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25.3.20 Metro TwitterBuses replace trains on sections of the Frankston line until 9pm Fri 27 Mar (level-crossing works at Cheltenham and Mentone).Buses replace trains Frankston - Stony Point until the last train of Fri 27 Mar (level-crossing works elsewhere).Sandringham line: Trains will run to an altered weekday timetable (works on the Frankston line).13.26 Upfield line: Minor delays (a trespasser near Gowrie). Trains may be held/altered.- 13.40 clearing.13.57  Craigieburn line: Minor delays (equipment faults between Glenbervie and Strathmore).  Trains may be held/altered.- 16.49 clearing.14.28 Sunbury line: Minor delays (police attending to a trespasser near Diggers Rest). Trains may be held/altered.- 14.37 Now major.- 14.44 clearing.Buses replace trains Newport - Werribee from 20.25 until the last train (works).Buses replace trains Dandenong - Pakenham from 20.30 until the last train (works).22.38 Pakenham/Cranbourne lines: Minor delays (police attending to a trespasser near Springvale).- 22.59 Now major.- 23.04 clearing.Glen Waverley line: Buses replace trains Burnley - Darling from 23.15 until the last train (level-crossing work).
Call to scrap rego and myki, charge commuters for how far they travel March 25, 2020 101 comments
Car insurance, registration and myki fees should be replaced with a pay-as-you-go system in a major shake-up of transport pricing aimed at easing peak-hour congestion on roads and railways.Infrastructure Victoria is calling for a network pricing scheme that would see all commuters – no matter their mode of transport – pay for the distance they travel, with a premium added to peak hour trips.Melbourne's trafficCredit:Luis Enrique AscuiThis model would remove 168,000 cars from the state's roads and improve travel speeds by 25 per cent, while making transport cheaper for up to 85 per cent of Victorians, new research shows."Victoria’s transport network is struggling to meet demand, with congested roads and crowded public transport," the paper released on Wednesday warned."Our population is projected to grow bigger and faster, so the pressures on our transport system will only get worse."Car costs, including registration, stamp duty, TAC and the fuel excise would be replaced with a distance-based charge of 15¢ for every kilometre travelled, Infrastructure Victoria proposes. A $1-a-kilometre surcharge would be applied within the inner-city during the morning and evening peak periods.video: Battle for Melbourne’s road congestion far from over Federal government unable to say when work can start on road projectsThe model would extend to public transport with commuters facing a different tarrif depending on the mode of transport they choose:•Train commuters would pay a $1.50 flagfall for each journey plus 7¢ a kilometre.•Tram users would pay 70¢ flagfall plus 4¢ a kilometre.•Those who take the bus would be charged a 30¢ flagfall plus 4¢ for each kilometre.Costs would rise by more than 20¢ across the network during peak periods.Pricing bus services relatively cheaply would be part of a push to get thousands of commuters onto empty bus services, which Infrastructure Victoria describe as an "underutilised asset"..The advice has not met with universal approval, with welfare organisations saying congestion charges typically disadvantage the poor and pointing out that, with the state looking "down the barrel of a painful recession", it was the wrong time to contemplate road pricing."Congestion charges are unfair at the best of times, and these are not the best of times," Victorian Council of Social Service's chief executive Emma King said.Infrastructure Victoria's transport network pricing – first recommended in its 30-year strategy released in 2016 – includes discounts for low-income earners and those in regional towns, with a $5 cap on daily spending for concession holders.Disadvantaged Victorians would have "lower average daily transport costs", it said. By 2030, congestion will cost the economy $10 billion in lost time, operating costs and pollution, the report suggests, with user charges offering a cheaper solution than multibillion-dollar construction projects."The consequences of getting pricing reforms wrong if demand doesn’t eventuate are likely to be less than getting infrastructure wrong. It is a lot easier to correct a price than to deal with a piece of infrastructure that is no longer needed."Professor John Stanley from the University of Sydney's Institute of Transport said any user charges must be coupled with a major injection of money into public transport and increased density in the state's growth suburbs.Traffic in the inner-city was also not as bad as it was in car-dependent suburbs on Melbourne's fringe, Professor Stanley said."We have about 17 or 18 dwellings per hectare on the the fringe, a decade ago it was about 12. They need to be getting up to about 30 to get the right density of people to generate more local jobs and to be able to support a better local public transport system," he said.A government spokesperson said they would consider the report and its findings, but reiterated that they have "consistently ruled out tolling existing roads".RACV senior manager of transport Peter Kartsidimas said network pricing should be considered, "but for right now, RACV wants to see everyone get around safely, affordably and where possible, in their own vehicle as a form of extra precaution."Related Article Traffic at the junction of La Trobe and King streets. Call for $10 congestion charge in drive to keep 5000 cars out of CBD<www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/call-to-scrap-rego-and-myki-charge-commuters-for-how-far-they-travel-20200324-p54dde.html>[While anybody can call for anything, don't give it credibility.  Infrastructure Australia is ivory-tower economists, and not real infrastructure or transport people at all.  Infrastructure Victoria seems to be the same.  The most effective weapon which public transport created to beat private motoring was time-based multimodal travel: common in Europe, and pioneered in Australia by ACT.  The stupidity in Victoria was scrapping zone 3, and then reducing zone 2 to zone 1 fares: political pork barrelling. I am calling for restaurants to charge by what I eat, and not a flat fare for a dish].* To say this is unfair and stupid is just a massive understatement.* for all the money wasted on MIKI and tendering of trains and trams, it would have been better to have just had a flat daily rate of $5. no zones,* How else can they make electric car users pay their share of road maintenance? They pay no road tax in their fuel costs.* It has been many years since we had to pay for how far we travelled. It’s too late to bring it back, and too stupid and messy. Any government that allowed this through would be asking to be thrown out, and that would be a shame, since we have a Premier who has shown leadership in this crisis and the first government of either stripe I can remember who actually bothered with public transport. More likely what we can expect if the Libs are voted back in.* I think you posted this article too early? April 1st joke?* Very sensible proposal. Why should someone who does not use a service subsidize someone who uses? Let the authorities sort out the rates. Works well with other essential services such as gas, electricity and water.* Brilliant! Make outer-suburban workers pay more to drive to work than their affluent inner-city superiors.* Sounds like Infrastructure Victoria is trying to reduce demand for infrastructure by making what already exists more expensive, at the same time generating more income for the government. Here are some ideas:- Create more infrastructure.- Plan for the future rather than the present or yesterday.- Design it cleverly so it can be upgraded in 20 years without having to close it down to do it..In short, do your job. If you remove cars from the roads and we already have "congested roads and crowded public transport", where's the extra public transport capacity coming from? Will you make the network a bit smarter so that a person trying to get across  Melbourne doesn't have to waste time going through a central hub to do it? At the same time, my calculations show that registration, TAC and fuel excise are currently costing me about 7c/km. Where do you get 15c from and how is that "cheaper for up to 85 per cent of Victorians"? I would love to see this "new research" and find out who did it. The public has a right to know when the government is spending money on faulty research and then intending to act on it.* Was there an earlier version of this article? Why is everyone up in arms over $1.57/km when it is clearly $1.50 plus 7 cents per km. So a 10km journey would be $2.20, not $15!* This will affect the poor and those least able to afford it. It's fine for all the millionaires living in the inner city to be able to walk to the MCG, Tennis Centre, AAMI Park or to be able to walk to the CBD, but what about those who  can only afford to live 30, 40, 50+ kms from the City - you are going to charge them more, because they have to travel further to get anywhere? Most poor outer ring suburbs have little to no infrastructure, requiring residents to drive  long distances to get to anything. What a stupid idea - it would end children's sports altogether, as I have to drive miles to get to Under 11's footy games, and I would not if it costs me more.* While this article has this paragraph: 'Car costs, including registration, stamp duty, TAC and the fuel excise would be replaced with a distance-based charge of 15¢ for every kilometre travelled, Infrastructure Victoria proposes. A $1-a-kilometre surcharge would be applied within the inner-city during the morning and evening peak periods.'This report appears aimed specifically for Melbourne as talk of getting rid of car registration, etc. would have major financial impacts on country Victorians. The report has this paragraph in Section 4:'Fourth, the focus on congestion means that the focus is also mainly on transport around greater Melbourne. There are important issues around public transport pricing in regional Victoria – these will be subject to more extensive analysis in ongoing work at Infrastructure Victoria.'* It's not $1.57 A kilometre. "Train commuters would pay a $1.50 flagfall for each journey plus 7¢ a kilometre." That works out at $1.57 for the first kilometre then 7 cents for every kilometre thereafter. So a 10 kilometre trip would be $1.50 flagfall plus 70 cents for the 10 kilometres. Total $2.20* That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. So someone who only possible work is across town is being punished for not living in the inner city. My partner travels a long way every day for his job on the train. It's not like he can just easily do the same job near where we live.* Ridiculous. Unfair. Regressive. Throw this idea out... NOW!* How does this work for rural people? We travel 30,000kms a year in one car, around 20,000kms in the other. Rarely in the city, all rural roads.. It’s 100km round trip to work and back everyday!* the readers posting comments here haven't bothered to check their math. The $1.50 is flag fall (one time) charge. ...to which you add 7c per kilometer. How is that confusing?* How many people below actually read and understood the article? I thought comprehension has been part of the school curriculum for many years. Lets look at it $1.50 FLAG FALL on the train - you only pay it once per trip. Then it is .07c per km. So Ballarat $1.50 plus say 100km at 7c per km adds another $7.00 total $8.50 NOT $157FernteeGully $1.50 plus 30KM at 7c per km adds another $2.10 total $3.60 NOT $47.10 and the week would only be $36 so less that you are paying now.All this being said it is still unfair on those that can only afford to live in the outer areas and have long distances to travel to work* As a concept it sounds good. Never mind the specific numbers mentioned. I can see how distance pricing can work for public transport, but would like to know by what technology this can be achieved for car travel. Tolling the main roads  will lead to a lot of rat runs. GPS surveillance for all cars sounds too much like China. Please explain.* They have a weird sense of humour don't they! Humans already stressed to the max are being taunted. So yes in an ideal world we would all like to live within walking distance from our work, but with immigration levels and no infrastructure investment that cannot be.I lived in the Greater Dandenong area for five years the population grew exponentially. The bus service no - every half hour peak, every hour non peak. I found it easier to commute on a push bike. This in spite of the fact that drivers tried their best to kill me every day.* I love this idea. People who are environmentally focussed (say the good folk of the City of Yarra) who walk, cycle or short public transport to work will be recognised for the good that they are doing versus outer suburban types chugging around in a dirty old diesel Hilux who live so far away just so they can live in a McMansion. I'm all for it* Not all suburban types chug around in dirty old diesel Hiluxes and live in McMansions. Some cannot afford to live within 5 kms of the CBD. Just saying.* All this stuff needs to be looked at. With fuel excise dwindling (new internal combustion engines are more efficient) and likely to largely to collapse off a cliff soon (as electric cars replace fuel burners) ... they will NEED to replace the model. A distance/usage charge does seem the logical alternative. Their obsession with buses is ridiculous. We just don't LIKE buses. This is proven by many decades worth of data. But still they persist!! But only because it is the CHEAPEST option for them. Improving the rail network (light and heavy) will be more expensive, but it will be a whole lot more effective and desirable.* I am raising funds for farewell presents to the members of any government party who would be stupid enough to implement this. Perhaps food and clothing may be of use becasue ther wont be coming back to government for a long time, if ever.* Good luck coming up with a way to measure how many kilometres private cars have travelled that can't be fudged by the owners...* To make such a system equitable for the many lower-income residents of most outer suburbs would be more complicated than could be justified by any positive impacts* This should be worked up a bit more, as it makes sense and has the potential to be socially just, if competently designed and implemented ( big assumption , I know )The basic point is that it is unfair for a car to take up 6 times the road space per person as a cyclist and about 20 times ( social distancing excepted ) as a pedestrian.The charge could be significantly higher for car usage in the leafier areas which are well supported by public transport and hypothecated to provision of public transport to less well serviced areas. This would create the problem of "rat runs" in some areas but this should be manageable. We do need to break the tyranny of the car* Try catching a VLine train to Echuca home after the footy (in normal circumstances of course). It is full of families with footy scarfs, hats and jumpers. The proponents have done not any social modelling of the benefits of the current system. Take your idea to the writers of Utopia instead.* So you are going to scrap the maximum MYKI fee that seniors and pensioners pay on MYKI for country travel? Pretty tough when your monthly event is a train trip to Melbourne from Mildura, Swan Hill or Bendigo for example.* "This model would remove 168,000 cars from the state's roads and improve travel speeds by 25 per cent, while making transport cheaper for up to 85 per cent of Victorians, new research shows". I don't believe them. 15 cents per kilometre? I do a lot of country driving - maybe 30,000 a year. I therefore don't contribute to city congestion. That's $4500 a year.. I am worse off. It seems that this is designed to suit inner city people. As always, those who have...get!* similar story here. Tell 'em they're dreamin' if they really think it'll take cars off the road.* All the distances can be calculated by using the chip the government is going to put in your head.* Isn't the current 3 zone Myki structure a pay as you go system? The proponents obviously don't catch trams.* The concept of user-pays for transport is great, as long as it provides an incentive to start using more public transport or bicycles, and public transport capacity is ramped us accordingly. 7 cents/km for public transport vs 15 cents/km for driving your car sounds like about the right ratio.* Except many areas or routes don't have either decent or any Public Transport options - meaning for those that HAVE to drive, the cost of life goes up exponentially. Not well thought through by the "experts" methinks.* Just wrong, doesn't benefit the disadvantaged and not many people can afford it.* Stupid idea. The excise duty on fuel already does this. The more people drive, the more fuel they use and the more excise duty they are paying. Just because Governments siphon this off to spend on things it wasn't meant to be spent on doesn't mean we need to create a new tax to raise money for the tax that was misappropriated to somewhere else.* can't avoid to live in Y km from work, Government gotcha you.* Don't we already per per kilometre now? It's based on how much fuel that we use which has two sets of taxes applied to it; GST and excise. And how will this be measured? transmitters/transponders on our vehicles? Hmm, the real-time monitoring of our every trip, our speeds (imagine the ker-ching every time you accidentally drift over the limit). And of course, the RACV is all for it, despite its charter to represent the road users.* This article must be incredibly incomplete, the maths is giving us horrendous public transport figures* What a crap idea - penalise people for where they live and impact people who live in outer suburbs the most. Another way to allow the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer. Why the Age publishes this sort of rubbish is beyond me* How do they propose to measure car trips and what will this mean for our privacy? Who will collect from road users? Is this a sneaky way to introduce new tolls on our roads?* They'll probably want trackers in all road vehicles - Big Brother gone mad.* STOP immigration. STOP increasing the number of people in the cities. START developing regional and other smaller towns. START developing our whole country, rather than crushing increasing numbers of people into ugly high-rise buildings. START thinking what is best for all of Australia.* Exponential population increase, longer and further travel times, high costs of living, fewer jobs, static or no income and now what seems a serious disincentive to use any form of transport, aside from walking or cycle? What about people on the road for their job?* "Infrastructure Victoria is calling for a network pricing scheme that would see all commuters – no matter their mode of transport – pay for the distance they travel, with a premium added to peak hour trips." What about factoring in the envionmental effects of the mode of transport used?* Would be interesting, particular if whole of life environmental effects are factored (which is how it should be). With some large, heavy transport vehicle built offshore, the whole of life numbers might be surprising.* Want commuters to use buses? - Change the bus routes to be more direct. It takes over three hours to get from Ashburton to Coburg via bus (a 45 minute drive off-peak). - Schedule more buses. One or two buses per hour is not enough to encourage use, unless you're absolutely desperate (and fine with sitting at the stop for however long it might be until the buses actually show up). - Improve reliability. Last time I used a bus service regularly, the buses arrived at any time within a 20 minute window (10 minutes early/10 minutes late). I get that traffic can mess things up, but if it messes the schedule up that much, there's a deeper problem.* Under this model public transport by train to the airport and skybus for some, or car and parking can get more expensive than an airfare to say Sydney,, Adelaide, Hobart on a cheapy special!The problem lies in not having enough , affordable, efficient public transport. Pointless forcing people out of their cars if no bus coming around the corner or they forgot to build a station where you live. This will punish the low socio economic groups.* I really don't think this was thought out properly, and would most likely have the opposite effect on road congestion to what was intended. In my case, I commute by V/Line, a round trip of 200km a day. In this scenario, a single day's train offpeak commute would cost $314, the equivalent car trip would be $30 (disregarding fuel & parking). I would imagine almost every V/Line passenger would start driving to work. And it won't be just V/Line passengers, A commuter from Sunbury, 39km from Melbourne, would be paying $122.46 for a single offpeak return trip to the city. The car for them would be $11.70..* Where are you getting your numbers from? Your return trip would be $17 (2*$1.50, + 200*$0.07). The Sunbury commuter's would be $8.46 (2*$1.50 + 78*$0.07)* I suggest you re-read the article! You are completely wrong. 200km round trip Vline would be $1.50 flagfall plus 7c per km. Assuming flagfall applies to each trip in and out, that would add up to $17 return, not $314!* Either the people who wrote this article or the planners have their numbers wrong - it doesn't add up. Massively more expensive to drive a car any more than 10,000km per year (people in outer suburbs would do way more than that) and the cost of train travel quoted is ridiculously high. This measure won't take many cars off the road, possible none at all - because if you need to drive, you need to drive. What it DOES mean is those with no choice but to drive will be paying a dramatically higher price for the use of a  needed transport medium.* Does anyone believe that such such a model would reduce the cost of transport? I didn't think so.* Great idea for those people that commute to work in the City from Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo or Traralgon...$100+ one way to get to work, yeah this idea has legs!* What planet are these people on? With "train commuters paying $1.57 a kilometre" - thats $157 to commute on from Ballarat ONE WAY as an example. All this will do is make melbourne more unlivable. more expensive and more crowded .* It's got to be a typo. A daily (unlimited) train ticket is $9. They're suggesting this should be replaced by a $120 charge just to commute from Frankston and back at the end of the day?* Not a typo, just misinterpretation. The quoted $1.57 charge applies to a 1km trip. The basic charge is $1.50 plus 7c per kilometre. A 100km train trip would cost $8.50 ($1.50 + 7c x 100)* The proposal is 7c per km plus a flat fee of $1.50 per trip. Thus; $0.07 x 100km = $7.00 + $1.50 = $8.50* They have to be joking! I support the idea of road pricing in general, but charging $1.57 a km for train travel will make it affordable and drive more cars onto the roads!Although if you READ the paper they are actually proposing a base charge of $1.50 on a train and then 7 cents a km - much more reasonable than this article makes out!* No, this article (unless there was an earlier version) says $1.50 plus 7 cents a kilometre.* Another kick in the guts for the 'rich'' home owners who live in the out suburbs, doing 100+k a day. Typical inner city thinking.* The further you travel the more you pay currently, so this system s no different in that respect. The article states that travel will be cheaper for up too 85% of travellers.* Tell em their dreaming, based on the above $1.57 per K for a train, catching a train from Ferntree Gully to the city (probably are 30 K's) would cost $47.10 each way! So my weekly train fare would rise to $471.00 as possessed to the $40 odd it costs now. If that doesn't force more people to use their cars I don't know what will. Sounds like another stupid idea from narrow minded inner city folks!* As explained in the article, the cost would be $1.50 plus 7c per km, giving $3.60 for a 30km trip.* The original version of this article mis-reported the amount, listing it as $1.57 per km for trains.* $1.50 flagfall for each journey plus 7¢ a kilometre.* Please clarify $1.57 per kilometre. Frankston to CBD is 50k. Is a one-way train trip going to cost over $75 ?* $1.50 flagfall for each journey plus 7¢ a kilometre. That would make a 50 km trip $5 each way, ie more expensive than now! Which is totally silly, of course.* It’s fine to come up with a model that’ll take 165k of cars off the road but you need to provide an alternative and at the moment public transport isn’t it.* $1.57/km for train services. So Eltham to city over $40/ trip and 10 times more expensive than a car trip. I think something has been misinterpreted in this article - or at least I hope so.* "Our population is projected to grow bigger and faster, so the pressures on our transport system will only get worse."Governments are not listening to us with their mantra of Economic/ Population Growth at any cost. Why do we have to give up, clean water, clean air, our beautiful fauna and fauna high cost of living so the governments can make their political donors richer?* We don't, but unfortunately we keep voting for parties that want it.* If nothing else our current crisis has given us a window into what it's like when there's not enough to go around. Imagine if that applied to water.* Based on the above, I would pay 15c per Km for my car travel - no rego or fuel excise etc - so similar cost to today for a 10,000km per annum vehicle.Or $1.57 per km to catch the train (given my area isn’t serviced by bus or tram).Assume I have a 20km trip to work in the city, cost is approx $3 one way for car travel or $31.40 On way for the train - doesn’t add up. Have I misunderstood?* Proposed cost for train travel is $1.50 for 'flagfall' plus 7c per kilometre, costing $2.90 for a 20km trip. Commuting by train you would save 10c each way, plus parking costs.* Was misreported as $1.57 per km for trains originally, when many of these comments were sent in.* Great idea. User pays. Why should those who walk or cycle subsidise those who drive?* People walking and cycling subsidise drivers? In the words of one Ms Hanson, "Please explain".* Given the amount of road infrasturcture they occupy the rate would be about 0.01c/km* Creating an electronic train ticket was a chance to get rid of the 3 zones system and replace it with a price per distance. Instead we spent half a billion dollars trying to emulate an archaic paper ticket system.* Why would you charge more for public transport than privae vehicle?<www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/coronavirus-shutdown-what-will-remain-open-and-what-will-close-in-victoria-20200322-p54cr6.html>
Parking fines halted amid Brisbane public transport changes  March 25, 2020
No new parking fines will be issued across Brisbane City Council, effective immediately, with warnings left by council parking inspectors instead.Brisbane lord mayor Adrian Schrinner said he didn't want to see people fined for parking, with the only times a fine will be issued for the forseeable future would be if a vehicle was parked dangerously.Parking fines across Brisbane will not be issued for the forseeable future.Credit:File"We have asked our council parking inspectors to show leniency at this time," Cr Schrinner said."From today onwards, we have asked them not to issue parking fines, to instead issue warnings."Cr Schrinner said people who had received fines in recent times could also appeal through the council to challenge the fine."Last year we waived more than 10,000 fines across the city, so we have asked our officers to take a lenient approach at this time," he said.Council usually collects about $3 million in parking fines each year.Council has also altered its public transport fare management, with only Go Cards permitted on buses, ferries and CityCats.Patrons on buses must use the rear doors to enter and exit, unless they have accessibility requirements, and the front seat next to the driver will be cordoned off.TransLink deputy director-general Matthew Longland said passengers won't necessarily be refused if they didn't have a Go Card but he strongly urged people to get one."We’re seeing patronage in some cases only around half of what we’ve seen prior to this period we’re in, so there is plenty of capacity on services. We haven’t had to reduce any capacity on timetables at this stage, but we will keep monitoring that," he said."The numbers we are seeing at the moment are a reduction of between 40 and 50 per cent. That’s not a bad thing; that’s about people listening to the messaging about limiting non-essential travel."It does mean that there is plenty of space on board trains, trams, ferries and buses to ensure that customers have plenty of space, particularly where we are observing social distancing."In the past week council has reported a 36 per cent decrease in public transport patronage.Small cross-river ferries and CityHoppers may be cancelled in future because of their closed-in nature, according to health requirements.Limits may also be imposed in future on passenger numbers and council's public transport network may go to weekend schedules should staff numbers drop because of illness, Cr Schrinner said.Council has also automated 560 pedestrian crossing buttons at traffic lights across the CBD, Fortitude Valley and South Brisbane so people don't have to touch the buttons.Cr Schrinner said more buttons would be automated citywide in the coming days.<www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/parking-fines-halted-amid-brisbane-public-transport-changes-20200325-p54do0.html>* Please remember, just because you won't be fined for parking in a disabled spot without a permit, you still shouldn't do it.* The timing of this is most suspicious. Almost a year ago no compassion was shown to those attending a dawn 4am Anzac service in the city. Staff were rostered early to write scores of tickets to cars gone hours before the parade. Worth remembering no leniency shown then to the vets and families attending.

Coronavirus: Non-essential domestic travel banned in Australia March 25,2020  video: Do not travel overseas - Morrison announces further international travel restrictions. PM Morrison speaking to reporters in Canberra announcing new travel restrictions as the COVID-19 pandemi...Prime Minister Scott Morrison has told Australians to cancel any non-essential domestic travel and has urged Australians to adhere to social distancing guidelines. The announcement comes as Queensland, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and other islands including Lord Howe and Norfolk Island introduce strict new border controls.‘NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL’ BANNEDQUEENSLAND LOCKS DOWN BORDERS
SOUTH AUSTRALIA CLOSES ITS BORDERS
WESTERN AUSTRALIA CLOSES ITS BORDERS
NORTHERN TERRITORY BORDER RESTRICTIONS
TASMANIA QUARANTINE RULES
LORD HOWE ISLAND AND NORFOLK ISLAND TRAVEL BAN
NORTHERN TERRITORY REMOTE COMMUNITIES
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Are you ready for the new commute? <www.escape.com.au/travel-advice/coronavirus-is-domestic-travel-in-australia-still-safe/news-story/58e8af97541f95f04fa0a8ece3eaefcc>

Deal to help public transport operators as they lose millions due to reduced travelHerald Sun March 25, 2020Public transport operators are in need of assistance as they haemorrhage money to keep trains, trams and buses running despite majority of commuters working from home. It comes as the head of Victoria’s police union called for a state of disaster to be declared to give officers more powers to deal with coronavirus.video: Vic Premier – Stage 3 is coming. Premier Andrews has pleaded for Victorians to stay at home and tougher sanctions around movement are coming as authorities battle to contain the coronavirus. ...Plunging fare revenue due to coronavirus restrictions has left public transport operators in financial turmoil, with the Andrews Government preparing to step in with a rescue package.Trains, trams and buses are still running in Victoria in a bid to get people to essential activities and jobs, with hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on extra cleaning services to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading.Operators are bleeding money however, with industry sources saying rail operator Metro Trains is now losing almost $2 million a week and the state-owned V/Line is losing about $1 million a week.Talks about potentially shifting to a Saturday timetable rather than full weekday services to reduce costs have been held, but this could lead to fewer staff rostered on and potential job losses.Flinders St Station is extraordinarily quiet at 9am on a weekday in Melbourne CBD. Picture: David GeraghtyIn a bid to try to shield the 19,000 public transport workers from joining others in Centrelink queues, the government is now moving towards a deal that could see compensation of fare box money if workers are quarantined from cuts.Industry sources have pointed to the UK where the government is now collecting revenue and paying operators a fixed fee, in a bid to take on their risk and costs during the pandemic.A government spokeswoman said that talks were ongoing with bus companies, Yarra Trams, and Metro Trains.“Department of Transport and operators are considering a raft of measures to protect employees and passengers in line with expert medical advice,” she said.“The Government is working with operators to keep our network moving and support jobs during this unprecedented time.”Opposition transport infrastructure spokesman David Davis said although health advice would be critical to decision-making, public transport “is certainly an essential service”.He also used the UK example as a template for a potential bailout..“Like in England, if fare box revenue falls off the cliff as it has in Melbourne and statewide, a state government will have to step in and support the franchisees or look at all options,” he said.Mr Davis also questioned why the premier was pushing ahead with the “big build” projects in Victoria regardless of potential health consequences.He said this was a strange look when so many people were being told to bunker down and with stage three restrictions looming.STATE OF DISASTER NEEDEDEVERYONE IS AT RISKCOPS IN SELF-ISOLATION
MORE RETAILERS CLOSE AMID VIRUS CRISIS
ADDITIONAL TESTING
PHASE THREE SHUTDOWN ON WAY
The state has recorded around 150 cases in three days, with health minister Jenny Mikakos saying Victoria is “not yet flattening the curve”.“We are continuing to evolve our response, this is an evolving situation — we do suspect we’ll have many more cases,” she said.“We’re not yet flattening the curve, we’re having many more cases on a daily basis.“We all need to make a concerted effort … we still have people out there spreading this disease to others.”Among those to test positive to coronavirus in recent days were four health workers from Werribee Mercy Hospital, with Premier Daniel Andrews confirming “a number” are now in self isolation.He could not clarify the numbers but said it was “a reality” for frontline workers.Ms Mikakos said all of those workers were currently “in a stable condition” and at home.“This is why we are making every effort that the health workers have the equipment they need to keep them safe,” she said.A cleaning team sanitises a Swanston St tram stop. Picture: AAP Image/James RossThe Melbourne council has launched a cleaning blitz to help contain the spread of coronavirus.. Picture: AAP Image/James RossMr Andrews this morning said there would be a third phase of shutdowns at a yet-to-be-confirmed date, acknowledging that the moves were “painful” and “difficult”.“If people act irresponsibly, if people act selfishly, then we’ll get to stage three much quicker than we would otherwise,” he said....Mr Andrews added: “The Prime Minister and other first ministers recognised that Victoria is currently grappling with a more imminent threat than most other states – because we have more cases.
“We need more time to get our health system ready for what is coming.“Every country in the world that is running ahead of us would give anything to have had more time.“There is no social occasion or celebration that’s worth more than a human life.”He pleaded with Victorians to stay home as the state grapples with the virus.“If you can stay at home, you must stay at home. It is very simple,” Mr Andews said.“You should not be going out shopping, unless you are shopping for what you need when you need it.”Mr Andrews warned young and non-frail people were dead overseas, meaning everyone is at risk.“No dinner party, no shopping trip is worth a life and if we don’t follow those rules, if we don’t use common sense and don’t fundamentally change the way we live, we will not slow the spread of this virus,” he said.
“We will not flatten the curve. There are cases around the world where people who had no previous medical history and are much younger could never be described as frail or aged have died because of coronavirus. This is very, very serious.“We all have a part to play and we all need to play that part properly.”All non-essential workers have been told to work from home.“If you can work from home, you should work from home and I would congratulate those employers who have put in place arrangements for to work from home … I’d urge others who may haven’t thought about these things yet,” Mr Andrews said.“Please spend some time today, this morning, right now, to consider what measures you might be able to put in place so that more of your staff who don’t need to be at work, but still have work to do, could work from home.”Meanwhile, Australians will receive a text message alert with details of how to stop the spread of COVID-19.WHAT EXPERTS SAY ABOUT NEW COVID-19 RESTRICTIONSASX SURGES AFTER US STOCKS RISEHOW MIRACLE ‘SHIELD’ DRUG COULD SAVE AUSTRALIAAUSTRALIA SHUTS DOWN
Australians must stay at home unless it is “absolutely necessary” they go outside in an unprecedented lockdown expected to last months..From 11.59pm tonight, swimming pools, galleries, museums, libraries, community centres, and beauty salons will all be forced to close in an extraordinary effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.Weddings can only continue with five people — the couple, their witnesses and a celebrant — and only 10 mourners can attend funerals.Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australians should avoid leaving their homes unless they were shopping for supplies, exercising outside, working at a job that could not be done remotely or caring for family and friends.He called for an end to “unnecessary gatherings” and congregating in groups of more than 10 people — meaning an indefinite end to backyard barbecues, dinner parties and family birthday celebrations.“2020 for most Australians is going to be their toughest year,” he said last night.Commuters at Southern Cross Station yesterday. Picture: AAP Image/Stefan PostlesAdvice to stop travelling to other countries will now become a strict ban on overseas trips — with limited exemptions for compassionate trips and essential work.
After pubs, clubs, cinemas, gyms and places of worship were forced to shut on Monday, the national coronavirus cabinet last night massively widened the lockdown, applying it to a string of other services and businesses deemed non-essential during the health crisis.Other venues which have to close from midnight tonight include amusement parks, arcades, indoor and outdoor play centres, yoga studios and health clubs.Food courts can no longer seat patrons but takeaway meals are still allowed, as is the case at cafes and restaurants.Nail salons, tattoo parlours, tanning and waxing businesses and massage parlours must also close. Property auctions and open-house inspections are also banned.But hairdressers and barbers escaped the lockdown. Mr Morrison said they needed to limit the number of people in their shops and keep appointments to less than half an hour.Food courts will now operate as takeaway only. Picture: AAP ImageThe new rules will be enforced by the state government and a 500-strong Victoria Police taskforce. Fines of $20,000 for individuals and $100,000 for businesses apply to those who flout the restrictions.Mr Morrison said shopping centres and retail stores would remain open, as long as store owners abided by rules to ensure there was only one customer per four square metres of floor space.
2020 OLYMPICS OFFICIALLY CALLED OFF
INTERNET SPEEDS CAUSE CHAOS
Slow internet speeds and phone network breakdowns are creating havoc across the state as Victorians log on at home in increasing numbers.Families ­reported the internet failing or ­reduced to a crawl, mainly due to issues with internet service providers.Telstra and Optus have also been battling congestion on the phone networks.Earlier this week some ­mobile phone users could not make calls for more than eight hours and were reduced to using email and text messaging.It is understood the rush of hundreds of thousands of ­people trying to log on to the inundated MyGov website contributed to the network failures.But despite the patchy service, Victorians are making do.Mum-of-two Belinda ­Donaldson, a lawyer for an ­insurance firm, has converted the spare room of her Richmond home into an office.Her sons Archer, 12, and Lenny, 9, are also plugged in, keeping up with schoolwork remotely.“It’s a brave new world,” Ms Donaldson said.Belinda Donaldson works from home while her sons Lenny, 9, and Archer, 12. Picture: Jake NowakowskiArcher, a year 7 student at Trinity Grammar School, does his lessons online, pausing for a midday break to ride his bike before returning to his remote classes.Lenny, a year 4 Richmond Primary School pupil, is also doing assignments online.“At the moment the bandwidth is holding up but this could change as things progress and more people log on to sites like Netflix because they are bored,” Ms Donaldson said.Internet providers such as Tangerine have increased their bandwidth in anticipation of higher household demands.“Almost every family will be doing it tough and with all the family at home it puts pressure on internet speed,” Tangerine Telecom chief executive ­officer Andrew Branson said.Optus chief executive officer designate Kelly Bayer Rosmarin said the company was implementing a range of business measures to support its customers.“Our hearts go out to all the people, businesses and communities that are being affected,” Ms Bayer Rosmarin said.“The entire Optus team is dedicated to ensuring we are here for all our customers, to keep us connected and to offer our support.”USA streaming giant Netflix is also moving to help the system, promising to compress streaming services to conserve data use in Australia.STAGE 2: WHAT NEW RULES MEANFood and drinkCafes and canteens can serve takeaway and home deliveryFood courts close but delivery and takeaway openRetailAuctions and open houses inspections banned Private inspections may still be arrangedBeauty and personal care Hairdressers and barber shops can have appointments up to 30 minutes and abiding by social distancing rules on premisesClosed: Beauty therapy, tanning, waxing, nail salons, tattoo parlours, spas and massage parloursEntertainment venuesClosed: Cinemas, nightclubs, casinos, gaming or gambling venuesStrip clubs, brothels and sex on premises venuesConcert venues, theatre, arenas, auditoriums, stadiums closed but can live stream performances if social distancing followedAmusement parks and arcades, play centres (indoor and outdoor) closedLeisure and recreationCommunity and recreation centres can only host essential services, such as food banks or homeless servicesHealth clubs, fitness centres, yoga, barre and spin facilities, saunas, bathhouses and wellness centres closedBoot camps, outdoor personal training limited to groups of no more than 10 people and social distancing must be exercised.  Social sporting-based activities, swimming pools closedParties and barbecuesNo parties or events with people attending from outside the home, but the state governments are not yet planning to enact new laws to enforce this.Residential facilitiesHotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, campsites, caravan parks, and boarding houses will be a decision for each state. Permanent residents and workers exempt.CampingParks Victoria will close all state camping sitesAdvice on private caravan parks is still pending but permanent residents will be allowed to stayAuctions/Open housesAuctions and open houses will be banned from 12pm today. Private inspections may still be arranged.MarketsWeekend markets to not go ahead but food markets indoor and outdoor will remain open with social distancing measuresOtherGalleries, museums, national institutions and historic sites closedLibraries, community centres, and youth centres closedLocal government non-essential facilities and services (such as libraries and pools) and community facilities (such as community halls, clubs, RSLs, PCYCs) closedPlaces of worship, weddings and funerals closedWeddings with no more than 5 people allowed and where the 1 person per 4 square metre rule appliesFunerals no more than 10 people and where social distancing applies.<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/victorian-healthcare-workers-to-trial-coronavirus-shield-drug-amid-rampedup-lockdown/news-story/1322574764ac66a72caa3c00a744d7c4>