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Mon.19.7.21 Metro Twitter
Aircraft: No ramp access to platforms until late 2021 (pedestrian-underpass works).
Flinders St: still with a lane closed for tunnel works.
Trains will not stop at Mooroolbark until late October 2021 (level-crossing works).
Buses replace trains on sections of the Ballarat & Geelong lines until Sunday 25 July. Buses are not stopping at Footscray and Sunshine. Passengers should catch a suburban train to Southern Cross. See https://bit.ly/36zd6wR
Craigieburn line: Major delays for some citybound trains now clearing after earlier vandalism near Roxburgh Park.
We’re going back 3 years for a cat at Willison.
Tram with a fabulous view in Brighton in the 1920s. Brighton had an electric street railway service operated by VR from 1906 until 1959, which ran between St Kilda and Brighton Stations. Photo Hugh Ballment via Tram Museum
13.21 Mernda line: Major delays (a motor vehicle collision blocking rail lines at Settlement Road level crossing, near Thomastown). Trains will be held at platforms.
- 13.37 clearing.  Trains may terminate/originate at intermediate stations.
We're getting ready to remove five level crossings and demolish the existing stations in Edithvale, Chelsea and Bonbeach. Several road and pedestrian connections across the Frankston line will close progressively. See http://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/ecbdisruptions
- Chelsea Rd closes to vehicles from Mon 19 July.
- Argyle Ave closes to vehicles from Wed 21 July.
- Bondi Rd closes to vehicles from Fri 23 July.
- Edithvale Rd closes to vehicles from Sun 25 July.
- Pedestrian access at the level crossings will close from 9pm Sun 25 July.
Drivers and pedestrians can cross at Aspendale Station, Lochiel Ave, Swanpool Ave and McLeod Rd.  Pedestrians can also cross at Birdwood St, Berry Ave and the Patterson River underpass.
Pedestrian shuttle buses will operate from Sun 25 July.
Our city has always looked gorgeous in rain.  Corner of Collins & Swanston, early 1960s.
19.01 Springvale: We've lost lighting to platform 2 (an equipment fault).  Take extra care boarding and alighting. Electricians are working to restore lighting.
- 19.41 Lighting has been restored.
Buses replace trains Ringwood - Lilydale from 20.30 until 1.30 Sun 25 Jul (level-crossing works).
Buses replace trains North Melbourne - Upfield from 20.35 until the last train (maintenance works).
Mernda/Hurstbridge lines: Buses replace trains Parliament - Clifton Hill from 20.50 until the last train (maintenance works). From Flinders St, Southern Cross and loop stations, take a city-circle replacement bus to Parliament.
Sunbury/Craigieburn/Upfield lines: All trains run direct to/from Flinders St via Southern Cross, not via the loop, from 21.00 until the last train (maintenance works).  From loop stations, take a train from pfm 2 to Southern Cross.
Buses replace trains Mordialloc - Frankston from 21.00 until the last train (level-crossing works).  See http://ow.ly/YlKI50FxyHm
Lilydale/Belgrave lines: All trains will terminate/originate at Burnley from 21.00 until last train (works).  From Southern Cross and loop station, take a train to Flinders St [Caulfield anticlockwise?], then a Glen Waverley train to Burnley.
Glen Waverley line: All trains will run direct to/from Flinders St from 21.00 until the last train (maintenance works).

Jul 19 2021 Australia international border closure: What do the words in our passports actually mean?  Michael Gebicki
<www.traveller.com.au/australia-international-border-closure-what-do-the-words-in-our-passports-actually-mean-h1x8w3>

Sydney’s public transport patronage at lowest levels since 1800s. Tom Rabe July 19, 2021
Sydney’s public transport patronage fell to levels not seen since the 1800s and traffic was the lightest it had been in four decades as the city all but stopped on Monday after new coronavirus restrictions came into effect to suppress the Delta outbreak.
The number of people on public transport was about eight per cent of pre-COVID levels, according to new NSW government figures, a sign that the latest restrictions had likely had an immediate impact on mobility across the city. Road traffic also decreased by more than 45 per cent.
An empty street in Parramatta on Monday.CREDIT:NICK MOIR
New restrictions announced over the weekend included a ban on all non-urgent construction work, the closure of non-essential retail, a travel ban stopping residents from leaving Fairfield, Liverpool and Canterbury-Bankstown unless they were essential workers and a cut in public transport services by up to 50 per cent.
University of Sydney transport expert Geoffrey Clifton said it had been more than a century since so few people had used public transport in the harbour city.
“We have to go back to the 1800s to see a time when regular public transport patronage was this low,” he said, citing data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE).
“The drop off since last week shows the importance of the construction industry to Sydney’s economy.”
Some essential workers were still relying on the city’s public transport network on Monday.CREDIT:LOUIE DOUVIS
Transport for NSW chief operations officer Howard Collins said the department was monitoring Opal card data and CCTV cameras and would make changes to the network if any crowding took place on the reduced services.
“Patronage across public transport was at about eight per cent of pre-COVID levels, the lowest patronage we have seen throughout the pandemic,” Mr Collins said.
Eight per cent of pre-COVID levels equates to between 50 and 60 million trips per year, which has not been seen in more than 120 years, Dr Clifton said.
An Australasian Transport Research Forum paper based on BITRE data tracked patronage back to 1900, with NSW recorded as having 120 million trips that year. That public transport data also included the use of “horse-drawn vehicles”.
While most of the network was close to deserted on Monday, the cuts to all public transport modes meant the few essential workers who were still travelling were relying on fewer services.
Registered nurse Molly Cocks said one bus service she used to get to her work in Sydney’s inner west was busier than it had been at any point during the most recent lockdown.
“That bus stop was full. Close to 20 people got on one bus going up Parramatta Road,” Ms Cocks said, adding that she didn’t get on due to social distancing concerns. “Obviously we don’t need all of them, but a few more would be very helpful.”
Dr Clifton said the government’s move to decrease services by between 30 and 50 per cent for at least two weeks had proven effective, but also posed new risks.
“By shifting to a weekend timetable there is a risk that there will be more people on each bus and train but the government is hoping that people will stay at home and so far people are following government advice,” he said. “It also means they can keep a reliable service operating even though many public transport staff are in isolation themselves.”
All government-employed transport staff will continue to receive their rostered earnings, with Transport for NSW recommending that private operators do the same.
Opposition transport spokeswoman Jo Haylen said the low patronage was a good sign people were adhering to restrictions, but the government needed to guarantee essential workers could still move around the city.
”[The Transport Minister] must guarantee that when essential workers are trying to get to work, or people are going to get tested or vaccinated that they can rely on their local bus, train or ferry service and can travel in a COVID- safe way,” she said.
Labor member for Coogee Marjorie O’Neill said the government needed to put more consideration into the number of essential workers impacted by its public transport cuts.
“Many health workers in my community have contacted me with grave concerns about the reduction in bus services,” she said. “Fewer services will mean that more essential health care workers will be squeezed onto each bus, putting both them and the other passengers at risk.“
RELATED ARTICLE Sydney’s China town early this week. Where and why Sydney is moving during the Delta lockdown
<www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-s-public-transport-patronage-at-lowest-levels-since-1800s-20210719-p58b2v.html>
* Public transport patronage down since 1800s and trust in our politicians the lowest since Federation.
* Meanwhile small business, arts and entertainment have no income (and some will go broke), we have public servants, local government, corporate staff all have a job and still get full pay. Not sure we are all in this together.
* Great excuse for the government to sell the bus service. We also know that Corporate Welfare always wins with the Coalition Governments and the people who the governments should represent are left with the bills Thanks to the SMH for keeping us informed!.
* As motorised trips are down by only 45% its time to close the City car parks. If this Government is genuine in its desire to suppress urban activity over the next 2 weeks. Car parks in major suburban shopping centers can also be constricted and an even and odds number plate system per day could apply to encourage single shopping events spread out through the week. All mobility needs to be inhibited temporarily. Don't just hit the public transport system.
* You would have to be nuts to be unvaccinated and to get on a bus at present.
* ... or have little choice
* I hope Sydney trains is able to somehow use this time to carry out all the preventative maintenance while the infrastructure is not being used.
* Let’s hope everything stays shut down until the virus goes away. Morrison needs another miracle, are there any country’s in the world who could help us out with some vaccines? Our Prime Minister forgot to order them, he was too busy doing photo shoots of himself on a daily basis, to make sure he won the next election.
* Hardly surprising. With the Delta strain, one infected passenger on a bus or in a carriage will likely mean that everyone else in that bus or carriage will be infected & then unknowingly pass the virus on to everyone else in their household. With our dismal vaccination rate among working age people, who wants to take the risk?
* Running Sydneys public transport on a Sunday roster risks squeezing more people onto fewer services. Why not try a Saturday timetable instead?, fewer services than a weekday, but more space to spread out commuters on the available services...

Car parks targeted government list of marginal electorates, inquiry told. Shane Wright July 19, 2021. 96 comments
A federal government-compiled list of the 20 most marginal electorates ahead of the 2019 federal election was the basis of a $660 million program that has delivered just two completed suburban railway car parks.
Two years after the Commuter Car Park fund was created, officials from the Infrastructure Department are still in the planning process for almost all of the promised car parks with little idea how many car spaces will ultimately be delivered.
Ringwood railway station car park in the Melbourne seat of Deakin - planning is still ongoing for an upgrade that was promised at the 2019 election.CREDIT:PAUL JEFFERS
The Auditor-General earlier this year released a damning report into the fund that was used in the run-up to the 2019 election to promise new car parks and upgrades near train stations at 47 sites.
Labor labelled the program a “rort” after an Auditor-General’s report found 77 per cent of projects were in Coalition electorates. Many were promised in south-eastern Melbourne where senior ministers including Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar faced serious challenges at the 2019 poll.
Giving evidence to a Senate inquiry into the controversial program on Monday, deputy Auditor-General Brian Boyd said a “marginal electorate list” - maintained by then Infrastructure Minister Alan Tudge - was the starting point for the Commuter Car Park fund decisions.
Mr Boyd said unlike other infrastructure projects, where the federal government worked with states or local councils, government MPs, Coalition senators responsible for Labor-held seats or endorsed Liberal candidates were canvassed for their own ideas.
“It started being initially termed as being the top 20 marginals,” he said.
“The key thing was to touch base with the top 20 marginals, either the member of the House of Representatives if the electorate was held by the Coalition, the relevant duty senator for other electorates and endorsed candidates in two other electorates to ask them what projects in your electorate do you think worthy of being put through this program.
“It was very much that approach of starting with the electorate, rather than here is where congestion is the greatest.”
The existence of the “top 20 marginal” list surprised Infrastructure Department officials who told the committee they did not know of its existence.
In many cases, MPs came up with their own estimates of the cost of the projects. This included Mr Frydenberg whose office proposed four sites - Glenferrie, Surrey Hills, Canterbury and Camberwell - plus an indicative cost for each.
Deputy auditor-general Brian Boyd says a list called “top 20 marginals” was used to track promised car parks.CREDIT:ALEX ELLINGHAUSEN
In another case, a Liberal MP proposed two projects for a neighbouring, marginal-Labor seat as there was no railway station car parks in their own electorate.
Twenty seven of the 47 projects were approved by Prime Minister Scott Morrison the day before he called the 2019 federal election.
Mr Boyd said in some cases, money was allocated to an electorate but the project was listed as “to be determined”.
He said in most cases, states or local councils which may own the land identified for a potential project were not contacted by the federal department ahead of a car park being promised.
The lack of consultation continues to plague the program with a handful of promised car parks abandoned.
Infrastructure Department deputy secretary David Hallinan said it would be “a little while” before the number of car park spaces created under the program would be known.
He said the structure of the program, which was not operated on a tender process, had made it more difficult to know the exact rollout of car park spaces.
“If there was a different program at play and there had been an open tender or equivalent. .. we would probably have better information to provide that advice,” he said.
“This was a program where the projects were identified by the Commonwealth.”
Of those car parks still in planning, 5 are between 300 metres and 650 metres away from their nearest rail way station while another 6 are between 200 metres and 300 metres away.
RELATED ARTICLE Ringwood railway station car park in suburban Mellbourne. One of the projects promised funding in 2019, still to be upgraded. When 47 car parks, $660 million and one election collide
RELATED ARTICLE Prime Scott Morrison visits the Mulgoa Road Corridor with Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne and Candidate for Lindsay Melissa McIntosh in Penrith, Sydney on April 12, 2019 Morrison funded 27 car parks just one day before he called the election
<www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/car-parks-targeted-government-list-of-marginal-electorates-inquiry-told-20210719-p58b00.html>

JULY 19 2021 Infrastructure and services aren't glamorous but they are vital to keep regional Australia growing. Gemma Purves
Transport infrastructure remains a significant issue for regional Australia. Source: Gemma Purves
Infrastructure isn't particularly sexy. Musicians may rhapsodise about being on the road but it's rare to hear someone wax lyrical about the quality of the tarmac they're travelling on.
That said, good infrastructure often goes hand in hand with good services. Both of which ensure a certain standard of living for our cities, towns and townships.
Whatever the issue your community faces when it comes to infrastructure and services it's likely exacerbated by Australia's tyranny of distance and challenging geography.
It's easy to call out problems faced by regional areas but the further away from the coast the more marked they tend to be.
Meanwhile closer to the coast the issues around housing are stark, with Byron Bay Hinterland particularly hard hit with the influx of new residents over the past year. It's the same over on the west coast, where the latest data showing the housing shortage is critical, with the number of available rental properties down 30% year on year.
It's no easier on the Apple Isle, with Tasmanian house prices and a shortage of rentals having been an issue since well before COVID.
So what can be done? Well the sight of new suburbs springing up on the outskirts of town, is one that seems reminiscent of any of the capital cities. Goulburn isn't the only regional city to have seen a massive building boom over the past year, to the extent that there is currently no land available for sale.
But is it enough? When Matt and Jason Purvis moved from Sydney's inner west to the Hunter Valley they moved from a small one-bedroom workers cottage with courtyard to 5 acres and a house with enough space for each of them to have a home office. Unfortunately they also discovered that in order to make working from home feasible they'd also require two internet connections.
Jason seems to thinks it's a small price to pay, along with the lack of mobile phone coverage, in order to not have to set up with a laptop on his knee in a small courtyard as he was in Sydney.
At least they've got the NBN. For others who rely on a decent connection to keep their business going it's more of a struggle.
Connectivity isn't just vital for those working from home or running businesses in regional areas, it can also provide much needed access to telehealth services. In fact, one of the upsides of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the rapid adoption of online and remote medical services.
It's certainly got the government talking with a committee being set up to review regional services to ensure they're fit for purpose. This is on top of the announcement in the Federal budget in May of a $10bn infrastructure fund.
For some communities it's been a case of taking the power into their own hands, literally. As the various tiers of government bicker over new power generation, communities are applying the philosophy that saw community banks, post offices and other service hubs spring up across the country to generate their own power.
Community power groups identify their needs, and explore ways to provide affordable and renewable energy to those that want it. It's not just community groups. For people living on remote, offgrid properties, renewable energy can provide energy security instead of relying on diesel being trucked in to run the generator.
It's also just smart business. The residents of Wagga, Horsham and Townsville are just as eager to access the various government rebates and discounts for installing solar power on their own homes as their capital city counterparts.
Choice can remain an issue outside of the capital cities with the debate over schooling and jockeying to get your kid into the school of your choice seeming farcical. As Jane Thompson who lives up in the Byron Bay Hinterland says, your kids go to the local school. Not just because it's the only school, but how else are you going to get to know everyone and become part of the community?
If there's one thing that is certain, every region has it's own unique set of needs to ensure its community continues to thrive and provide the services and infrastructure necessary to call regional Australia home.
Read more: Race to the Regions
<www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7345897/infrastructure-isnt-sexy-but-it-is-vital>

JULY 19 2021 New Mitchell, park and ride set to open in September for the Well Station Drive light rail. Georgie Burgess
Transport Minister Chris Steel unveiled a new 170-spot park and ride location on Monday. Picture: Georgia Burgess
The ACT government is already investigating where it will put park-and-ride locations along stage four of the light-rail route to ensure Canberrans jump on board when it is complete.
Transport Minister Chris Steel launched the latest of 24 park-and-ride spots on Monday, with 170 spots to be available at the Well Station Drive light-rail stop by September.
The locations are put in place to move commuters away from kerb-side parking and to encourage them to utilise designated parking zones to reduce the impact on businesses and households surrounding the light rail.
The next stage of light rail will be to Commonwealth Park, with the government still working on plans to extend it to Woden.
Mr Steel said the government was working towards adding an additional park and ride at Mawson to shift the strain away from the Southlands shopping centre.
Mr Steel hopes more accessible park-and-ride options will attract more users to the light-rail network, particularly after a drop in numbers because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"This is part of what the ACT government is doing to remove barriers to access public transport and improve patronage, during a time when light rail [and bus numbers] have fallen due to the pandemic," Mr Steel said.
This new location situated next to the Well Station Drive light-rail stop will also be across from the new high school to be built in Kenny, which is due to be completed in 2023.
Mr Steel hoped this particular park-and-ride location would attract more families to consider utilising public transport.
Parents will be able to drive their children to school and then jump on the light rail into the city. Increasing a combined commute of private vehicles and public transport to reduce the congestion on the roads.
READ MORE:
Calls for more park and ride spaces for overhauled bus network
ACT's first park and pedal to open at National Arboretum carpark
<www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7347082/govt-considers-more-park-and-ride-tram-stops>

16 new cases; Mildura, regional Victoria on high alert after footy fan tests positive Mitch Clarke, Miles Proust, John Masanauskas, Alexandra Middleton, Grace Baldwin and Ed Bourke 0.15 July 20, 2021. 1228 comments
A visitor to St Vincent’s Hospital in Fitzroy has sparked multiple exposure sites, a girl from a private school in Kew has tested positive and Premier Daniel Andrews says the state’s lockdown would go on “for as long as it’s needed”.
video: 16 new cases in Victoria with Euro final case a concern. Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says the Crafty Squire case is of concern as it is an example of how quickly the delta variant is moving in the time…
...A VLine worker who visited one of the West Gate Tunnel Project’s sites has tested positive to Covid-19.
A West Gate Tunnel Project spokesman confirmed the worker received advice from the Department of Health that he was a close contact of a positive case on Thursday July 15.
They received a positive Covid-19 result a day later on Friday July 16.
The Department of Health has determined there are 36 tier 1 close contact exposures and 31 tier 2 exposures at the worksite.
Following advice from the Department of Health, all tier 1 exposures are isolating for 14 days, while Tier 2 exposures may return to work following a negative test result.
There are concerns staff were exposed to the virus at a West Gate Tunnel Project worksite. Picture: Ian Currie
“The site has been reopened after undergoing a deep clean over the weekend,” the spokesman said.
“The construction sector is currently considered an essential service and we are working closely with industry partners, unions, employers and workers to protect both their safety and jobs.
“All contact tracing information has been extracted from the West Gate Tunnel Project’s QR code system and supplied to the Department of Health to help with contact tracing.
“The Major Transport Infrastructure Authority has strict COVID-safe plans in place across project sites to protect both our workers and the community from the spread of coronavirus.”
Project sites have strict rules in place around physical distancing, wearing masks, QR check in codes and increased industrial cleaning. There are measures in place to make sure workers and sites are complying with the strict new health regulations.
The current lockdown has had no impact on projects.
RUYTON STUDENT TESTS POSITIVE, CLASSMATES IN ISOLATION...
NEW LOCAL CASES...
FIFTH NSW COVID DEATH LINKED TO REMOVALISTS...
VICTORIANS IN LOCKDOWN LIMBO...
CAPP CALLS FOR RETURN OF JOBKEEPER...
SECOND CASE EMERGES IN MILDURA...
EXPOSURE LIST SOARS PAST 200 SITES...
JABBED PERFORMERS A CLASS ACT...
<www.heraldsun.com.au/coronavirus/victoria-lockdown-tram-passengers-on-high-alert-as-exposure-sites-grow/news-story/0ab50b07e2ad17bba8b5492f2d4e984a>