), they are absurdly high
enough, what about all those that don't coun...
* It would be nice to know the exact figures for the number of people
arriving in Australia and the number leaving each y...
<www.theage.com.au/business/small-business/infrastructure-temporary-populati
on-foreign-boom-students-20180426-p4zbpo.html>

Lord mayoral candidate Sally Capp proposes Melbourne version of New York’s
High Line park
Herald Sun April 26, 2018.
MELBOURNE would get elevated parkland and new cycle and walking paths under
a $300 million-plus plan to create more open space in the CBD.
Based on New York’s High Line park, Federation Square and Southern Cross
Station would be linked by a 2.5km “sky” trail that would involve covering a
big section of rail lines.
Lord mayoral candidate Sally Capp has proposed the ambitious idea to add
over 10ha of new public open space, including 6ha of parkland.
MEGA FUNDING DEAL TO KEEP FOOTY AFFORDABLE
RADICAL $1B PLAN TO TRANSFORM MCG
TIME TO CLEAN UP OUR LIVEABLE CITY
Springtime at the High Line park in New York City. Picture: iStock
“This is a big vision for a project that, if realised, would transform
Melbourne’s CBD and green a vital part of the Yarra and to become an iconic
attraction for visitors,” she said.
However, the idea was slammed by Lord Mayor candidate Jennifer Yang.
“Sally Capp’s billion-dollar thought bubble will do nothing to address the
homelessness crisis or fix the toxic culture at Town Hall,” Ms Yang said.
“Ms Capp should spend less time focusing on grabbing a headline, and instead
support my idea of building Father Bob’s Refuge for Women and Children in
Little Bourke Street.”
“There is a real choice to be made in this election: housing for the
homeless, or pricey parks.”
Under the bold High Line plan, huge decks would be installed for parks above
the railyards next to Federation Square, at Flinders St Station and above
the railyards in front of Etihad Stadium.
Bike and walking infrastructure would connect the decks, thereby joining up
the “missing link” in the Capital City Trail.
Lord mayoral candidate Sally Capp. Picture: Jason Edwards
Ms Capp said this would solve the problem of cyclists being forced to use
Southbank Promenade on the other side of the river to get through the CBD.
“This creates a dangerous situation with bikes and pedestrians mingling in a
very crowded area,” she said.
“The Melbourne Highline vision would move bikes away from this promenade and
on to dedicated pathways running over the top of the rail lines.”
A map of the proposed plan.
Ms Capp said the project could cost at least $300 million, and could be
funded by the City of Melbourne together with state and federal governments
and community input.
A previous idea by the Melbourne Veloway group to build an elevated bikeway
from Princes Bridge to Southern Cross Station using the rail viaduct was
costed at about $25 million in 2014.
Ms Capp said her vision was a massive undertaking that would take years to
complete, but “if elected I will make the realisation of this vision one of
my key priorities”.
New York’s High Line park runs for 2.3km along a disused rail viaduct.
Ms Capp, who is considered a frontrunner for the May 11 by-election, said a
congestion tax for the inner city beyond the current parking space charge
should be considered.
“We already have a congestion tax and it hasn’t made a material difference
to date, so we need to look at other options,” she told 3AW this morning.
Melbourne's 'bicycle freeway'
“The important thing about that is that if we try to deter our cars coming
in, what is the alternative to welcome people into the city.
“What we don’t want to do is discourage people coming in.”
Asked if Melbourne was growing too quickly, Ms Capp said: “I’m of the camp
that it’s not...we’ve got the expertise to be able to manage it.”
“The massive growth has created traffic problems that we hadn’t
anticipated,” she said.
“But apparently...we could make some signalling changes for example, in
terms of how the traffic lights work that could make a difference.”
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/lord-mayoral-candidate-sally-capp-propos
es-melbourne-version-of-new-yorks-high-line-park/news-story/13096276e583c068
fdf89859189fa756>
* $300 million-plus?
* absolutely no idea.....all of the candidates are so out of touch..RIP
Melbourne
* Fix up crime first
If they are going to Update SC station.
1. Get Platform 8S completely Under cover. So that no West Sun or Rain gets
to you.
2. Same deal at the other the (North) End. As above.
3. Put the Bus depot over the (North) End. Onto the bridge.
4. Build a Tram line over (with no road traffic.) the bridge. (Extensing
the Bourke St route over to Docklands.)
5. Put the Taxis rinks where the Bus depot was.
6. Airport train. (a an Express train.
7. And a third Airport with trains for the Far South East corner.
8. A very fast train not just for Geelong, (Geelong can be a stop for a
Warrnambool very fast train.) Similar for other areas.
* And the heat of the Sun in Summer.
* Funded by you and me, course.
* DO IT! Brilliant idea!
* Surprising, i would have thought that would be valuable land for more
apartments.
* Get the transport system right first
* pretty to look at but terrible to work in - expensive parking, poor cafes
and no shopping options.
* Highline in NY has made apartments around it totally unfordable. Don’t
know how she is going to facilitate this and low cost housing also per her
own statements to date.
* NO! Great idea. Wrong location. Link the city to Richmond! Build over the
ugly train lines that are right behind the MCG. I have been saying this for
years! It would create meeting points, walking trails, running, cycling,
community gardens and dining destinations for people attending sports
matches, concerts and the plethora of events in that precinct. You could
have food trucks and fixed eateries, as well as shopping (markets?).
* I believe there is already a plan to do that with the mcg and Tennis
Australia
* Melbourne is always copying something from somewhere eg White Night, big
fireworks at New Year etc etc etc.
The least imaginative and the biggest copy-cat city on the planet.
* Sounds great but $25m is what would be spent on consultants and Utopia
style meetings. Would cost at least $100m and more if the construction is
within 10 metres of a railway line
* Particularly if the CFMEU are anywhere near it.
* Until the homeless set up shop in it.
* The homeless need housing - it's not rocket science. No city with any
self-respect does nothing to provide housing for so many homeless people.
Perhaps the banking white collar criminals from the royal commission could
do their 2 days of community service, if that, putting pot plants on this
super expensive walkway?
* I’m privileged enough to travel the world for my job. I’ve been
everywhere. South America, USA, all of Europe and the The UK and about 90%
of Asia.
There are homeless people in every major city - far far more than what we
have.
We pale in comparison. São Paulo is shocking. Denver and Seattle were a big
shock as they’re very livable.
In my all time favourite city in the world, New Orleans, the streets of the
French quarter are littered with homeless people - 90% of em because of
drugs.
NYC, Prague, Bangkok, Rome, Hong Kong. In fact the only place I haven’t seen
homeless people is probably Iceland and Berlin.
It is sad, very sad. But it’s also mostly by choice and triggered by drugs.
Melbourne is bad, but nowhere near as bad as the rest of the world.
Safe houses and counselling is gonna help more than building them homes.
* If they would own build the apartments for the homeless? If we are going
to bulid more!
* What next, rename Victoria, Melbourne so we could be like New York New
York. What will the pay of to developers be, 25% for apartments.
* Any greenery is a good thing, look at St Kilda Rd, it's gorgeous.
Tree-lined streets overhanging the road like arches give me a feeling of
serenity. The more the better I say.
* Until Dan's army chopped a lot of them down to make way for his new
underground rail
* I think it is a fantastic idea.
* Vision at last. Not just boozy nights at town hall.
* We dont have a disused railway line platform to convert to a park. It
would have to be built from scratch.
* Exactly right. Unlike New York we don't have a disused railway viaduct to
use & the existing & very busy railway tracks occupy all of the space
between Finders Street & the river.
* And you haven't even thought about the fact we already need extra train
lines going through that corridor. Goods trains have to wait (sometimes for
hours) to get between Flinders St. and Southern Cross as it is...
* Great idea. The High Line park is a highlight of a trip to New York. It
gives a unique perspective on the city and is a fantastic use of a disused
railway line.
* Having walked the High Line in NY I would say it was underwhelming. Lined
with trees, yes, but quite narrow for the most part and a lot of the "views"
are just of the rear of the buildings and a multi level car storage lining
the
route. It was no doubt an improvement on what was there originally but
hardly something we should model.
Greening Melbourne is an excellent idea but don't let too many pen pushers
or public servants design it.
* It's not just public servants designing it.
It's also Big Corp's and Devls and others in the mix.
Who want their stamp on the city: (even in the Burbs.) "Look what I built."
Then, we have to put up with it, for how long?

Relief from the crush: Busiest rail lines set for a big timetable boost 26
April 2018.
More peak-hour and nighttime trains will run on some of Melbourne’s most
overcrowded railway lines from June and August, as the Andrews government
races to ease the strain on frustrated commuters by completing three major
rail projects before November’s state election.
The final unfinished section of the “skyrail” through Melbourne’s south-east
is due to open on June 18, The Age can reveal, ushering in a major boost to
services on the choked Pakenham and Cranbourne lines.
Once the $1.6 billion skyrail opens, trains will run every 10 minutes
between Dandenong and the city from 7pm to 10pm on weekdays.
Commuters pour onto a train at Southern Cross Station on Thursday. Photo:
Justin McManus
Commuters on Melbourne's busiest suburban rail corridor will also get relief
from extra services in the morning and evening peak shoulder, a Metro Trains
letter obtained by The Age states.
But passengers on the Dandenong corridor are set for 20 days of frustration
from next month when part of the line is shut down before the full skyrail
opens.
The line will be closed for works between May 29 and June 17, forcing
travellers onto replacement buses for part of the journey between Dandenong
and the city.
Passengers travelling from beyond Caulfield Station will be affected.
When it reopens, four congested level crossings at Murrumbeena Road, Grange
Road, Poath Road and Koornang Road will be gone and two new stations at
Murrumbeena and Carnegie will be in use.
A new station at Hughesdale will open later in the year.
The South Morang and Hurstbridge lines in Melbourne’s north are also due to
get a complete timetable overhaul later this year, once the $600 million
Mernda line extension is built and tunnelling and level crossing works are
finished on the Hurstbridge line.
Passengers will be able to ride test trains from Thursday as the government
begins replacing nine level crossings on the Cranbourne-Pakenham corridor.
The South Morang line, which services Melbourne’s booming northern suburbs,
will be extended eight kilometres north to Mernda, with three new stations
to open, adding an expected 8000 extra commuters a day to the line.
An extra five peak-hour train services will run from Mernda in the morning,
and an extra four outbound trains in the evening will cater for the
anticipated surge in demand.
In all, 980 trains a week will run between Mernda and the city.
In August, four extra peak-hour services a day will also be added to the
Hurstbridge line in Melbourne’s north-east, after the $140.2 million
duplication of the single track bottleneck between Heidelberg and Rosanna
stations and the
removal of level crossings at Grange Road, Alphington and Lower Plenty Road,
Rosanna.
Extra evening services are also planned for the Werribee line from August,
on the edge of the peak, the Metro letter shows, although the government
could not confirm this on Thursday.
The extra services might not benefit all Werribee line travellers though -
stopping patterns on some services will be altered “to ensure consistency”,
the Metro letter says.
The extra services will be funded in the 2018-19 state budget, to be handed
down on Tuesday.
Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan confirmed that from the end of June,
“every level crossing between Caulfield and Dandenong will be gone,
fulfilling another election commitment”.
“We’re delivering the services passengers need now and building for the
future – removing level crossings, ordering new trains and delivering the
Metro tunnel,” Ms Allan said.
The Hurstbridge line upgrade will benefit commuters in the marginal,
Labor-held seats of Ivanhoe and Eltham, where the opposition unveiled its
own rail promises last week.
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy promised to spend more than $300 million to
duplicate the Hurstbridge line between Greensborough and Eltham, and $4
million on extra car parking at Eltham, Montmorency and Greensborough
stations.
Daniel Bowen, spokesman for the Public Transport Users Association, said it
was encouraging to see the government planned to add extra services after
many months of disruption.
“Extra peak-hour services on the Mernda and Hurstbridge lines will be
particularly welcome, given regular overcrowding on these services,” Mr
Bowen said.
But he said the government would need to closely monitor patronage on the
new Mernda line in particular, given it services some of Australia’s
fastest-growing suburbs.
“With the three new stations serving a huge growth area, further service
upgrades will be needed sooner rather than later,” he said.
The South Morang line suffered a spike in overcrowding last year.
Thirty three per cent of all services recording load breaches - up from 26
per cent in 2016, PTV data shows.
* Don't forget the marginal seats on the Lilydale/Belgrave train lines!! No
train services have been added for many years as long as I can remember
travelling on these lines!!
* So suburban trains will run every 10 minutes from Pakenham to the city.
Where does that leave room for V-line trains from Traralgon and Bairnsdale ?
* As usual, nothing changes on the Belgrave Line. We can't even park at the
station unless you get there before 7am. No one in authority at PTV lives on
the line, so they insist no-one uses it.
* Frankston has had a service every 10 minutes all day for years. Should be
the same on all lines.
It's hard to even cross Manningham in a Smartbus without getting stranded,
it's like the Bermuda Triangle for buses.
* Wouldn't be an election year by any chance would it?
* Andrews has been operating at full speed for the duration of his first
term, so this is in no way an election stunt. It's just another step in the
(much needed) infrastructure upgrade that the present government is
progressing with
after years of (small govt=no increase in public infrastructure) Liberal
Party stagnation.
* It takes years to plan these things. Obviously Andrews doesn't want voters
to be right in the middle of massive disruption when they go to the polls;
but it's hard to criticise this government for not getting things done.
* Despite the best efforts of all the anti sky rail brigade, people are
beginning to see the benefits. Some die hard liberal supporters couldn't be
made to see the proof if their lives depended upon it.
Mind you, the greens are strangely silent. They just can't bring themselves
to support labors rail building / improving. Nothing to oppose so nothing to
say.
* Do you mean from 7am to 10 pm?
* They mean 10mins from 7pm-10pm. You would hope more frequent in peak
times!
* I am still awaiting response from the government as to why Vline backup
services are failing when Vline trains are disrupted.
VLine services from Gippsland to the City are improving, but without a
reliable bus backup in the case of accidents, commuters can find themselves
waiting 3 hours, and getting home not long before the morning commute
begins.
This needs to be fixed as much as other infrastructure, because accidents on
these lines will still keep occurring (although better investment in mental
health services may improve this also).
May I suggest that every VLine office worker, from accountants to CEOs
should be trained up to drive buses, to fix the shortage of drivers in these
situations.
* 7.00 pm or 7.00 am every ten minutes ?
* Plus have Melbourne's PT Buses do a much improved job for our Public
Transport!
* Great work by the Andrews Government. It's fantastic to see somthing
FINALLY being done about transport infrastructure after decades of neglect.
* Good progress. At long last a government that can get things done.
Keep going! Agree with other comment that we need a third line to Dandenong
* How about running the trains faster too.
When you can drive in the same time or quicker as catching the train, the
train becomes less desirable.
* I still can’t fathom why a third track is not being built on the Dandenong
line. All they have done is improve signalling to increase capacity by a few
percent and plan for longer trains when the new underground is built. The
line
needs a doubling of capacity.
* A third line wouldn't double capacity. It would allow for some additional
express trains; but capacity would still be limited by the remaining level
crossings.
* How does a level crossing limit rail services?
* In fact they need to make it four tracks to double capacity and improve
services for outer suburban stations and regional trains. There is so much
demand in both directions all day that an extra track in peak direction only
would not suffice. It is an absolute scandal that so much money was spent on
the level crossing removals, for no benefit to rail travellers and only a
minimal benefit to motorists. For a fraction of the cost four tracks could
have been provided which would allow regional trains to Gippsland a much
faster trip through the suburbs and enable express trains to be run to
Dandenong for the Pakenham and Cranbourne/Clyde lines.
* "...trains will run every 10 minutes between... Dandenong and the city
from 7pm to 10pm". But what about Watergardens and Sunbury only 20mins and
40mins respectively ????????
* I think we'll only see increased services to Watergardens once the Melton
Highway grade separation is complete. Might be hard to see increased
services to Sunbury considering there are still a number of level crossings
between
Watergardens and Sunbury.
* Safe labour territory. No need.
* Melbourne Metro will provide the extra capacity, but off peak should be 10
minutes to Watergardens and 20 minutes to Sunbury once the new trains for
the Dandenong line free up stock for Sunbury. At the moment, there simply
isn't
enough rolling stock. Remember just 8 train sets were ordered and delivered
by the Napthine government in four years. The Andrews government is having
to do 8 years of work in 4.
* What about the long suffering bus commuters in Manningham who endure buses
that fail to show up, buses that are full and by-pass stops because previous
buses fail to show up, constantly overcrowded peak service buses, dirty and
graffiti ridden buses, the useless Lonsdale Street bus lanes that buses
don’t use because cars retard them when turning left waiting for pedestrians
to cross or are reduced to snail’s pace because cyclists ride in them,
increased
commute times because of Melbourne’s gridlocked roads and Eastern Freeway?
Transdev and this government need to be held to account for the failed
public transport system that services this area. Manningham will never get a
good deal
with public transport because it isn’t a marginal seat. The Libs don’t care
because it is blue ribbon and Labor don’t care for the same reason. Why not
provide free bus travel before 7.30am (just like free train travel before
7am),
increase bus services to manage commuter demand and make Route 905 a
priority because it seems to be the worst by far of all the Manningham to
CBD bus services?
* I think that governments of both flavours from around 1928 to 2014 (with
the possible exception of Henry Bolte and Co) could be held accountable for
the neglect of Melbourne's infrastructure. I think we all sympathise with
your
plight, though, it sounds terrible.
* I agreed 99% of the points you raised but you are wrong about 905 being
the worst. I have always seen other routes like 906 and 907 with signed bus
full when they just left the station. As a commuter of 907, PTV decided to
run one bus every 30 min during peak hour despite the timetable says
otherwise. I want compensation for delays like the people travel by tram.
* Well said, but let's not forget the unroadworthy squalor on wheels that
had to be removed from service & the buses being redirected to the rail
replacement compounding our appalling service. And where was PTV's and
Transdev's apology, explanation or reassurance about the state of our buses?
There was none. Daniel Andrews and Matthew Guy Manningham DOES matter!
* Shortsighted infrastructure that doesn't plan for future expansion is not
what is needed. ie extra express lines.
We need to duplicate the core with another level in the CBD loop.
* "Duplicating the core" is what the Metro tunnel is all about - it adds
more capacity through the CBD. Rather than adding more tracks to the loop,
it takes some trains out of the loop instead.
* It's a major hassle with the amount of major works being done getting
around Melbourne. In saying that, the LNP did nothing in their term and now
bitch and moan as the ALP just do it. Without the ALP we would be the
welfare State.
* And prior to that Bracks and Labor mates did nothing either. So they're
all the same.
* True, but I don't hear Bracksie on the radio or see him on TV bagging the
current government's actions.
* The Andrews government has been doing more than anybody ever. But Bracks
sure wasnt sitting on his hands. Got quite a bit done. It was the Baillieu /
Napthine term that was wasted.
* Yeah, they were also the cause of the wasted $1 billion taxpayers needed
to pay because of the secret EW deal signed within a month of the last
election.
* Just on that count the Liberals ought to be in the political wilderness
for a decade or more.
* Hoping the Andrews government can complete the "1915" promise to extend
the 58 tram north of Bell St to Hadfield. It's only been 103 years.
* To quote Jeff Probst from Survivor: "Sunbury, got nothin'for ya, head back
to camp"
* Hope it is not like Queensland when they introduced more services but
forgot to recruit more staff to make it possible
* What croc. The Andrews Govt said that getting rid of level crossings will
enable more trains to run - as if that was ever an issue. The issue
congestion in the Loop and at Flinders St in particular, which simply can't
accommodate many more trains. Thus the extra services in peak hour will be
very limited, and the 10 min service between 7pm and 10pm - who will that
benefit?
The levels crossing removal is really a roads project. Both Labor and the
Libs are beholden to the roads lobby, which is why there's been bugger-all
done for public transport since the Loop was opened in the 70s.
Vote them both last in this year's election. Neither are fit to govern.
* It's easy to criticise but after Baillieu and Napthine doing nothing for
infrastructure they are at least getting on with it. I think you will find
they are building the Metro tunnel as well which addresses one of your
concerns.
* What nonsense. Baillieu, admittedly sat on his hands, and had to go.
Napthine, in a very short time, pushed through some major initiatives in
both road and rail....all of which Andrews stopped...at incredible cost.
A big part of the reason we are in this mess is the complete inertia of the
Bracks/Brumby governments.
* What do you suggest? We throw our hands up in the air and do nothing? The
Metro tunnel is being built to assist with congestion in the city loop, but
unfortunately we haven't yet developed the time travel that would allow us
to go
back in time and throw out the governments that consistently neglected
infrastructure.
On level crossing removal, this is flat out wrong - when you combine level
crossing removal with Metro tunnel and high capacity signalling, our mass
transit is growing exponentially over the next decade. Let's also not forget
that the level crossing project is removing the most congested and MOST
DANGEROUS crossings - if the project saves lives, it's worth it at any cost..
* It takes little mental power to work out that more trains means level
crossings being blocked for longer periods. Removing them is a benefit to
both road and rail users. However these projects are still being compromised
by being
prioritised in selected electorates, and removing potential for future
growth such as an extra line through the south-east to Pakenham for Vline
and freight trains. Sky-Rail is not being built to accommodate these needs,
in fact it's
ruling them out.
* 90 seconds. Remember that.
* The poms have the worst railways in europe
* I always found the Tube to be fine. Bit creaky and antique in some
aspects, but gets you across London pretty efficiently.
* Moscow Metro has trains every 90 seconds. just saying.
* Moscow has literally 10x the population density of Melbourne. Remember
that.
* Thank God public transport is getting a genuine boost. A step in the right
direction for Australia's premier city. Private ownership of cars is
forecast to decline with the advent of self drive vehicles. Rail is the long
term solution to mass transportation.
* And this is why upgrades to parking at stations, as proposed by the
opposition on the Hurstbridge line, are so short sighted. In the short term
start running more minibus services to stations that can later be replaced
by autonomous vehicles. Already we have the trial started at Latrobe
University. At the same time we should be rejecting the 16 lane Eastern
Freeway proposal and building the rail line through Manningham with several
rapid circular lines linking our current radial lines with one travelling
via the airport. Yet this is not part of infrastructure plans. We could have
a system where virtually no two parts of Greater Melbourne are more than one
hour apart using a combination of rapid public transport and last mile
transportation - just need the vision
<www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/relief-from-the-crush-busiest-rail-line
s-set-for-a-big-timetable-boost-20180426-p4zbwh.html>

April 26 2018 Teenager clipped by train in Kenwick .
A teenage boy has escaped with his life after being struck by a train in
Kenwick on Thursday.
Police were called around 4pm with reports the boy had been running across
the lines behind a Perth-bound train in an attempt to catch an approaching
Armadale-bound train, but had been hit by the Armadale train.
St John Ambulance took the boy to RPH. Photo: St John Ambulance .
Paramedics rushed the 17-year-old under priority conditions to Royal Perth
Hospital, where he remains in serious but stable condition.
The Armadale train line reopened at 4.45pm and has returned to normal
scheduling. Royal Street, Kenwick, has also reopened to traffic.
<www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/teenager-clipped-by-train-in-kenwick-20180426-p4
zbx8.html>