-----Original Message-----
From: Roderick Smith [mailto:rodsmith@werple.net.au]
Sent: Monday, 18 June 2018 10:13 AM
To: 'transportdownunder@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: Mon.11.6.18 daily digest

Attached.

180611M Metro Twitter - bustitution.

180611M Melbourne 'Herald Sun':
- letters.
- helicopters, city heliport. at flickr.

180611M 'Canberra Times' - tram.

<www.flickr.com/photos/13175590@N00> (for 7 days, search on tag
'workaround').

Roderick.

Mon.11.6.18 Metro Twitter.
6.40 Major delays citybound Craigieburn - North Melbourne (an equipment
fault near Glenroy).
- 8.10 Minor delays. Our maintenance team is currently on site working to
fix the fault.
11.15 Minor delays South Morang - Clifton Hill (police).
17.25 Delays over 20 minutes in the Upper Ferntree Gully - Belgrave area (an
equipment fault at Upper Ferntree Gully).
- 17.31 how is over 20 minutes only minor delays?
- 17.33 we have changed to "Major Delays".
- 19.28 Services now resume between Upper Ferntree Gully and Belgrave, with
minor delays.
17.29 Frankston line: Major Delays (police).
18.05 Cranbourne/Pakenham line replacement buses reminder.
18.06 Frankston line replacement buses reminder.
- 18.38 Is this just tonight?
- 18.43 Correct, trains will then run between Carrum - Flinders Street with
buses replacing trains between Carrum and Frankston/Stony Point until last
train of Sunday 17 June.

LNP would gift state land to council for the Brisbane Metro 11 June 2018.
Talking points
..The Brisbane Metro will run high-frequency services across 21 kilometres of
existing busway.
..Metro 1 will run from the Eight Mile Plains busway to Roma Street busway.
..Metro 2 will run from the RBWH busway to UQ Lakes busway.
..Construction of Brisbane Metro is expected to start in 2019 and be
completed in 2023.
A future LNP government would gift two crucial pieces of land to the
Brisbane City Council to get the Brisbane Metro back on track.
The state government owns a 1600-square-metre parcel of land at South
Brisbane, which the LNP-dominated council has included in its designs for
its Brisbane Metro station at the Cultural Centre.
The state LNP would donate two parcels of land to council to progress the
Brisbane Metro. Photo: Brisbane City Council The council also wants a
4.5-hectare block at Rochedale, which would become the new depot for 60
Metro vehicles.
LNP leader Deb Frecklington said the LNP would give the two properties,
worth $20 million, to the council to get the Brisbane Metro delivered.
"Brisbane Metro would solve a transport bottleneck that has been at capacity
for a decade and would reduce congestion that chokes Brisbane streets," she
said.
"The Brisbane Metro is a city-changing project and an elected LNP government
would guarantee appropriate approvals were in place to get it built and
invest in more bus services to work with the Metro once it is operational."
Opposition transport spokesman Steve Minnikin said the Brisbane Metro
project was "hamstrung" by the government and would not progress until the
land at Rochedale and South Brisbane was contributed.
"Brisbane Metro would provide high-frequency services as often as every 90
seconds between Roma Street and Mater Hill and would boost busway capacity
by up to 22,000 passengers per hour," he said.
Council public transport chairman Adrian Schrinner has previously said he
was "confident" the state would hand over the land at South Brisbane.
But if the council failed to acquire the properties, the $944 million
Brisbane Metro would not be able to go ahead in its current form.
The council asked for the land in September 2017.
A Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesman in April said the
government would work with the council on the Brisbane Metro proposal and
the state's infrastructure.
Treasurer Jackie Trad will hand down her first budget on June 12, which will
include $45 billion in infrastructure spending over the next four years.
In last year's budget, Labor revealed it would fully fund the $5.4 billion
Cross River Rail project, a 10.2-kilometre rail link between Dutton Park and
Bowen Hills.
Ms Trad has previously said Brisbane Metro was an important project and the
region needed both it and Cross River Rail to bust congestion.
The Brisbane Metro was listed as a "high priority" on the national
infrastructure list in March.
Under the Brisbane Metro plan, the Victoria Bridge would be closed to
general road traffic.
Related Article A small block of land could undo the $944m Brisbane Metro
project.
<www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/lnp-would-gift-state-land-to-c
ouncil-for-the-brisbane-metro-20180608-p4zkek.html>

'She thought she was going to die': Girl taken to hospital after 'electric
shock' near Sydney light rail 11 June 2018.
An investigation has been launched after a 15-year-old girl sustained a
significant electric shock while walking near an "exposed wire" at light
rail construction in Sydney's CBD on Sunday afternoon.
Anna Lambden was on her way home from a party and had just taken off her
uncomfortable shoes, walking on the footpath in wet socks, as she waited at
the intersection of Ultimo Road and George Street. She suddenly felt a
sensation like pins and needles coursing through her body and dropped to the
ground in the foetal position.
Viola Morris and her daughter Anna. Photo: Supplied A passerby tried to
come to Anna's aid, only to receive a shock themselves when they touched her
arm, so an ambulance was called.
Anna's mother Viola Morris, from Wolli Creek, said her daughter called her
while she was on the ground waiting for an ambulance. No one could touch
her, she was "distraught" and thought she was going to die.
Ms Morris said the experience was "one of the scariest moments of my entire
parenting life".
"She was distraught. She called me while she was waiting for the ambulance
and she thought she was going to die," Ms Morris said.
"She could feel the electricity pulsing through her. She didn't know what it
was. No one could touch her ... no one could comfort her."
Ms Morris suspects her daughter falling to the ground broke contact between
her feet and the current.
She said it was "totally unacceptable" that a child could get injured while
simply walking along the footpath.
"You think about so many things. You think about car crashes, you think
about alcohol. You do not think about them getting electrocuted while
crossing the road," Ms Morris said.
"This is not a third-world country.
"I would like an inquiry into what's occurred, [and] an assurance that none
of this will ever happen again."
In a statement, a Roads and Maritime Services spokesperson said the agency
was investigating.
"Roads and Maritime Services is investigating an incident, which occurred
[on Sunday] at the intersection of Ultimo Road and George Street," the
spokesperson said.
"Once Roads and Maritime was made aware of the incident, staff attended the
site and made the area safe after identifying an issue with an exposed wire.
"Roads and Maritime will ensure a thorough investigation is carried out."
Anna was taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and released on Sunday night
after undergoing several hours of cardiac monitoring.
Ms Morris said she contacted WorkCover about what happened and had been in
touch with representatives from the light rail to see if there was an
explanation for the electric shock.
"The doctor said it sounded consistent with an industrial electric shock,
not a domestic one," Ms Morris said.
"The person at Sydney light rail, Sydney Transport, said they found a loose
wire, a loose connection.
"Something has come unplugged."
She said her daughter still had muscle pain a day later - on her arm where
she was touched by the passerby and on her calf - but had no serious
physical damage.
"If Anna had been a toddler walking around wearing socks she would've been
killed," Ms Morris said.
A NSW Ambulance spokeswoman confirmed crews were called to George Street in
Haymarket about 4.30pm on Sunday and transported a girl in her teens to
hospital after reports of an electric shock.
<www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/she-thought-she-was-going-to-die-girl-taken-to-
hospital-after-electric-shock-near-sydney-light-rail-20180611-p4zksj.html>

Man killed in bus and car crash third to die on NSW roads this long weekend
11 June 2018.
<www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/man-dies-after-bus-and-car-collide-in-fairfield
-20180611-p4zkpf.html>

Queensland budget dreams of electric super highway 11 June 2018.
<www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/queensland-budget-dreams-of-el
ectric-super-highway-20180611-p4zksl.html>

An immersed tube has been proposed for a tram link to the Fishermans Bend
redevelopment.
Herald Sun 11.6.18.
video: Melbourne University's new Fishermans Bend campus.
A NOVEL alternative to the controversial plan for a Yarra River tram bridge
to the Fishermans Bend redevelopment has been floated.
Some Docklands residents are backing the option of an immersed tube instead
of a bridge which they fear will ruin the Yarra's Edge Marina and drive down
property prices.
Artist's render of Plummer St under the proposed Fishermans Bend
redevelopment.
TV star and local Sam Newman is among those campaigning against a bridge
that would link the Collins St tram in Victoria Harbour to the emerging
urban development precinct in Port Melbourne and South Melbourne.
The immersed tube would be sunk near the Bolte Bridge and connect to the 86
and 70 tram routes running to Docklands Drive via Ron Barassi Snr Park.
It would also carry freight trams and bicycles eliminating the need for
separate freight and cycling links across the Yarra.
Fishermans Bend redevelopment area.
Behind the proposal is Yarra's Edge resident Keith Sutherland who said that
the $350 million tube would be much cheaper than a bridge once land
acquisitions and other costs were factored in.
Mr Sutherland said the tube could be linked to a tunnel going under Lorimer
St, instead of having a level crossing there under the tram bridge option.
"It's a worry because you'll have a tram crossing there every few minutes
affecting local businesses and residents," he said.
"It defies logic by the Andrews Government to spend all that port sale money
on getting rid of level crossings, and you go and put a new one in."
Mr Sutherland said the tube route would boost the shopping and entertainment
precinct at NewQuay and connect to the urban renewal area in the city's
north via the underused La Trobe St tram.
Mr Sutherland has discussed the idea with government and shadow ministers,
Port Phillip Council, and he's seeking a meeting with Lord Mayor Sally Capp.
Tube technology - which involves sections built off site, floated in
position and then sunk - has been used for the Sydney Harbour Tunnel and in
cities like Istanbul.
NEW TRAM ROUTE LIKELY FOR FISHERMANS BEND.
MAYOR CANDIDATE CALLS FOR YARRA TRAM BRIDGE.
WEST GATE TUNNEL PROJECT FACES DELAYS.
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/an-immersed-tube-has-been-proposed-for-a
-tram-link-to-the-fishermans-bend-redevelopment/news-story/63ebaf0907a65d4c4
272eda56f246c28>

Tourism industry backs permanent heliport on Yarra in central Melbourne.
Herald Sun 11.6.18
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/tourism-industry-backs-permanent-helipor
t-on-yarra-in-central-melbourne/news-story/5ab857a75d369e0b3049163dd07c8844>

'Death trap' Chapel St fresh battleground in renewed push for cyclist safe
passing law Stonnington Leader June 11, 2018.
video: Road rules for cyclists
CHAPEL Street has emerged as the key battleground in a push for a new law to
make our roads safer for cyclists.
With a long history of bike accidents on the thoroughfare, cyclists want put
into law a minimum margin that motorists must stick to when overtaking
cyclists.
Chapel St cyclists often ride too close to parked cars because therre is no
safe passing law, lobbyists say..
They want a road rule requiring drivers to stay at least a metre from bikes
they overtake, in 60km/h zones or less. The margin would be 1.5 metres when
the speed limit is higher.
Victorian laws currently require drivers to give cyclists only "sufficient"
distance when passing.
Toorak cyclist Boyd Fraser is among those lobbying for the new law, calling
thoroughfares like Chapel St "death traps for cyclists".
"It's the most dangerous street in Melbourne for sure," he said.
"Changing the law will encourage more people to cycle."
Prahran Greens MP Sam Hibbins, whose party is backing a law change, said
ensuring cycling was safe along Chapel St "is absolutely critical to
maintain the vibrancy of the strip".
"Chapel St is one of Melbourne's most popular but dangerous cycling routes,"
he said.
Boyd Fraser and Greens MP Sam Hibbins are pushing for a "safe passing" law
to better protect cyclists. Picture: Andy Brownbill "The government voted
down our Bill to introduce a metre minimum passing distance and almost every
state has mandated minimum passing distances for cyclists, apart from
Victoria."
It's understood cyclists are tending to ride closer to parked cars due to
their uncertainty over whether cars will leave enough space for them when
passing, which in turn leads to a greater risk of "dooring".
Dooring occurs when a cyclist is clipped by someone, usually the driver,
opening the roadside door of a parked car.
It can lead to serious and sometimes fatal consequences for the cyclist.
In 2015, a 25-year-old cyclist was killed after being doored on Sydney Rd,
Brunswick.
A mass bike ride was held in 2015 to commemorate a cyclist killed on Sydney
Rd Brunswick in a dooring incident.
Stats compiled by the RACV in 2016 found Chapel St was the worst location
for doorings, with nearly 10 per cent of all incidents in the state.
However, the RACV does not support a safe passing law. It does support an
ongoing mass media and online campaign launched by the TAC in November which
aims to educate riders and drivers about sharing the road safely.
PUSH TO MAKE HELMETS OPTIONAL FOR CYCLISTS.
DELIVERY CYCLISTS WANT MOTORIST EDUCATION.
LABOR VOTES DOWN SAFE PASSING LAW.
<www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/inner-east/death-trap-chapel-st-fresh-battlegro
und-in-renewed-push-for-cyclist-safe-passing-law/news-story/938a6da4fac60d25
cc4604ece7218e2a>

New push to decrease NSW road deaths will slow down Sydney drivers June 11,
2018.
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/new-push-to-decrease-nsw-road-deaths-wil
l-slow-down-sydney-drivers/news-story/b6d76bd8b3b599874f635d625eeb319b>

$500,000 wind farm experts provided no advice in two years 11 June 2018, 177
comments.
<www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/500-000-wind-farm-experts-provide
d-no-advice-in-two-years-20180611-p4zks3.html>

ActewAGL asked to cut power prices for ACT consumers 11 June 2018 11
comments.
<www.canberratimes.com.au/national/act/actewagl-asked-to-cut-power-prices-fo
r-act-consumers-20180611-p4zkr7.html>

Optus Stadium jetty: Would you take the ferry to the footy? 11 June 2018.
Football fans attending the West Coast Eagles' next home game at Optus
Stadium now have the option of taking a ferry, with the opening of the new
$5 million Burswood Jetty.
Private ferry services to the stadium will be in place for the first
weeknight fixture on Thursday, June 21, after Captain Cook Cruises bought
exclusive access to a dedicated berth at the new facility for major events
at Optus Stadium.
The new Burswood jetty will mean footy fans can take the ferry to a game.
The jetty pontoons are pictured ready to be moved into place. Photo:
Department of Transport The Department of Transport awarded Captain Cook
Cruises priority use of one berth following a recent expression of interest
process.
On an event day, Captain Cook Cruises is expected to pick up and drop off up
to 1440 people on two return services in five vessels.
Transport minister Rita Saffioti said the jetty was an "outstanding business
opportunity for Captain Cook Cruises".
"Passengers and other facility users will also benefit from the
exclusive-use licence as it will maximise efficient use of the jetty
structure while maintaining public safety during periods of peak demand,"
she said.
An artist's impression of the completed construction. Photo: Department of
Transport In addition, other charter operators and the public can use the
additional two berths for drop off and pick up of patrons, further enhancing
the capacity of the jetty to deliver people to the Optus Stadium precinct.
However, as the ferry service is privately operated, event ticketholders are
not able to travel for free like on other game-day Transperth services.
"Fans wishing to use the charter service should note these special event
services are privately operated and therefore not included in event
tickets," a Transperth spokeswoman said.
"Travel on the Transperth Ferry between Elizabeth Quay and South Perth is
included in tickets for three hours before and three hours after a game.
Same goes for travel on all train and bus services."
Maritime Constructions fabricated the three 32-metre steel pontoons for the
jetty at a Henderson workshop in December, and in March they were towed up
the river to Burswood.
The pontoons were then positioned to create the 96 metre-long purpose-built
jetty to the west of Optus Stadium and slightly north of Matagarup Bridge.
Western Australian-based company Deep Green Landscaping was contracted to
complete the landscaping for the passenger congregation area, featuring
shelters and furniture manufactured in WA and artwork developed by
indigenous artist Wendy Hayden.
Related Article: 'Richer city' waits in wings as East Perth power station
vision gathers dust.
<www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/optus-stadium-jetty-would-you
-take-the-ferry-to-the-footy-20180611-p4zksu.html>