Fw: Thurs.2.5.19 daily digest
  Roderick Smith


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Subject: Thurs.2.5.19 daily digest

Roderick
190502Th Melbourne 'Age':- energy (gas, renewables). [with tdu]- Coalition climate plan. [with tdu]
190502Th Melbourne Express - Fishermans Bend.
190502Th Melbourne 'Herald Sun':- letters (rail, road, energy).- Swan St clearway.
190502Th 'SMH' - antiterrorist exercise.
Thurs.2.5.19 Metro Twitter.
Station Street, Carrum, closes from 19.00 to 7.00 each night until Friday 10 May, between McLeod Road and Mascot Avenue (level-crossing removal work). Local access only. Detours will be in place.
Flagstaff: No lift access between the concourse and platforms until Mon 13 May (works).  If you require lift access, take train to Parliament where alternative transport is available.
7.02 Sandringham line: Minor delays (an ill passenger at South Yarra).
8.06 Sunbury line: Minor delays (an earlier [unannounced] trespasser at Sunshine.
- The 8.20 something that just left Sunshine stopping all stations is completely full.  Any chance of getting it to go express to Footscray seeing that the 8.04 was cancelled?
- Yes, like telling Sunshine passengers that the 8.18 "won't run" at 8.20. Perhaps telling us before the 8.13 arrived would have helped mitigate the crunch on subsequent services.
13.40 Craigieburn line: Minor delays as we recover from an earlier police demand at Glenroy.
- Buses replace trains North Melbourne - Werribee/Williamstown from 23.45 (tunnel works).
Melbourne Express, Thursday May 2 2019
8.23 A trespasser at Sunshine has caused delays up to 10 minutes on the Sunbury line. The 8.11am service to the city was earlier cancelled due to the trespasser. Looks like there are still delays of around 15 minutes on the Sandringham line, coupled with this complaint:
Radical changes for Melbourne CBD afoot?
Lots of talk this morning on the story revealed by our transport reporter Timna Jacks on Melbourne City Council's new 10-year transport plan to increase bike lanes and pedestrian-only areas.
One reader, David William McCormack, thinks it's a great idea: "I'm currently travelling in southern Spain. Cities like Malaga and Granada have made more streets pedestrian only and it's absolutely delightful". Lucky you, David.
Another reader points out that there are "lots of private car parks are in the "Little" streets, so how will drivers access them?"
There's also potential plans for a light rail to Fishermans Bend:
What do you think? Feel free to get in touch via email or Twitter.
7.59 Missing Bendigo boy, 12, found safe and well
We earlier reported that boy with autism who missed his train to regional Victoria spent the night lost and alone in Melbourne's rainy CBD.
Jayden Whyte, 12, was with a family member at Southern Cross station on platform 16 waiting for the 5.55pm train to Bendigo on Wednesday, but it left before he was able to board.
Police now say that Jayden has been located safe and well. Great news, his parents will be extremely relieved.
Every Thursday to Sunday until June 16, the team behind the Fitzroy Market will set up stalls with food, crafts and vintage wares on the vacant block of land on Little Bourke St (the same one that will soon be turned into an outdoor restaurant by Section 8 mastermind Maz Salt).
The market will be in business from 1pm today, so for those in the CBD, why not head down there for lunch?
If you’re lucky, you may leave on a penny-farthing donning a vintage beret.
Unconfirmed reports say that attending a Fitzroy Market pop-up could give you the irresistible urge to jump on a penny-farthing. Credit: Paul Jeffers
7.43 There's still delays of around 15 minutes on the Sandringham line after an ill passenger at South Yarra earlier.  The 8.10 Frankston to Flinders Street service has also been cancelled.
7.11 what is the high pitch squeaky sounds that is a constant on the Sandringham line this morning? I have a massive headache now! I think tha it needs an oil.
7.08 An ill passenger at South Yarra station on the Sandringham line has caused delays of around 15 minutes both directions.
On the Frankston line, the 7.05 to Flinders Street was cancelled.
Is anyone else intrigued to know what "illness" the train-delaying passenger came down with?
Search for boy, 12, lost at Southern Cross station. Missing 12-year-old boy Jayden Whyte.
Bendigo boy Jayden Whyte, 12, was with a family member at Southern Cross station when he missed the 5.55pm train to Bendigo yesterday.
By the time the family member returned to the platform, Jayden, who has autism, had left the station.
He's described as about 150cm tall with a slim build and short, fair hair. He was wearing glasses, a black jacket with a white logo, school jumper, blue shorts and a black cap.
Police believe he may have taken a tram about 6pm towards Bourke Street Mall. He hasn't been seen since then and likely spent the night alone in the rainy CBD.
If you see Jayden or have any information, please contact Melbourne West Police Station on 8690 4444.
Melbourne CBD's "Little" streets could be closed at certain times, at least 30 kilometres of new bike lanes built and more on-street car parks removed, under the council's new 10-year transport plan.
<www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/melbourne-express-thursday-may-2-2019-20190501-p51ivn.html>
Pedestrians, cyclists to get extra 20 Bourke St malls of space in CBD May 2, 2019.
Talking points
•More than 12,000 people ride to work in Melbourne City Council area each day - enough to fill 57 of our biggest trams.
•Walking accounts for 89 per cent of all travel in the Hoddle Grid.
•Only 26 per cent of street space is allocated to footpaths.
•More than 90,000 people enter Flinders Street Station each weekday..
•Every day, trams on Swanston Street carry more people than the West Gate Bridge.
Road and on-street parking equivalent in size to 20 Bourke Street malls in Melbourne’s inner city will be repurposed to make space for pedestrians, cyclists and greenery.
A radical reshaping of the city’s streets that gives pedestrians and cyclists more priority over cars will take place between now and 2030, according to Melbourne City Council’s draft transport strategy, released on Thursday.
Lord mayor Sally Capp. Credit:Simon Schluter
“Our streets, footpaths, public spaces and transport hubs must adapt for the variety of ways people are travelling around our city today and into the future,” lord mayor Sally Capp said.
The council’s 10-year vision for the city’s transport has identified pedestrian overcrowding at train stations, tram stops and intersections as a key concern.
“We know that a 10 per cent increase in pedestrian connectivity can deliver an extra $2.1 billion to Melbourne’s businesses," Cr Capp said.
“At the moment, 89 per cent of all trips in the central city are on foot and walkers face increasingly overcrowded footpaths.”
Some of the city’s off-street parking – taking up a whopping 30 MCGs worth of space – will be converted for pedestrians, cyclists and trading uses.
How artificial intelligence can be used to tweak traffic light cycles in the Hoddle grid to give trams, cyclists and pedestrians priority will also be investigated by the council in partnership with VicRoads.
It can take up to 120 seconds for the lights to change in the Hoddle grid, and if that wait time was reduced, delays for pedestrians could be cut by up to 50 per cent at the busy corner of Spencer and Collins Street.
Within the next four years the council will look to build more pedestrian crossings across the city and reduce crossing distances.
Congestion at the corner of Collins and Spencer streets.Credit:Daniel Pockett
It will also aim to build "world-class pedestrian precincts” at Flinders Street and Southern Cross stations and extend and de-clutter footpaths.
The council is also hoping to to make Melbourne Australia’s “premier bike city” by expanding the 6 kilometres of protected bike lanes to more than 50 kilometres by 2030.
It will call for a road rule review to allow cyclists to turn left at a red light and look to redesign intersections to include physically protected bike lanes up to and through intersections. Cyclists would also get a head start at traffic lights.
The strategy also calls for 30km/h or lower speed limits to be trialled in the city over the next four years and wants a congestion charge to be examined.
The council is hoping to turn Melbourne into Australia's premier cycling city. Credit:Wayne Taylor
The council is also demanding more reliable and frequent public transport through the city, and will work with the state government to give trams and buses dedicated lanes and upgrade stops to reduce loading times and create more separation from cars.
Efforts to minimise incidents where vehicles block intersections will get underway, and council will accommodate more rail replacement buses during train disruptions.
Sections of Melbourne’s "Little" streets would also be converted to pedestrian priority "shared zones", meaning they could be closed to cars at different times of day and speed limits reduced, the document highlights.
This policy, rolled out over the decade, is designed to extend Melbourne’s laneway culture by providing better linkages between the city's small streets.
There will be even less on-street parkingCredit:Picasa
About 300 motorcycles currently crowding footpaths would also be allocated to designated parking bays by 2022.
The council will also push for trams to reach Fishermans Bend by 2022, and the building of Melbourne Metro 2 – a new underground rail line linking Clifton Hill and Newport.
Boosting electric bikes and cars through the city, and a new regulatory framework for dockless shared bikes will also be examined.
All changes to the city’s roads would be designed to still give service delivery and vehicles access throughout the city.
The strategy is yet to be endorsed by the council and will go through six weeks of consultation before a final version is released.
Victoria Walks' executive director Ben Rossiter congratulated the city, saying traffic light signal changes were "extremely important" and giving pedestrians priority on the "Little" streets would "allow for a much more efficient movement of people and make them more desirable places to be".
"World cities aren’t only talking about this, they’re doing it – we need to see some dollars from the city and the state to turn this plan into action."
Bicycle Network's chief executive Craig Richards welcomed the strategy, but said 90 kilometres of new bike lanes were needed.
Mr Richards said he would "look forward to seeing the budget with funding allocated".
Related Article The council wants to ease the pedestrian crowd crush in the CBD. Melbourne's 'Little' streets could be closed to cars at times under council plan
<www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/pedestrians-cyclists-to-get-extra-20-bourke-st-malls-of-space-in-cbd-20190502-p51jhk.html>

NSW Police ordered to apologise for vilifying Arabs in terror exercise May 2, 2019.
The NSW Police Force has been ordered to publish an apology and implement racial vilification training for senior officers after a tribunal found a police training exercise in October 2017 racially vilified Palestinians and Arabs and portrayed them as potential terrorists.
The training, dubbed "Exercise Pantograph", featured hundreds of police and other emergency services personnel descending on Sydney's Central Station on October 17 and 18 as though they were responding to a terrorist event or other  high-risk incident.
NSW Police during Exercise Pantograph in October 2017.Credit:NSW Police
As part of the exercise, two officers pretending to be "active armed offenders" wore checkered headscarves as they boarded a train, simulated stabbing and shooting people, held hostages, then tried to escape before being caught by police.
The pretend offenders displayed the Islamic State flag during the exercise, pushed people to the floor, held train passengers at gunpoint, and held up their index fingers in a salute notoriously associated with Islamic State.
On Thursday, two members of the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) found the checkered headscarves used during the exercise were not necessary and would have been recognised by members of the public as keffiyehs, used by Palestinian and Arab communities.
During the exercise, the pretend offenders pointed their index fingers in the air.Credit:NSW Police
The use of the headscarves had the capacity to encourage members of the public to believe that "Palestinians and/or Arabs were to be feared, despised, hated, and/or held in serious contempt as possibly or probably being terrorists", especially given that it was NSW Police who used them, NCAT found.
In a hearing in February, NSW Police denied there was any racial vilification and argued the officers involved in the exercise wanted to hide their identities. One wore a headscarf with a skeleton mask, while the other wore the headscarf wrapped around his face.
The scarves – bought from an army disposal store years earlier – were described by police as being part of a "non-specific mix of criminal/terrorist style items" of clothing.
A screenshot from a NSW Police video during Exercise Pantograph at Central Station in October 2017.Credit:NSW Police
Senior NCAT member Mandy Tibbey and general member Anthea Lowe found the officers could have alternatively worn balaclavas and masks to maintain the "shock value" or "fright factor" while protecting their identities.
The tribunal accepted that the training exercise was undertaken in good faith, but said intention was "largely irrelevant" and the use of keffiyehs "portrayed Palestinians and Arabs/Arabic people as potential perpetrators of violent acts of terrorism".
NSW Police has been ordered to make an apology within 40 days which acknowledges the tribunal's decision, which must be distributed to the same audience as an original media release and video showing the exercise.
NSW Police has been ordered to apologise for this exercise carried out at Central Station in October 2017.Credit:NSW Police
In part, the apology must read: "The NSW Police Force had no intention to vilify any racial group. However the Tribunal has confirmed that there does not need to be any intent for racial vilification to occur. NSW Police Force apologises for the use of these headscarves in the exercise."
NSW Police has also been ordered to give senior staff at the rank of Chief Inspector and above, as well as members of the NSW Police multimedia unit, further training about racial vilification.
The program must be created within six months, in co-operation with the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW, and should be implemented within two years.
In a statement, a NSW Police spokesperson said: "NSWPF takes it obligations in relation to discrimination laws very seriously and is carefully considering the judgment."
The racial vilification complaint was made by Sam Ekermawi, who identified himself as an Australian ethnic Muslim of a Palestinian national origin.
He previously filed a racial vilification complaint against the Today show following comments from Sonia Kruger that she would like to see the immigration of Muslims to Australia "stopped now". That complaint was dismissed in February.
Related Article One of the "terrorists" with a semi-automatic assault rifle at Central Station. Late-night terror exercise conducted at Sydney's Central Station
<www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/nsw-police-ordered-to-apologise-for-vilifying-arabs-in-terror-exercise-20190502-p51jfd.html>
May 2 2019 Record numbers on ACT public transport but students left behind
A record number of Canberrans caught public transport on Tuesday, but concern is mounting for some students left behind under the ACT's new bus network.
As the light rail comes online, how Canberrans travel through their city has been radically reconfigured - and most dedicated school routes cut - under a plan to better use the city's fleet and draw more people onto public transport.
Students navigating the new timetable have reported running late to school or being forced to leave early to catch connecting buses as more commuters are ferried through major hubs. Others say they have been left waiting at stops as full buses sail past.
Brothers Bronson (11) and Finn (9) have to finish school 15 minutes early to catch their new public bus. Picture: Sitthixay Ditthavong
This week, for the first time, more than 90,000 people boarded public transport in a single day, according to government data.
A spokeswoman for Transport Minister Meegan Fitzharris said the popularity of the network suggested it was working well for commuters, including students.
"Already more Canberrans are using public transport than ever before," she said. "This is a great result for Canberrans and our city."
After the murder of schoolboy Daniel Morcombe in Queensland, policies were introduced to stop children being left behind at stops, regardless of bus capacity. The spokeswoman said similar policies existed in the ACT that required drivers to stop and arrange alternative transport for children, though not necessarily wait until it arrived.
The ACT's peak body for public school parents said it had unsuccessfully pushed for a "no child left behind" guarantee to be enforced across the new public network.
"They haven't got the frequencies right, we're hearing students are being left at stops because buses are too full," spokeswoman Janelle Kennard said.
"That didn't happen with dedicated school buses - drivers would stop and even send a car or they'd pull a bus off another route. Parents need that peace of mind, they need to have confidence in the frequency of the [public] network."
At the union, Klaus Pinkas agreed it was problematic to leave students at stops, but said the current policy was impractical on the ground.
"They do need to sort out the frequencies on some of the routes and work out which ones are full," he said. "But if people are patient, it will get sorted."
A government spokeswoman said there had been "isolated incidents of services being full due to [their] popularity".
"Transport Canberra is actively working with schools to identify any issues and address them quickly, such as by placing larger buses on popular services and by running additional light rail vehicles during the afternoon school bell time," she said.
An army of support staff has also been out guiding students. With about 700 extra trips now running every weekday, officials said there was now less chance students would be stranded at "school only" stops where services only run during set times.
A spokeswoman for Education Minister Yvette Berry said the new network was a big change, one that would take time for commuters to adjust to.
In the case of St Vincent's primary, where some students now have to finish school 15 minutes early to walk to a new stop, the spokeswoman said that service was designed for nearby Aranda Primary's earlier bell.
"There is a 3:46 service that gives St Vincent's students sufficient time after the bell to gather their belongings and walk to the stop," she said.
Transport Canberra data showed the previous school bus stop was only used by three students a day on average, she said.
School principal Lina Vigliotta said about 10 students used to catch the bus, but only five were expected to continue regularly under the new system.
The Canberra Liberals' transport spokeswoman, Candice Burch, said getting children to and from school safely should be a core part of government services.
"The new network has only been operating for three days and already we have heard of children being left stranded on the side of the road because buses are full, or splitting the cost of Ubers because full buses have driven past them," Ms Burch said.
Catholic and private school principals have also hit out at the dedicated school bus cuts.
Ms Kennard said that, while not all the changes were bad for students, parents still held concerns for at least five high schools where students now needed to navigate busy roads to reach public stops.
RELATED COVERAGE:
•Bus changes leave students in the lurch
•Pressure mounts on ACT government over bus network
•Commuters confused but officials happy with new bus network
•Here's the breakdown of revised school bus cuts
•Canberra's public transport network transforms
<www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6101249/record-numbers-on-act-public-transport-but-students-left-behind>
Plan to change Melbourne’s ‘Little’ streets to favour pedestrians, cyclists
Herald Sun May 2, 2019
Flinders Lane would be one of the streets that would see changes.
CBD motorists face a 30km/h speed limit, reduction of car lanes and more expensive on-street parking in peak times under a radical overhaul of inner city transport flows proposed by the City of Melbourne.
Pedestrians and bicycle users will be given priority as the council aims to stop vehicles using the city to get to other destinations.
Under the Draft Transport Strategy 2030, the equivalent of 20 Bourke St Malls worth of public road and on-street parking spaces will be redirected to pedestrians, cyclists, greening and trading.
So-called “little” streets like Flinders Lane, Lt Collins and Lt Bourke streets will be made more pedestrian-friendly with more space for people, lower vehicle speed limits and closures during certain times reflecting high walking use.
An artist’s impression of what could be implemented on a "Little" Street.
The council seeks to create more than 50km of protected on-road bike lanes on key routes and provide 300 extra motorcycle parking bays as alternatives to parking on footpaths.
It will urge the state government to consider changing road rules to allow cyclists to turn left into a bicycle lane at red lights.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp said that while the aim was more space for pedestrians, the council recognised there would always be a place for essential car trips in town.
“I understand that travelling into the city by car is the only option for some people,” she said.
“We will continue to welcome drivers whose destination is the central city including tradies, delivery vehicles, emergency services and people with a disability.”
“We know that 43 per cent of cars in the Hoddle Grid are passing through the city, adding to congestion.”
But transport minister Jacinta Allan said the government wouldn’t support a blanket 30km/h limit on the streets of the City of Melbourne.
“I appreciate the City of Melbourne want to find the best way pedestrians can move around the city,” she said.
She said they need to “keep the city moving” while big projects like Metro Tunnel and West Gate Tunnel are delivered.
Cr Capp said they were constantly engaged in conversations with the state government on such issues.
“There are often times where we don’t agree, but the basis of the discussions we have are very much about how do we keep making this city better,” she said.
Pedestrians, cyclists and traders would take priority on the streets under the new plan.
RACV spokesman Peter Kartsidimas said the organisation welcomed the move to increase pedestrian safety in the CBD.
“Some of our smaller streets are already closed to traffic at certain times of the day, however a lot more consultation is required with the public and business owners,” he said.
“Pedestrian numbers are growing across the city and there are many problems that can be fixed now, particularly removing clutter from footpaths such as business signs, utility boxes and delivery motorcycles which should create more space.”
The Lord Mayor said: “We know that a 10 per cent increase in pedestrian connectivity can deliver an extra $2.1 billion to Melbourne’s businesses.
“At the moment, 89 per cent of all trips in the central city are on foot and walkers face increasingly overcrowded footpaths.”
Under the draft plan to be considered by a council meeting on Tuesday, the council aims for every Hoddle Grid street, except King St, to have a maximum single traffic lane each way.
The plan also has actions to improve safety by reducing overcrowding at tram stops, busy intersections and around major train station precincts at Elizabeth St, Flinders St and Southern Cross Station.
A trial will be held to reduce the current 40km/h speed limit in the CBD to 30km/h, with the council arguing this could increase the chance of a pedestrian surviving a crash to 90 per cent.
The council will improve on-street parking access by charging higher prices in busy periods, while streets with high parking demand will attract fees on Sundays and have extended paid times during the day.
‘SKYFARM’ FOR ROOFTOP CARPARK NEAR DOCKLANDS
HIGH LINE-STYLE PARK PLAN FOR CITY
MELBOURNE’S SECURITY BOLLARDS CRITICISED
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/plan-to-change-melbournes-little-streets-to-favour-pedestrians-cyclists/news-story/790369d291bc3938fecb37378e60ac63>

Trains between Lonsdale and Seaford interchange are not running after a man was hit
Adelaide 'Advertiser' May 2, 2019 at 17.54
A man has died after being hit by a train, which caused the closure of trains between Lonsdale and Seaford.
Police and emergency crews were called to the railway line at Noarlunga, about 100m north of the Old Honeypot Road Bridge, after a man was hit by a train.
The man, a 23-year-old from the southern suburbs died at the scene.
Major Crash and Public Transport Safety Branch officers are assisting the investigation and police are preparing a report for the Coroner.
Trains were not operating between Lonsdale and the Seaford interchange but were running between Lonsdale and Brighton.
All trains have now resumed.
Anyone who witnessed this incident or who has information that may help the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au
<www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/trains-between-lonsdale-and-seaford-interchange-are-not-running-after-a-man-was-hit/news-story/f489f912eca788eeeb25ca0113dbfc40>


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