Article: Nothing will stop rail line: Brumby

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Nothing will stop rail line: Brumby

Nothing will stop rail line: Brumby
Paul Austin
September 1, 2010

THE controversial new railway line through Melbourne's western suburbs will be built regardless of the findings of any study on its impact on residents and the environment, Premier John Brumby says.

Accused of treating affected residents with contemptuous disregard after revelations the government was trying to limit their avenues for protest, Mr Brumby yesterday refused to take a backwards step.

Asked if the $4.3 billion line from Southern Cross Station through Footscray to Little River near Geelong was going ahead ''come hell or high water'', Mr Brumby replied: ''Too right it is.''

He said the project, which is expected to result in dozens of houses being bulldozed, ''needs to happen'' to boost Metro services for commuters in the rapidly growing western suburbs and to free up V/Line services to Melbourne from Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat.

Mr Brumby came under fire from Footscray residents, the opposition and Greens after The Age revealed yesterday that the Department of Transport was trying to avoid an environmental effects statement into the project.

A confidential briefing note from law firm Freehills, which is advising the government on the Regional Rail Link, also shows the department wants to avoid the appointment of a government advisory panel ''to inquire into the environmental, social or planning aspects'' of the line.

Footscray resident Nick Fahey, who may lose his house to the line, said the revelations showed that his and his neighbours' faith in the government's consultation process was ''completely misplaced''.

Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu said the consultations with residents about the line had been exposed as a sham.

''This is the Windsor all over again,'' Mr Baillieu said, referring to the leaking in February of a memo prepared in Planning Minister Justin Madden's office that outlined a sham consultation process on the redevelopment of the Hotel Windsor.

Western suburbs Greens MP Colleen Hartland said Mr Brumby was showing ''contemptuous disregard'' for residents and the environment in his attitude to the regional rail project.

Mr Brumby said ''every effort'' was being made to minimise the impact on local communities. But he made it clear the project would go ahead regardless of the findings of any environmental effects statement.

Asked on Fairfax Radio if the rail project would proceed regardless of the environmental impact, Mr Brumby replied: ''We are committed to the project, let me be clear about that. Every project has an environmental impact.

''If you build a road in the outer suburbs it has an environmental impact, if you build a new building it has an environmental impact, if you build Southern Cross Station it has an environmental impact.''

Mr Brumby said the government was determined to improve public transport, which is why it had already upgraded rail services to regional centres including Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and the Latrobe Valley and why it was buying new trains and putting on extra services in Melbourne.

He said not all major projects needed an environmental effects statement. There had been one into deepening shipping channels in Port Phillip Bay, but none had been required for the $1.4 billion upgrade of the Monash and West Gate freeways.

Mr Madden is expected to decide in October whether to order an EES into the regional rail project, or set up an advisory panel, or neither.

[somebody]

I'm confused.  Why are they building a second line to Geelong?

[ozbob]

It is just a bypass line of the  western inner suburban system.  Will allow VLine trains from Geelong, Ballarat etc. to come into Southern Cross away from the suburban traffic. 

There is also problem on the Dandenong line as well.  There is talk of a triplication from Caulfield to Dandenong.  Also problems on the level crossings, at Carnegie and Murrumbeena for example the trains can keep the gates down for periods exceeding 20 minutes ...

Lack of forward planning is not confined to Queensland ...

[somebody]

Should have checked the wiki page first!  I'm still confused about this one.  Deviating via Wynham Vale & Tarneit to Deer Park would be far slower than the current alignment, which isn't really that direct either.  Some pertinent comments from "Toot":

As a train driver, let me tell you this Regional Rail Link is a huge waste of money. It will result in slower trains from Geelong. The Government commissioned a report to run 25kV AC electric powered trains from Geelong on the existing system. The report was very favourable but was buried by Department of Transport officials who are empire building with V/Line.
Where in the world are new commuter rail lines being built that are diesel powered? And check for donations to Labor at the next election from the developers at Tarniet.

At least they achieve an average speed which is comparable to the Gold Coast line.