Fw: Thurs.7.10.21 daily digest
  Roderick Smith

This bounced last night.  The unprocessed photos were too large, and the email was oversize.
In reposting, have a view of Coburg before.
The trees weren't even in the way of the new elevated or the footings for the piles.
Management wanted them gone for access convenience.
It has done the same in Surrey Hills: the trees don't affect the railway; LXRA simply wants a bare worksite.
'We can't afford to live in leafy suburbs, so let those toffs have the aesthetics of our Wyndham Vale'.
Shubs and native grasses are no substitute for 100 yo trees.
I have a weasel-words letter from LXRA about how it preserves trees where possible.
The crunch is that it decides what is possible or not, and the government passed legislation to make sure that councils couldn't interfere.
LXRA 'We can't cope, and our first priority is management convenience and cutting costs'.


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Roderick

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[Even as I type, Surrey Hills looks like the Taliban takeover of Kabul as LXRA removes every tree, to create a steel & concrete Pentridge clone].

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Thurs.7.10.21 Metro Twitter
Aircraft: No ramp access to platforms until late 2021 (pedestrian-underpass works).
Flinders St: still with a lane closed for tunnel works.
Mooroolbark: Station closed until late 2021 (level-crossing removal). A shuttle bus will operate Croydon - Mooroolbark - Lilydale, connecting with trains. There will be no access to station platforms or facilities during this time.
Edithvale/Chelsea/Bonbeach: Stations closed until late 2021 (level-crossing removal). A shuttle bus will operate Mordialloc - Carrum, connecting with trains. There will be no access to station platforms or facilities during this time.
The level crossings at Argyle Avenue, Bondi Road and Edithvale Road are closed until early October.  Chelsea Road is closed permanently. See http://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/projects/chelsea-road-chelsea
Buses replace trains on sections of the Frankston/Stony Point lines until the last train of Sun 31 Oct (level-crossing works).
Buses replace trains between Newport and Williamstown until the last train of Friday 12 November (level-crossing removal).
Maroondah Highway, Lilydale closed in both directions at the train line for one month, as level-crossing work ramps up on Friday night. John Street will also be closed at this time. See http://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/disruptions/maroondah-highway-and-john-street-lilydale-road-closure. ; Buses will replace trains for 6 weeks.
Buses replace trains Ringwood - Lilydale until the last train of Sun 24 Oct (level-crossing works).  Opening the new Mooroolbark and Lilydale stations on Monday 25 October
17.09 Minor delays Footscray - Sunbury (police). Trains may be held.
- 17.19 clearing
17.44 Lilydale/Belgrave/Alamein/Glen Waverley: Major delays (an equipment fault at East Richmond). Trains altered to run Flinders St - Richmond direct.
- 18.39 Trains have resumed running via the loop, still with delays.
Buses replace trains Epping - Mernda from 20.50 until the last train (works).
Pakenham line: Buses replace trains Dandenong - Berwick from 21.30 until the last train (level-crossing works).


Parliament passes contentious laws to allow for Suburban Rail Loop. Kieran Rooney October 7, 2021
Laws to pave the way for the Suburban Rail Loop will go ahead — but many fear the new planning controls are too powerful.
video: All you need to know about the Suburban Rail Loop The Suburban Rail Loop is set to transform how Victorians travel around Melbourne
Powerful laws to pave the way for the Suburban Rail Loop have been passed in Victorian parliament, despite concerns about their impact for local councils.
A bid to set up a new committee scrutinising spending on major government projects was also defeated.
The Andrews Government on Thursday night passed the Suburban Rail Loop bill through the upper house with the support of four crossbench MPs.
The laws are needed to move ahead on the mammoth project but have attracted the ire of councils along its route.
They give new planning controls to the Suburban Rail Loop Authority and Minister Jacinta Allan.
But councils have argued the rules hand over too much power to the state over future developments and Whitehorse Council has warned a quarter of their municipality could come under this new control.
Monash Station design as part of the Suburban Rail Loop, Picture: Supplied
Map of the Suburban Rail Loop route
The state government has maintained communities will be consulted throughout the project.
It will cost an unprecedented $34.5 billion just for the first stage of the loop and the government is hoping to claw some of this back by leveraging off increased land values and commercial developments around stations.
On Thursday night, the Opposition put forward amendments to increase consultation with councils and communities but these changes were voted down and the bill was passed.
“In 2018, we promised to build the Suburban Rail Loop – and this legislation lays the foundations to get this project underway,” Ms Allan said.
“We’re excited to begin our work to deliver thousands of jobs to the suburbs, more open space and change the way Victorians will travel forever.”
David Davis, the Opposition’s leader in the Legislative Council, said the Labor had “forced through” the laws.
“The bill tears rights from councils and communities, giving the government unbridled power,” he said.
“We’re all in favour of more rail projects but the liveability of Melbourne, the quality of life in our city, is under of threat because the government is bypassing the normal checks and balances.”
An artist's impression of a train on the Suburban Rail Loop, which will encircle Melbourne.
What a platform at a future station could look like Render of platform
Several crossbench MPs also joined the Coalition in pushing for a powerful new public works committee that would scrutinise major projects.
But Labor knocked back this proposal with the support of Transport Matters MP Rod Barton, Animal Justice MP Andy Meddick and Shooters and Fishers MP Jeff Bourman.
Afterwards, Employment Minister Jaala Pulford said the Andrews Government was still open to further discussion about the committee.
Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party’s Stuart Grimley said the body would have scrutiny over the government’s significant investment agenda
“We clearly need oversight when we have $6 billion in cost blowouts and extensive delays of current projects,” he said.
“We can’t support this amount of money being spent in Melbourne when the government haven’t committed to any long-term funding for virtually any projects in regional Victoria.”
More Coverage
How city’s Rail Loop will give suburbs a makeover
Details of underground rail loop hubs revealed
Price tag of Suburban Rail Loop still to be revealed
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/parliament-passes-contentious-laws-to-allow-for-suburban-rail-loop/news-story/90260ff58a2e630427ad0002a64bda96>

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