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Subject: Thurs.24.2.22 daily digest

Roderick

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Thurs.24.2.22 Metro Twitter
Flinders St: still with a lane closed for tunnel works? [reopened by July]
Aircraft: No ramp access to platforms until late 2021 (pedestrian-underpass works), delayed to March 2022.
Buses replace trains on sections of the Sunbury line from 20.30 until the last train of Sun 27 Feb (works).
15.36 Pakenham/Cranbourne lines: Major delays (police attending to a trespasser near Westall).
- 15.54 services may terminate/originate at intermediate locations. Consider alternative transport between Westall and Dandenong via the PTV website.
- 16.04 & 16.44 Buses replace trains between Oakleigh & Dandenong.  Replacement buses will take over 60 minutes to arrive. Consider alternatives.
- 16.54 Buses are in operation, adding 50 minutes.
- 18.24 Now adding over 60 minutes.  Consider alternatives.
- 19.20 Trains resuming.
- now that’s what we like to hear
- How could a trespasser block trains for 4 hours?
- 19.51 those who had to catch the bus travelling on the Pakenham line, we are camping at Dandenong station for the last 30 min, watching one empty train roll past, and now a second Cranbourne train about to depart!  How does this make sense?
- 20.30 It took me 3 hours to get home. I had to take three buses and a train from Dandenong to Pakenham as it started by 7pm. So much delay. Not many connecting trains. Very disappointed
- 20.33 And so many people in the bus; no social distancing some of them not even wearing mask, some got mask but covered their mouth. Drivers not saying anything.
- 21.22 why is this train not moving at Dandenong?  Can you give me back my money?
- Even the communication was so bad... really disappointing.
17.54 Frankston line: Major delays (an ambulance near Chelsea).
- 18.17 clearing
Pakenham/Cranbourne lines: All trains will terminate/originate at Caulfield from 21.00 until the last train (works).  Change to/from a Frankston train.

Government planned for Sydney train shutdown days before it occurred. Matt O'Sullivan, Tom Rabe and Alexandra Smith February 24, 2022. 184 comments [political sniping]
Senior government officials canvassed the possibility of shutting down Sydney’s rail network days before it happened on Monday, disrupting hundreds of thousands of commuters.
As the fallout from Monday’s 24-hour shutdown continues to engulf the Perrottet government, documents released by the Fair Work commission on Thursday reveal the extent of preparatory work the government was carrying out on the possibility of a network suspension.
The revelations prompted the NSW opposition to call for the resignation of Transport Minister David Elliott, who has insisted he was not made aware of the stoppage of Sydney’s rail network until after the decision was made.
Trains parked at Auburn stabling yards on Monday during the shutdown of the rail network.CREDIT:WOLTER PEETERS
An affidavit from a senior Sydney Trains executive reveals that on Thursday last week the rail operator’s senior leadership “made the decision that the rail network could not be operated for the two-week period” from Monday if the entire fortnight of protected industrial action took place.
“Sydney Trains has assessed the risk associated with the industrial action and concluded that the rail network cannot be operated for the two-week period commencing on 21 February 2022,” he said.
Sydney Trains’ leadership formed the view a day after a risk assessment was completed of the impact of the planned industrial action.
The documents also show that the state’s chief economist had been canvassed about the financial impact of two-week shutdown if the Rail Tram and Bus Union’s planned industrial action proceeded.
NSW Transport Minister David ElliottCREDIT:BROOK MITCHELL
Modelling by the chief economist forecast on Wednesday last week that the industrial action would cost $33 million a day, and $370 million over a fortnight, and would impact 150,000 workers a day across greater Sydney, and 1.6 million over the two-week period.
The government has maintained that the decision to shut down the network was made around midnight on Sunday by Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland.
NSW Opposition leader Chris Minns said it was unbelievable that the transport minister could not have been made aware of the possibility of a network-wide stoppage, given so many government departments and bureaucrats knew.
video Train chaos continues
Documents reveal Sydney Trains had been preparing to shut down the network for as long as two weeks but the premier insists he was in the dark.
“We’re expected to believe that Sydney Trains goes and approaches the NSW chief economist to ask about the economic impact of closing down the public transport network, but this comes as a gigantic shock to the transport minister himself. How is that possible?” he said.
“The transport minister needs to go, otherwise there is absolutely no accountability in the NSW government at all.”
Mr Minns earlier questioned Premier Dominic Perrottet about whether it was plausible he did not know about Sydney Trains decision last Thursday to shut the rail network.
Mr Perrottet, who has said he did not find out until early on Monday, described it as a “scare campaign” by the Opposition, saying there was no plan to shut down the network.
“To my knowledge, there was no plan of doing that at all. In a worst-case scenario, it would be completely remiss of any good government to plan against the militant unions’ ideas about a shutdown the network,” he said.
Under fire in Parliament, Mr Elliott said assessments were completed to ensure that “any potential contingency” was addressed. “Every time a government department faces a dilemma... they do assessments to address all contingencies,” he said.
Later, a spokesman for Mr Elliott said the minister was not made aware of any preparatory work being done in regard to a shutdown of the rail network.
Mr Elliott has said he went to bed on Sunday night unaware of the decision made around midnight to shut the rail network.
A spokesman for the Premier said he was not told of any preparatory work.
The government on Tuesday backed down from its dramatic standoff with the rail union in a bid to revive the city’s paralysed rail network, after dropping an attempt to get the industrial umpire to force workers to ditch overtime work bans and other low-level actions.
RELATED ARTICLE A furious Premier Dominic Perrottet tasked senior staff to urgently investigate the timeline of events that lead to the Sydney train shutdown debacle. Dossier compiled for NSW Premier furious over Sydney rail shutdown
<www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/government-planned-for-sydney-train-shutdown-days-before-it-occurred-20220224-p59zej.html>

Half-price travel for Sydney commuters as an apology for rail shutdown. Alexandra Smith February 24, 2022. 95 comments
Sydney’s commuters will be given half-price peak hour travel on the city’s train system and free trips on the weekend as compensation for the chaos caused by Monday’s sudden rail shutdown.
As the NSW government comes under increasing pressure over the network-wide closure, commuters left stranded by the rail debacle will be given the reduced ticket prices and free weekend trips for one month.
Sydney Trains were still only running at 30 per cent after Monday’s shutdown.CREDIT:BROOK MITCHELL
The compensation has been approved by the government’s expenditure review committee of cabinet. The cost to the government of the ticket subsidies has not been revealed.
The Herald has been told that Transport Minister David Elliott, who has come under intense criticism for his handling of the shutdown, will make the announcement this week.
Mr Elliott has maintained that he was not aware of Sydney Trains’ plans to flick the switch on the network until 4am on Monday, although his chief of staff was told of the plans at 1.30am.
Premier Dominic Perrottet called a meeting of Mr Elliott and the secretary of transport Rob Sharp on Wednesday, in a bid to repair damaged relations between the two. It was the first time the pair had met in person.
Mr Perrottet has made it clear that he was furious he was not told of the looming shutdown. The first he heard of the cancellation of all services was at 5.30am on Monday when he woke up.
Mr Elliott has made no secret of his dislike of Mr Sharp, a former airline executive at Tiger and Virgin airlines, and some Liberal colleagues suspect Mr Elliott is trying to pin the blame on his transport secretary.
As part of the meeting, Mr Perrottet has issued a directive that any significant developments relating to the operations of Sydney Trains must be the subject of a written briefing and signed endorsement.
“That will ensure that there are no further incidents of this nature in the future,” Mr Elliott later told Parliament.
The government has continued to blame a long-running industrial dispute with the rail union for Monday’s shutdown, which saw the whole network paralysed for 24 hours.
As of Wednesday, the network was only operating at 30 per cent of normal service.
RELATED ARTICLE Mr Elliott said that he had withdrawn the Fair Work case in a gesture of “good faith”. Government MPs divided over whether David Elliott is the right man for transport
<www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/half-price-travel-for-sydney-commuters-as-an-apology-for-rail-shutdown-20220223-p59z5h.html>
Just a few comments as a sample:
* half priced travel? no thanks - bring back express trains to the T2
* Are Premier Perrottet and his LNP coalition trying to outdo Morrison in some saga of falsehoods missteps and plain weird stakes?
* How about free bus travel for those who could not get on their normal bus route due to the overcrowding?
* Can the LNP say they are better economic managers now?
* If he thinks this token will make thing's better and all is forgiven, tell Dom "He's dreamin"
* Half price tickets is an insult We can all afford to pay full price For a service that actually exists
* Any apology for the blatant lies and slandering of essential workers, their Unions and the Labor party?
* Locking the gates then blaming the staff for not working. Priceless. Half price fares for all. Expensive.
* This will make peak cheaper than off-peak. Is that really a good idea?
* We have enough. Let’s flip.
* How has the Minister for Transport not met his department head within a day or two of taking the role? And if he hasn't met him, why does he dislike him? Elliott comes across as a closed minded bully. He shouldn't be in the Cabinet or even in Parliament
* True compensation would be the minister sacked.
* And do the train staff get a public apology for being called terrorists and trying to pin the blame on them?
* This government in chaos that precedes Dom. Golden girl Gladys jumped before roosting chickens.
* If only Perottet could say the big ‘S’ word……but then again, ‘sorry’ has never been a part of the vocabulary of the COALition, just ask little Johnny Howard.
* no hint of apology (or even regret) for the hundreds of thousands of deaths caused by Howard's encouragement of Bush Jnr and Blair's Iraq "misadventure".
* Perrottet hits a new low. Minister sleeps. Perrottet executes a lock out and gets press to call it a strike. Commuters lives ruined for two days. Does Perrottet really think that half-price for a day squares that up?
* It’s half price for a month. Free weekend travel for a month.
* From a half priced government.
* So the Premier knew nothing of the rail shutdown until he woke at 5.30? This is nothing more than a BS attempt to distance Perrottet from this fracas. As the late Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead sang, " I don't believe a word".
* It's a cliche, but it ain't half price travel because the taxpayers are paying for the half commuters are not. I think it's fair enough to the commuters. But let's be clear the Perrottet Government's incompetence is costing us all dearly.
* we're also paying for the expensive legal teams employed to fight the union. There's no limit to what they will spend on barristers and consultants, but can't give frontline workers a pay rise.
* They can't because they've emasculated the wage tribunals and legislated a cap on salary rises that is below cost of living increases. Then they put on the public charade of pretending they're "listening and negotiating".
* How about a month of half pay (and bonuses) for all those involved?
* Just get rid of Perrottet and Elliott and that would satisfy me.
* I’d rather Perrotet’s resignation. That would be an honest and genuine apology.
* This is not a gift its tax payers money presumably the money will need to be made up from somewhere. Maybe it will be absorbed by TAHE. They must just work on the assumption that we are all foolish or that the money is theirs to use purely for their political advantage.
* I need to hear that the Premier has sacked the Minister of Slumber
* As a sign of good faith to the union members who did NOT strike but were locked out, why not offer the kind gesture of an immediate 10% good-will pay rise? It's all very well using taxpayers' moneys to give passengers a 50% price-drop, albeit temporarily. The state's public workforce of paramedics, fire-officers, police, nurses, teachers, VMOs, clerks, et al are the face of the government in action. Pay them fairly. It's okay to thank them for their dedication during the pandemic but "thank you" becomes useless to pay the supermarkets, the butchers, the hairdressers and the service stations. My late dad used to tell his boss, "John, it's okay to tell me I'm a great salesman but your platitudes don't buy my son's football gear or my daughters' text-books. $50 extra dollars in my pay-packet every week would make you more believable." Try this, Dom!
* This is a ridiculous, populist approach. that will overcrowd trains while the pandemic is still continuing. As has happened with free travel in the past, large numbers of people will decide to enjoy an outing for the day. This is fair enough for them, but it crams passengers into an already over-burdened system. Why not fix the problem by negotiating in good faith, stop union bashing, and then neither Mr Elliott, nor Sydney trains need back track (unintended pun_ and go into damage control.
* So we get to fund a whole lot of subsidies AND continue to pay the minister who seems to be in a race with Richard Colbeck for the wooden spoon prize. I feel we are being treated like idiots.
* How about the government minsters take only public transport for the next six months?
* Half price is still way to much.
* Take from the taxpayer to give to the taxpayer, yeah that works for me. Financial managers my bum.
* ...and why are the trains still not running to their pre-shutdown timetable? Are we still asleep at the wheel?
* Because in any industry or business "covid" is - and will be for years to come - used as an excuse for any stuff-up.
* It can only be to irritate the public further and try to blame the union. I know someone who works for Sydney Trains, and all the staff are still at work but the timetable's been cut back so most of them have no work to do. If the planned industrial action had gone ahead, as agreed to by all parties on Saturday night there would've been a small reduction in services.
* Let’s hope this ‘mea culpa’ is extended to the unions also. Although the govt shut the network down they shrilly called it a strike and did a lot of union bashing. This was despite the fact that it was their own govt industrial action of a lockout that they didn’t know about (!!!!!) that was to blame. They should apologise for vilifying all those hard working, law abiding workers and union members.

Thurs.24.2.22 Melbourne 'Herald Sun'.  Letters:
* Sights trained on job. IT was interesting to read what membership in the National Union of Workers can deliver. Back in the day I worked in an industry that was represented by the NUW, and being a staunch unionist back then gladly became a member. I then took on the role of union delegate and attended a meeting at the headquarters.
A certain person by the name of Martin Pakula was a union organiser and it transpires that Tim Pallas was once state secretary. Given that Matt Carrick — the newly appointed VLine chief— was a past member as well and will be driving the gravy train himself
I want in. I am frantically looking for my union card and intend to get on board. No experience, no resume — just my past affiliation with the NUW will suffice. Victoria, what a wonderful place for mates.

Thurs.24.2.22 Melbourne 'Herald Sun'.  Proposed planning changes to surplus government land.
The Government Land Planning Service received a request to change the planning provisions at 1-15 and 1A Johnson Street Oakleigh (Oakleigh Station commuter car park)
The Monash Planning Scheme Amendment C151 mona has been prepared to reflect that this site is no longer required for transport purposes and to facilitate its sale by:
- Rezoning the existing car park land from the Transport Zone 2 and the Genera Residential Zone Schedule 5 to the Commercial 1 Zone
- Rezoning part of Mill Road from the Transport Zone 2 to part Commercial 1 Zone and part General Residential Zone, Schedule 3
- Applying the Environmental Audit Overlay
Minister for Planning Hon Richard Wynne MP has referred the proposed changes to the Government Land Standing Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) for advice.
You can make a submission to the Advisory Committee about the proposed planning scheme provisions
To find about more about the proposed planning scheme changes and how to make a submission see
engage.vic.gov.au/glsac/tranche 35
Submissions close at 5pm 8 April 2022
Customer Service Centre: Phone 136 186