Ministerial Statement: Community involvement sought for Melbourne Metro

[ozbob]

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/4051-community-involvement-sought-for-melbourne-metro.html

Community involvement sought for Melbourne Metro

Wednesday, 30 May 2012
From the Minister for Public Transport

Detailed planning for Melbourne Metro, a nine-kilometre rail tunnel between South Kensington and South Yarra via the CBD, is in full swing with the Minister for Public Transport Terry Mulder today calling for nominations to be part of the project's Community Reference Group.

Mr Mulder said community input, ideas and feedback would be critical to shaping the direction of this city-changing project.

"Melbourne Metro is a key Victorian Coalition Government priority and will strengthen the inner core of the rail network and provide capacity for additional services to the growth corridors in Melbourne's west, north and south east," Mr Mulder said.

"The Coalition Government is preparing to commence the formal statutory planning process for Melbourne Metro shortly.

"Throughout this process we will be talking to landowners along the proposed alignment, community members, rail passengers and key stakeholders to ensure ideas and feedback are sought at a time when they can inform project decisions and designs.

"Given the far-reaching benefits of Melbourne Metro, a Community Reference Group will be established to ensure communities affected by the project have the opportunity to participate in its development.

"The Community Reference Group will involve representatives from the local community, key land users and local government to ensure community inputs and perspectives are considered and understood by the Melbourne Metro project team."

Mr Mulder said the group would actively contribute to the development of the best possible outcomes for Melbourne Metro.

"To date, the local community has shown overwhelming support for Melbourne Metro and now it is time to start talking at a more detailed level about the intricacies associated with building a project of this size through the middle of the city," Mr Mulder said.

"We are also working closely with a number of key stakeholders in the development of Melbourne Metro, including the City of Melbourne, City of Stonnington, City of Port Phillip and major institutions along the route."

The announcement of the Community Reference Group follows the recent State Budget allocation of $49.7 million to further progress planning and development and reserve a corridor of land for the project

"Melbourne Metro is critical to ensure our rail network remains positioned to deal with future demand on public transport," Mr Mulder said.

"The Victorian Government has allocated vital funds to protect the corridor and ready the project for when Commonwealth funding is available for construction.

"We have sought further funding from the Commonwealth Government to continue pre-construction work," Mr Mulder said.

Melbourne Metro is a nine-kilometre rail tunnel between South Kensington and South Yarra that will bypass the existing congested inner city tracks and stations. It includes five new underground stations at Arden, Parkville, CBD North (Melbourne Central), CBD South (Flinders Street) and Domain.

The Melbourne Metro Community Reference Group terms of reference and details of how to nominate as a community participant are available at www.ptv.vic.gov.au/melbournemetro or by calling 1800 800 007. Nominations close on Friday 29 June 2012.

More information available at www.ptv.vic.gov.au/melbournemetro

[somebody]

Melbourne Metro?  What sort of a name is that?

Why's this tunnel needed.  I understood there was plenty of capacity to increase trains into Flinders St/Southern Cross

[ozbob]

Personally, don't think this will ever fly.  A much greater priority is the rail corridor Caulfield to Pakenham.  Big issues with lack of capacity, level crossings and so forth.