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Subject: Tues.16.3.21

Roderick

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Tues.16.3.21 Metro Twitter
Buses replace trains Dandenong-Cranbourne until the last train of Wed 17 Mar (works).
13.25 Coolaroo: No lift access to/from the overpass and pfm 1 (an outage).
14.45 Frankston line: Major delays (urgent works near Chelsea). Trains may [ie will] terminate/originate at Mordialloc. Consider alternatives for local trips between Mordialloc & Frankston.
- 15.05 clearing.
14.47 Upfield line: Major delays (police near Upfield). Select trains may terminate/originate at Batman.
- 14.58 Consider alternatives for local trips between Batman & Upfield.
- 15.03  Buses replace trains Batman - Upfield.  Buses ordered, ETA 45min.
- 15.10 See https://bit.ly/17ICVHc or call 1800 800 007.
- 15.21 The M80 Ring Road is closed in both directions by police, with all traffic exiting at Sydney Road. The Greensborough-bound entry remains open. Access to the Altona-bound lanes is via Pascoe Vale Road only. 
- 15.30 Buses ETA 30min (road closures).
- 15.40 Buses are operating, with delays caused by road closures.
- 15.50 Trains resume, with major delays.  First trains: 15.30 ex Flinders St; 15.57 ex Upfield.
- 16.00 M80 Ring Road re-opened in both directions near Sydney Road, following a police incident. There is significant congestion on the freeway and on surrounding roads through Fawkner, Campbellfield, Thomastown, Broadmeadows and Tullamarine.
16.43 Pakenham/Cranbourne lines: Major delays (police attending a trespasser near Noble Park). Trains may terminate/originate at Westall.
- 16.48 clearing.
- 17.23 still uncanny how these things happen at peak hour.
- 17.27 Back to back Frankston trains cancelled in peak hour? Thanks Metro, you useless spuds
- 17.31 we had an earlier trespasser incident which put drivers and trains out of position. Our train controllers are monitoring/working to provide the best available service.
- 17.36 What’s the excuse for the cancellations of the same trains at the same time last night?
- 17.42 Our train controllers monitor and make decisions to stop delays and restore the timetable.  Today's alterations are not related to last night's delays.
17.33 Some info at Southern Cross would be helpful
- 17.40 Southern Cross: Information displays and public-address systems are experiencing technical difficulties at the moment. Technicians are working to restore these systems. Passengers on pfm 11, 12 or 13 are advised to take a Flinders St train and change.
Buses replace trains  between Newport and Werribee from 20.25 until the last train (works).
Buses replace trains North Melbourne - Craigieburn from 20.40 until the last train tonight (maintenance works). Passengers for Jacana change at Glenroy for a shuttle service.

SA Government to privatise operation of Adelaide Metro trains and trams. Eugene Boisvert and Casey Briggs. Mon 1 Jul 19.
A train at the Adelaide Showground station
Adelaide Metro runs Adelaide's six train and two tram services.(ABC News: Eugene Boisvert)
The South Australian Government has revealed plans to privatise the operation of Adelaide's train and tram services.
Key points:
SA Government to put out tenders to privatise Adelaide Metro train and tram services
Transport Minister Stephan Knoll says the services are underperforming
Bus services were privatised in 2000
The Government says it will release tenders to contract for the operation of those services on Adelaide Metro.
It says it will still own and control "rail assets", including trains, trams, tracks and stations, and will continue to set the fare price for travel.
Transport Minister Stephan Knoll said Adelaide's public transport network was underperforming, with one of the lowest patronage levels in the country.
He said the new model would deliver more efficient services.
"There is no doubt that we can and must provide better and more customer-focussed public transport services for South Australians," Mr Knoll said.
"We know that public transport patronage growth has stalled, and customers want a better level of services than is currently provided — and the Marshall Government agrees with our customers."
Bus services were privatised in the year 2000, by then-Liberal premier John Olsen.
Mr Knoll said service frequency would be guaranteed and service standards would increase under the new model.
"We will be able to deliver more efficient services so we can reinvest back into the network to provide better services," he said.
The first tram on the new North Terrace line in October last year.(ABC News: Eugene Boisvert)
Privatisation part of public transport review
Mr Knoll first mentioned the possibility of privatising the train and tram system in May.
He told ABC Radio Adelaide it was "too early on for us to play any sort of 'rule in, rule out' game".
The Government is reviewing the public transport system to better integrate the train, tram and bus systems.
Before last year's state election, now-Premier Steven Marshall said the Liberal Party did not have a "privatisation agenda" and its public transport policy did not mention privatisation.
Labor transport spokesman Tom Koutsantonis said the Government had broken an election promise.
"From now on, an essential service South Australians rely on will be in the hands of the corporate world rather than in the hands of the people," he said.
"That means worse services, worse amenity and higher fares and I think that this is a fundamental error by the Government.
"Can you really believe that we'll get a better service if you're running the service in the interests of shareholders and banks, rather than in the interests of the people?"
He said South Australians should feel "betrayed" by the announcement.
"This Treasurer and this Premier have not learnt the lessons of the privatisation of ETSA and other privatisations," Mr Koutsantonis said.
Patronage up but passengers unhappy
Tram patronage was up 7 per cent between 2015-16 and 2017-18, while train passenger numbers increased by 3 per cent, according to figures from the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure.
Melbourne is the only capital city to have a privatised train network, while Adelaide is the only capital to have a public tram system.
Mr Knoll could not guarantee all current drivers would keep their jobs.
"We will be working with those tenderers to make sure, to the greatest extent possible, the existing workforce gets the greatest opportunities to transition," he said.
"But there are strong provisions in place around retraining and redeployment that exist in the enterprise bargaining agreement and we'll be making sure for those workers that don't transition that we also continue to find ways to help them and help them on an ongoing basis."
A State Government survey about Adelaide's transport network, released today, found only half of commuters believed they were getting good value for money.
It showed 56 per cent of train and tram users and 54 per cent of bus passengers thought the service was good value.
"The biggest things that our customers told us was that we need to improve reliability, that we need to improve overcrowding on certain sections of our network and we also need to improve the frequency of service," Mr Knoll said.
Full-price peak fares will increase to $3.77 for metroCARD users from Sunday, and $5.60 for passengers using paper metrotickets.
The State Government announced on Friday that it had ordered 12 new electric trains to operate on the Gawler line when its electrification is complete in 2021.
The last train stopped at the Tonsley railway station on Friday ahead of the southern suburbs line being extended to Flinders Medical Centre.
<www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-01/adelaide-trains-and-trams-to-be-privatised/11267236>

Labor pledges to reverse planned privatisation of Adelaide train and tram network. Sat 12 Oct 19
Adelaide train crosses new rail overpass at South Road
Adelaide has six train lines and two tram lines.(Supplied: DPTI)
South Australia's Opposition says it will reverse the State Government's plan to privatise Adelaide's train and tram services if elected in 2022.
Key points:
SA's Liberal Government plans to outsource operations of Adelaide's train and tram network
Labor says it would reverse the privatisation if elected
Labor privatised several government assets while in power
The Government said its decision to outsource the services' operations was justified because the city's trains and trams were underperforming, with one of the lowest patronage levels in the country.
Speaking ahead of today's annual Labor State Convention, Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas said a private company would not work in the interests of public transport users.
"It makes no sense to hand this over to a private network, who will make it less efficient and more about profit," he said.
"We need public transport to be a key service operating in the interests of people, not operating in the interests of an overseas shareholder."
He said the tram and train networks should be improved rather than sold off.
"This is an unacceptable outcome," he said.
"We have a good transport system here in South Australia, but there is always room for improvement, but that's what government should do — they should improve the service, not sell it off to a private company."
Government says outsourcing will improve service
Under the State Government's plans, announced in July, it will still own and control "rail assets", including trains, trams, tracks and stations, and will continue to set fares for travel.
Eight-year tenders for tram and bus services were put out the day after the announcement.
The Government is also reviewing the public transport system to better integrate the train, tram and bus systems.
A man wearing a suit in front of Labor banners
Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas says privatisation will make public transport less efficient.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
Bus services were privatised in the year 2000, by then-Liberal premier John Olsen.
Transport Minister Stephan Knoll said Mr Malinauskas's announcement today was hypocritical because Labor also privatised assets while in government.
"When it comes to privatising, their record on this issue is there for all to see: four major assets — the Motor Accident Commission, the Lands Titles Office, forests, the lotteries — all flogged off by this government," Mr Knoll said.
"In fact, upon coming to Government, we were surprised to find furniture in the offices."
The former Labor government renewed private bus contracts in 2011.
Mr Knoll said South Australians did not care as much about who ran public transport as whether it came on time and frequently, and was clean, safe and cheap.
"They're the things that South Australians care about and they're the things that the Marshall Liberal Government is keen to deliver through an outsourced model that we know delivers better services at a lower cost," he said.
<www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-12/labor-pledges-to-reverse-adelaide-public-transport-privatisation/11596800>

Keolis Downer awarded $2.14 billion contract to run Adelaide's passenger train network. ABC Radio Adelaide /  Malcolm Sutton Fri 18 Sep 20
Close up of the front of an Adelaide train at the platform
Adelaide's passenger train services will be run by Keolis Downer for eight years.(ABC News: Chris Lawless)
No jobs will be lost in the privatisation of Adelaide's railway service, according to the South Australian Government, which has awarded the $2.14 billion contract to a joint venture group , that includes one company that prompted controversy over fabricated quotes it offered to help stymie political attacks.
Key points:
Minister promises no jobs will be lost in privatisation of train operations
Former Downer Group employee offered fake quotes to help defend privatisation push
More services to be added to the Tonsley railway line after Flinders Link is finished
Keolis Downer (KD), a joint venture between the Downer Group and French transport company Keolis, was on Friday announced as the winning bidder to run the city's train network for the next eight years.
Transport Minister Corey Wingard said KD would take over from the end of January.
"Everyone will have a job at the end of this process," he said.
"Train drivers will meet with Keolis and transfer over.
"Those that don't go over still have the option of working with the Government, and they'll be going through the redeployment program into other positions."
Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas said the number of drivers would diminish as a result of privatisation because KD would be "prioritising one thing above all else and that's the interests of overseas profits".
Passengers crammed into a train carriage. One has a tissue over her face.
The Government is also planning to privatise Adelaide's tram service operations.(Supplied: Corey Wolf)
Fake quotes offered
Freedom of Information documents sourced late last year by opposition transport spokesperson Tom Koutsantonis revealed an email sent by the Downer Group to the Government included fake quotes attributed to both himself and Labor MP Stephen Mullighan.
It was sent on July 2, 2019, one day after the Government announced plans to privatise the running of Adelaide's passenger rail network.
This was despite promises by Premier Steven Marshall ahead of his 2018 election win that he did not have a privatisation agenda.
"These might be helpful," the Downer Group's former manager of government partnerships Sasha Grebe wrote, before detailing a series of quotes attributed to Mr Koutsantonis and Mr Mullighan when they were frontbenchers in 2014.
The quotes — which were fabricated and appeared to be drawn from an April Fools' Day newspaper article — state the former Labor government was considering a partial privatisation of rail services.
The Government did not act on the emails, but at the time Mr Koutsantonis said the company had conducted itself in a "deeply inappropriate way" by attempting to "influence political debate".
A Keolis Downer spokesperson said that while Mr Grebe may have been an employee of Downer Group, he had never represented the KD venture, which was a separate entity.
He said KD had no knowledge of what occurred and that Mr Grebe was no longer employed by Downer.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union today said questions remained about the "integrity of the privatisation process" and criticised the Government for pushing ahead with privatisation despite its pre-election promises to the contrary.
"The public also needs to know if any extra sweeteners were thrown in to seal the deal with the new operator," SA and Northern Territory branch secretary Daren Phillips said.
"This is a sad day for SA, but we will not give up fighting to protect jobs and protect services."
An 'exceptional track record'
Mr Koutsantonis today drew attention to January media reports about Keolis' venture with UK infrastructure service provider, Amey, which has been fined 2.3 million pounds by the Welsh Government for the poor performance of its train operations, including service cancellations.
But Mr Wingard said Keolis Downer had an "exceptional track record of running successful public transport systems across Australia and around the world".
Mr Wingard said it was important to note that the Government still owned all the rail assets, including trains and stations, and would continue to have control over fare price, revenue and standards for service levels.
Commuters gathering to board at an Adelaide Metro train's doors
The Government said it would still control fares under the deal.(ABC Radio Adelaide: Spence Denny)
KD chief executive officer David Franks said the group would have a strong focus on customer service, "for example, by providing more channels to access real-time information".
He said KD had a strong "zero harm" culture and would work to improve safety on the network.
The Minister also announced that the city's Tonsley Line would have additional services once construction finishes on its 650-metre extension to Flinders Medical Centre.
He said a new weekend service would be added to the line, along with later services on weekdays.
Posted 18 SepSeptember 2020
<www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-18/keolis-downer-awarded-contract-to-run-adelaide-trains/12678052>

Concerns about Adelaide train privatisation ahead of Keolis Downer takeover on January 31. Mahalia Carter and Eugene Boisvert. Sun 17 Jan 21
A red and blue train on tracks in Adelaide
Keolis Downer will run the trains but they will remain in public ownership.(ABC News: Dean Faulkner)
South Australia's Opposition says private transport company Keolis Downer still has not attracted enough staff from the public service to run Adelaide's train network.
Key points:
Keolis Downer is taking over running Adelaide's trains on January 31
It has not been able to recruit enough staff to run the system
The Premier says Labor is fearmongering about the switchover
Keolis Downer is set to take over the rail network at the end of the month as part of a 12-year contract worth $2.1 billion.
The shortfall in numbers will be made up temporarily from train drivers currently working for Adelaide Metro, as well as other public sector workers.
Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas said the company was at least 150 staff short of what it said it would need to operate the network.
"And that's on top of the 100 staff they've cut from doing the work," he said.
"This is failing South Australians — not only is it costly, it is also bad for jobs in our state and ultimately bad for services."
A man and a woman in front of people with protest signs at a train station
Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas with Josephine Buckhorn from People for Public Transport at the Adelaide Showground railway station.(ABC News)
Premier Stephen Marshall said the trouble getting staff to join Keolis Downer had been envisaged and was similar to other Government contracts, including from when Labor was in power.
He said the Opposition was "fearmongering".
"We know that this is a really important reform for us in South Australia," he said.
"We couldn't come to government and not make the necessary changes to the public transport system that we had inherited."
On Friday, Transport Minister Corey Wingard said drivers who chose not to cross to the private operator would have no guarantees for the future.
"There is an offer on the table — it is a very, very good offer — but it will end on January 31, so if drivers choose not to come across, then they'll just be in the pool with the other thousand people that have already applied to be a train driver," he said.
A Keolis Downer spokesman said more than 100 Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) employees were transferring to the company and more than 1,000 external applications had been made to become train drivers.
"Keolis Downer continues to work with DIT employees and unions to offer secure ongoing employment with no loss of conditions," he said.
A diesel train on tracks
Adelaide has six train lines.(ABC News: Eugene Boisvert)
Worry about readiness
Keolis Downer is due to take over on January 31 but has not yet received accreditation for the service from the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR).
The company's spokesman said it expected the accreditation to come through "just before commencement of operations".
"The accreditation process is proceeding according to an agreed schedule, in close consultation with ONRSR," he said.
"Given the extensive process involved, including legislative processing requirements, the timeframe is not unusual."
The lack of certainty has raised concerns among public transport users, who are worried they will end up with a diminished service.
"[It's] a system that people find so hard to use they just go and buy another car," Josephine Buckhorn from People for Public Transport said.
The Premier said Keolis Downer was an experienced operator, running public transport systems around Australia and globally.
"They have excellent expertise in this area," Mr Marshall said.
Peter Malinauskas at the Adelaide Showground railway station
Labor leader Peter Malinauskas has pledged to reverse the privatisation if elected next year.(ABC News: Mahalia Carter)
Call to reverse privatisation
Relaunching an anti-privatisation campaign with union backing, Mr Malinauskas said the Government should release an unredacted version of its contract with Keolis Downer.
Much of the 1,700-page document published on the Tenders SA website has been blacked out.
"South Australian taxpayers are handing over $2.14 billion to this foreign-owned company and have a right to know the performance standards that have been set," Mr Malinauskas said.
The Keolis Downer spokesman said it was commercial in confidence.
In June, former transport minister Stephan Knoll dumped a plan to reform bus routes and scrap hundreds of bus stops.
Adelaide's tram services were taken over by a private operator in July.
Keolis Downer won a contract to run buses in the Adelaide Hills.
Labor has pledged to reverse the train and tram privatisations if elected next year.
It kept the bus system running privately while in government.
Posted 17 JanJanuary 2021, updated 17 JanJanuary 2021
<www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-17/concerns-about-adelaide-train-privatisation-ahead-of-takeover/13064960>

Rolling coverage: City office blocks remain empty as workers choose to stay home. John Dagge, Matt Johnston and Olivia Jenkins March 13, 2021. 332 comments
Melbourne bosses are not mandating a return to the office, leaving city buildings well below the permitted capacity. It comes as Victoria hits 15 days with no new cases, while a Brisbane hospital is in lockdown.
Melbourne’s streets remain quiet despite an increase in office capacities. Picture: Luis Ascui/NCA NewsWire.
Victoria’s Department of Health is actively monitoring a positive COVID case in Brisbane after a doctor at Princess Alexandra Hospital, one of Queensland’s largest hospitals, tested positive to the highly infectious UK strain of COVID-19 and was infectious while in the community.
It comes as Victoria reached its 15th day with no locally acquired new cases of COVID-19.
The total number of COVID-19 cases linked to the Holiday Inn remains at 24.
There are three active cases and no COVID-19 patients in hospital.
CITY OFFICES EMPTY AS WORKERS STAY HOME
Melbourne office towers remain largely empty, with about a third of workers back to their pre-pandemic desks.
More workers are expected to come back into the city in coming weeks, but the trickle that have returned recently means buildings are well below their pandemic occupancy caps.
Major corporate employers and public sector bosses are encouraging rather than mandating a return to offices, meaning most are well below the chief health officer’s cap of 75 per cent building occupancy.
The Saturday Herald Sun can reveal 34 per cent of public servants are back to their pre-COVID work stations — and not all of them are working five days a week.
Docklands Chamber of Commerce president Johanna Maxwell said there was a similar trend in private operations, and city traders do not expect a massive uplift anytime soon.
“We are seeing some increase in numbers but we are looking at no more than 25 to 30 per cent of people coming back in and those that are coming in are not coming in every day, they are coming in one or two days a week,” she said.
Ms Maxwell runs her own business, Docklands Chauffeurs, and also works in a corporate role.
She is experiencing first-hand the resistance to staff to return to the office full time amid concerns around public transport and parking, as well as the pleasure of forgoing a daily commute.
A government spokesman said while “some people will want to get back to the office as soon as possible” others may want to stay at home for longer and arrangements were being worked through by departments based on operational requirements and building density restrictions.
The head of the Victorian branch of the Community and Public Sector Union, Karen Batt, said she was encouraging “all our state workers to plan their return”.
“There’s such great benefits from face-to-face collaboration with colleagues and seeing the city buzz return,” she said.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp echoed the call, saying the council had 75 per cent of employees back on site to lead by example.
“I’m encouraging all major employers and landlords to work proactively to get their teams back to the city,” she said.
“Pre COVID city workers made up almost half of the daily population in the CBD. They are critical to the economic recovery and to revive thousands of city businesses that rely on local foot traffic.”
Office workers made up about half of the city’s daily population prior to COVID.
City of Melbourne pedestrian data showed 573 people passed its sensor at the north end of Bourke Street mall between 8am and 9am on Friday.
That was up 25 per cent of the four-week average and 73 per cent on the same time a year earlier.
Office workers are encouraged to return to the city to support local businesses. Picture: David Geraghty/NCA NewsWire.
But it remains well down on the 1002 people who filed past on the same day in 2019 before the pandemic hollowed out city centres across the globe.
Among major Melbourne corporations the return to office remains mixed.
ANZ’s Docklands headquarters, which housed 6500 before the pandemic, is running at about 20 per cent capacity.
In contrast, the local corporate offices of Commonwealth Bank, which houses 1300, are running at 45 per cent capacity while BHP and Transurban hit 50 per cent this week.
“Our people in our Melbourne CBD offices are able to return to the workplace in a hybrid capacity that balances being at work with working remotely,” a CBA spokesman said.
Property Council of Australia data shows Melbourne’s CBD occupancy rate hit 31 per cent in January before slumping back to 24 per cent in February amid the snap lockdown.
Victorian executive director Danni Hunter said progress has been slowed but building owners and managers are expecting to see a material increase over the next two months.
“While we’re all expecting to see more people working from home as part of the new post-COVID normal, thriving CBDs will be critical to Australia’s economic recovery,” she said.
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra said it was clear the snap lockdown had hurt return to office plans.
“The biggest driver for Victorians to get back in the office and CBD is confidence, and that can only come with certainty – certainty that our hotel quarantine and contact tracing systems are solid and keeping the virus at bay, and certainty that the vaccine rollout is on track,” he said.
Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt. Picture: Sarah Matray
More Coverage: Demands Melbourne be included in half-price flights scheme
<www.heraldsun.com.au/coronavirus/rolling-coverage-city-office-blocks-remain-empty-as-workers-choose-to-stay-home/news-story/67095a55807496c6918bdfee4faa38f2 (dup?)>

Sydney’s third city to be named after engineer who shaped the city. Alexandra Smith March 16, 2021
A new Sydney city centre will be named after the engineer who helped shape the state’s capital, with the NSW government to name its advanced manufacturing facility and airport city Bradfield.
Bradfield will be built adjacent to Sydney’s second airport at Bringelly and will grow into a third city, alongside the other city centres of Sydney and Parramatta.
Major earthworks are under way at the site of Western Sydney Airport.CREDIT:BROOK MITCHELL
The name Bradfield was selected after the community was asked to have a say, with a panel settling on the final decision to honour John Bradfield’s enduring city-shaping impact on Sydney, including his major role in the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said Bradfield would define Australia’s “first 22nd century city”, a key driver of economic growth and deliver up to 200,000 jobs across the Western Parkland City.
Bradfield alone will support as many as 50,000 jobs.
“Bradfield was a renowned engineer who designed and oversaw the construction of both the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney’s original railway network,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The name Bradfield is synonymous with delivering game-changing infrastructure and it sets the right tone for the area we have referred to as the ‘Aerotropolis Core’ until now.
Dr John Bradfield will have a suburb named after him in western Sydney.CREDIT:FAIRFAX ARCHIVE
“This area will be transformed into a thriving city centre, home to advanced manufacturing, research, science and education, and we want Bradfield to be as iconic as the existing major city centres of Sydney and Parramatta.”
Ms Berejiklian said existing paddocks would become a “thriving, bustling city centre offering the best job opportunities anywhere in Australia.”
EDITOR'S PICK An artist impression of a train on the new Sydney Metro. ‘Not ideal’: NSW government warned rushed airport metro would lead to cost blow-out
Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the area to be named Bradfield is more than 100 hectares and sits north of the existing suburb of Bringelly.
“The number of suggestions the community put forward to ‘Name the Place’ was overwhelming, and we are thrilled with the level of participation and interest this project attracted,” Mr Ayres said.
While the government says its new airport city will be a major driver of jobs, its decision to proceed with a rail line to the airport has come under fire for its cost out-weighing its benefit.
Infrastructure Australia found the business case for the new rail line was based on several flawed assumptions, including forecasts for the number of people who will move to live near the airport rather than the Central Coast or Wollongong.
John Bradfield’s grandson Jim Bradfield welcomed the announcement of the new city name.
“It is a great honour that my grandfather’s name continues to be associated with major infrastructure developments in and around Sydney,” Mr Bradfield said.
“We hope his achievements will inspire generations to come, and help shape the future of our urban landscape”.
The name Bradfield was a popular community suggestion in the process and will now be put to the Geographical Names Board of NSW.
The government has 18 foundation partner commitments, including with Suez, Siemens, Hitachi, Sydney Water and Northrup Grumman, and is formalising relationships with a number of other partners, including FedEx, Romar Engineering and Quickstep.
<www.theage.com.au/politics/nsw/sydney-s-third-city-to-be-named-after-engineer-who-shaped-the-city-20210315-p57az2.html>

Luna Park fire: The files that linked a Sydney underworld figure to a tragedy March 16, 2021
At 10.15 on the night of June 9, 1979, flames engulfed the ghost train at Luna Park. Six children and one adult were killed.
Nearly 30 years later in 2007, award-winning Herald investigative journalist Kate McClymont revealed claims that Australia’s most notorious crime figure Abe Saffron was behind the deadly fire at the popular fun park on the shores of Sydney Harbour.
Luna Park ghost train fire, 1979.CREDIT:DALLAS SMITH / FAIRFAX MEDIA
Over three stories, her investigation spoke exclusively with Saffron’s niece as well as families of the victims for their reaction to the claims.
She also obtained files gathered by a Sydney artist Martin Sharp, who had collected an extensive collection of documents.
Front page of the Sydney Morning Herald in 2007 revealing claims of links between the ghost train fire and underworld figure Abe Saffron.CREDIT:SMH
Anne Buckingham, a niece of the late Abe Saffron, told McClymont: “I don’t think people were meant to be killed.”
The daughter of Saffron’s late sister and business partner Beryl Buckingham, also confirmed that - despite years of denials by Saffron - her uncle sought control of the fun park after the fire.
Saffron, who was linked to seven other blazes, was the subject of a later National Crime Authority investigation into the fires.
The NCA’s final report noted an inquiry had failed to establish that Saffron became the owner, but the authority was scathing about the original police investigation.
While the trails had gone cold, the report stated: “Luna Park, it was alleged, had been coveted by Saffron for over 20 years and the fire in the ghost train had been lit as a trigger to evict the incumbent tenants and gain control of the park lease for himself.”
Sydney artist Martin Sharp was fascinated by the ghost train story and gave a trove of documents to Kate McClymont in 2007 that formed the basis of her investigation that year.CREDIT:NEIL HOLBROOK
The investigation series also revealed the truth about Abe Saffron’s crimes ... and his very powerful friends.
“He’s never killed, choked or stabbed to death anyone in the 25 years I have known him,” said the ever-ebullient property developer Warren Anderson, when asked about his appearance at Saffron’s funeral.
The Herald’s 2007 investigation also revealed that the policeman leading the inquiry into the tragedy, Detective Inspector Doug Knight, had earlier been severely criticised in the Moffitt Royal Commission for having a secret business relationship with Jack Rooklyn, an associate of Saffron’s, at the same time he was investigating the pair’s involvement in organised crime and clubs.
Commissioner Athol Moffitt, accusing Knight of lying to the commission about his relationship with Rooklyn, noted: “One instrument of organised crime was to corrupt officials.”
The 2007 Sydney Magazine article about Abe Saffron entitled King of the X.CREDIT:SMH
A NSW coroner, Neville Walsh, had recommended Saffron and his associate, Todor “Tosha the Torch” Maksimovic, be charged with conspiracy to commit arson and fraud. However, no charges were laid.
In 1986 the police minister asked the NCA to investigate Saffron’s alleged involvement in the fires, along with fraud, bribery and corruption of police officers, and the supply of prohibited drugs. The 17-month report, tabled in Parliament in 1989, revealed that a month after the fire, the Anglers’ Club in Crows Nest was destroyed by fire. Saffron was rumoured to own the club along with solicitor Morgan Ryan.
Luna Park fire: Herald investigation revealed links to crime figure Abe Saffron in 2007
Over the next two years fires damaged a further six premises in which Saffron or Maksimovic either owned or leased. They included The Wonder Centre, a Kings Cross brothel, The Peak Restaurant, a gay nightclub in Bondi Junction, an abandoned disco in Bondi and Saffron’s nightclub, the Venus Room in Orwell Street, Kings Cross.
During the NCA’s inquiries it was discovered that the chief suspect for the 1981 arson on Fonzies, a video parlour in Oxford Street, was Les Murphy, who was jailed for life over the murder of nurse Anita Cobby.
The day after the fire, Murphy, who was employed by Saffron at Fonzies, had suffered unexplained burns on his arms.
The NCA’s report said Murphy “should have been the subject of further inquiries but police made none”.
The news of Saffron’s suspected involvement was met with shock by some families involved when the Herald revealed the claims.
“We have always wanted a conclusion on our son’s death,” said the parents of 13-year-old victim Jonathan Billings, Sydney and Irene, in 2007.
“Even though this knowledge has caused us shock and grief, we shall continue our journey with peace, whilst loving and caring for our children and our grandchildren.”
The devastation after the Ghost 
Train fire at Luna Park.
The devastation after the Ghost Train fire at Luna Park.CREDIT:SMH
GALLERY, 27 images.  The Ghost Train was a popular ride at Sydney's Luna Park - photo taken prior to the June 1979 fire which claimed the lives of seven people. CREDIT : STANTON LIBRARY
<www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/luna-park-fire-herald-investigation-revealed-links-to-crime-figure-abe-saffron-in-2007-20210311-h1uii3.html>
RELATED ARTICLE Composites of Abe Saffron, his son Alan Saffron, his wife Doreen Krantz, and Luna Park before the fatal fire in 1979. King of the Cross: Sydney crime boss Abe Saffron’s secret friends and properties
<www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/luna-park-fire-the-files-that-linked-a-sydney-underworld-figure-to-a-tragedy-20210312-p57a5a.html>

MARCH 16 2021 Yallourn power plant closure: let's find a way forward for coal-reliant communities. Tony Wolfe
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Tues.16.3.21 Melbourne 'Herald Sun' Letters: 
* I AM so amazed by the silo murals (HS, 15/3). They are absolutely spectacular. That is art.