Rally 15 November 2014 - scrap the East-West Toll Road (Melbourne)

[ozbob]

SCRAP THE EAST-WEST TOLL ROAD!

Leaflet --> here! PDF 2.4MB

Poster -->  here! PDF 6.4MB

[ozbob]

 

[Gazza]

Point 3 on the leaflet..


Why does it say "Major investment is needed to bring Melbournes trains to world standards"... And then in brackets says " Rail to Mernda, Doncaster, Rowville)

So you build those 3 extensions and Melbourne gets world class rail?

[#Metro]

Toronto does really well with its network. It is just a fraction of the size of the Melbourne network, but is used extremely intensively which generates massive efficiencies by also using buses while having minimal cost footprint.

'Rail everywhere' is a costly strategy. Perth models are quite good. Few stations spaced far apart and then if you want local service, you put the bus stops in with 400-800m stopping distance.

[Gazza]

I think Mernda makes sense,

But many of the rail proposals that come up in Melbourne just seem like foam...It would be like us saying "Build a rail line to Albany Creek" or "Build rail to Mt Ommaney".

We'd be like, "Put in a bloody BUZ"!

[ozbob]

Yes Mernda is a no-brainer. I have been to Mernda by rail in my childhood (Whittlesea line).

The others are probably mentioned because they have been ' political promises ' in the past ..

Doncaster, Roweville have no real serious chance at present IMHO.  Doncaster will probably have a BRT solution.

[ozbob]

Media Release - The 2014 Transport Election: We Demand Our Say - Rally For Public Transport

1pm, Saturday 15 November 2014, State Library Of Victoria

A public rally organised by community groups will be held this Saturday in the heart of Melbourne to demonstrate Victorians continued strong rejection of the deeply unpopular East West Link. Rally speakers will include Senator Christine Milne, Cr Stephen Jolly and community representatives.

Harriet Mantell, affected local resident and spokesperson, said the aim of this second rally is to clearly show to any newly elected Victorian government after 29 November that the Victorian people do not want this shambolic and destructive project to proceed.

In the four months since the first Rally for Public Transport (28 June 2014), opposition has continued to grow against the East West Link.  There are two Supreme Court challenges currently underway against the project. The Murphy case challenges the secrecy surrounding the economic justification.  The second, by Yarra and Moreland City councils, alleges that the Minister's decision making process was flawed. A third challenge by Moonee Valley City Council will be lodged against the "irrational" decision of the Minister to change the design.  Darebin Council recently moved to show in kind support for the three council challenges."

"This week's report "Tunnel Vision or World Class Public Transport? How cancelling the East West Link can fund better transport alternatives for Melbourne" authored by ten transport planners and financial analysts, on the huge costs of this ill-advised project, cannot be ignored," Ms Mantell said.

"It is an absolute disgrace that local residents and businesses, as well as Office of Housing residents, in Collingwood, Clifton Hill and Parkville, are still in limbo.  Many remain so close to the project boundary they will suffer the visual and noise impacts of roads only metres from their front doors.  They have not been offered compensation or relocation, and the offer of counselling from the Linking Melbourne Authority is no solace or solution. The loss of valuable public space in Royal Park, Melbourne's green lungs, is utterly unacceptable in a modern city that prides itself on its 'liveability'.

'This rally strong reiterates our three key demands: scrap the East-West Link, rip up the contracts and invest in public transport across Victoria,' Ms Mantell said.

"People understand that a growing city needs long term sustainable public transport, not a toll road link that gets you to the airport quicker. The East West Link does nothing for those in places like Bentleigh or Frankston who need to get to work. It does nothing for those in Altona or Point Cook.  For $18 billion, we need a more equitable public transport investment for all Victorians, that provides more skilled, long term and sustainable jobs than any East West Link would," concluded Ms Mantell.


Contact:  Harriet Mantell, Rally spokesperson:  0425 725 706

Rally speakers include:

    Senator Christine Milne – Australian Greens
    Cr Stephen Jolly – Socialist Party
    Noel Laidlaw – Rail Revival Alliance
    Marcellene D'Menzie – Tunnel Picket
    Rod Quantock – Protectors of Public Lands Victoria
    Sean Brocklehurst – Socialist Alliance
    Ray Jordan – All Aboard


Media Release:  The 2014 Transport Election: We Demand Our Say  – Rally For Public Transport
http://www.ycat.org.au/?p=6659&page=2

Download Media Release:  The 2014 Transport Election: We Demand Our Say  – Rally For Public Transport (pdf)
http://www.ycat.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Rally4PT_15November20141.pdf


Additional information

No East West Link – Take the Pledge: https://www.facebook.com/EastWestTunnelPledge
Public Transport Not Traffic: http://www.publictransportnottraffic.org
Residents Against the Tunnel: http://rat.org.au
Yarra Campaign for Action on Transport:  http://www.ycat.org.au


Ends.

[ozbob]

Twitter

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow

STOP #EWLink we stand with you Victoria! > http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=11037.msg148941#msg148941 ... #springst #auspol #qldpol #nswpol #sapol #wapol

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Hundreds rally against East West Link

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Melbourne Metro better for state than East West Link, government emails reveal

[ozbob]

Twitter

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow

Proud of you Melbourne & Victoria! Fight this sham #EWLink tunnel to the last vote .. #springst #vicvotes #auspol

[ozbob]

A Referendum on Melbourne's future By Andrew Herington

http://www.ycat.org.au/?p=7124

The Prime Minister has sealed the fate of the controversial East West Link. When Tony Abbott declared the November 29th Victorian election to be a referendum on the project, he gave the winner a mandate – that most precious of things in politics.

If Labor wins, the project is dead. Daniel Andrews's recent answers have been emphatic. If the Liberals win, it will have the political legitimacy that it has so far lacked. The final hurdle for the project would be whether the planning approval survives each of the three Supreme Court challenges currently underway.

Lend Lease and its consortium partners would still face protracted and well organised community resistance. In the early months, this would focus on sit-ins to prevent the excavation of a huge cutting in the central part of Royal Park – the largest hole ever proposed to be dug in Melbourne.

Denis Napthine has misread the public mood and put all his eggs in one basket, making the tollway the cornerstone of his Government whilst Daniel Andrews has staked his reputation on reversing the hastily signed contracts. The tollroad may turn out to be a very large political hole.

Polling suggests that voters are worried about jobs, education, health and public transport but the hot button issue is the fate of the East West Link. A series of polls have found strong support for spending on public transport rather than roads. Interestingly, two recent polls have found majority opposition to cancellation of the contracts – although this is highly concentrated amongst committed Liberal voters.

It was never meant to be like this. When Dr Napthine took over as Premier he was looking for a symbolic project to re-energise the Coalition Government. He ditched the 2010 commitments by Ted Baillieu and Terry Mulder to oppose the East West Link and build rail extensions to Doncaster and Rowville.

He did this expecting a wave of support from the outer eastern suburbs and motorists generally. This never emerged and the East West Link has remained relatively friendless outside of Government. Marginal seat voters have concerns much closer to home and the $18 billion total price tag has left them wondering why this vast sum could not be spent fixing more significant local problems.

Corners were cut to get the project approved and the design was developed on the run. Millions were thrown at consultants and the legislation changed to get stage one of the project signed up before the election. This deadline was met with days to spare.

It was only achieved by using unprecedented secrecy and a steadfast refusal to publicly validate the claims for the economic and environmental merits of the tollway. If the project was capable of withstanding public scrutiny the Government would be rushing to release these documents to prove its case.

Instead it has made a series of escalating claims for how many jobs will be created and how much time motorists will save.

Originally 3,000 temporary construction jobs were claimed, offset by the loss of 200 jobs in businesses demolished to make way for the massive interchanges at each end of the tunnel. The claim escalated in a series of steps to 7,500 jobs for two stages and the creation of 200,000 jobs across the economy.

The Government claims the tollway will save 90 minutes on a trip from Ringwood to the Airport, – which this is more than the current trip time. The widening of the Tullamarine is now claimed to save another 20 minutes.

The traffic assumptions have been seriously questioned by independent experts and the level of tolls kept a closely held secret. Four recent tollways in Sydney and Brisbane have financially collapsed through unexpectedly low traffic usage.

The contract is said to contain a secret "poison pill" to try to prevent it being reversed. The legality of this is doubtful but the Prime Minister has put paid to this threat by endorsing the election as a referendum.

If Labor wins the election there will be no doubt about its mandate to terminate the project. It can re-direct funding to its public transport priorities and the removal of 50 level crossings causing congestion at numerous locations across Melbourne.

The endorsement of the Prime Minister puts paid to the "sovereign risk" argument against cancelling the contract. The decision to scrap the project would not just be the new government's doing, but a change endorsed in an election where the major issue was the fate of the project.

Lend Lease told the Court of Appeal that it had spent $60 million so far on the project. This would be a small price to pay to change direction and invest the rest of the $18 billion on higher priority projects with a publicly proven benefit for the community.

It would also be a small price to change direction on how Melbourne develops and protect its renowned liveability by investing in public transport instead of roads.


Andrew Herington is a former Labor Ministerial Adviser now a Melbourne freelance writer who has worked with community groups opposing the East West Link.


A Referendum on Melbourne's future also published at Public Transport Not Traffic
http://www.publictransportnottraffic.org/melbourne_s_future

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Victorian election 2014: Is this a promise Abbott dare keep?