Article: Pressure rises over lack of transport plan

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Pressure rises over lack of transport plan

Pressure rises over lack of transport plan
February 6, 2013 Jason Dowling

MORE than two years after taking office the Baillieu Government is yet to deliver a transport plan for Victoria detailing transport priorities, costings and construction dates.

The lack of a dedicated transport plan comes as business groups and unions express alarm at the lack of infrastructure projects in Victoria.

The Department of Transport is required to give the planning minister a transport plan that sets out ''medium-to-long-term strategic directions''.

It is unclear if this has occurred and no plan has been released by the government.

In July 2011, the Baillieu government said a ''transport solutions plan'' to address ''logistical bottlenecks in the transport networks'' would be out in 12-18 months. No plan has been seen.

In the lead-up to the last state election, the Coalition promised on public transport to ''do what John Brumby has failed to do and implement a clear plan to meet future growth in commuter numbers''.

Transport groups are now asking where is Victoria's transport plan, including a pipeline of new infrastructure projects.

They are critical of the number of feasibility studies, including rail links to Melbourne Airport, Doncaster and Rowville and the absence of a delivery plan with timelines.

''We would have expected to see by now some kind of plan that would explain how the still-growing patronage on the public transport network is going to be accommodated,'' Public Transport Users Association president Tony Morton said.

Dave Jones from the RACV said Victoria needed a long-term, integrated transport plan and an investment strategy.

''A long-term integrated transport plan that covers road, rail and public transport services and is integrated with a land use plan,'' he said. Mr Jones said Victoria needed an investment strategy to ensure plans could be delivered.

The Baillieu government is working on a new Metropolitan Planning Strategy that will include transport planning and has submitted an infrastructure funding priority list to the federal government that includes the east-west freeway link and Melbourne Metro Rail project.

Opposition public transport spokeswoman Fiona Richardson said the government had failed to deliver a complete transport plan. ''There's a clear and obvious reason why public transport is getting worse under the Liberals and that's because not only is there little if any new infrastructure investment but all plans to fix the problems remain a figment of the minister's imagination,'' she said.

A Baillieu government spokeswoman said the previous government had ''an unfunded glossy brochure with the words transport plan printed on it, yet weren't too fussed about funding it all''. She said the government had funded road and public transport projects that will start construction this year.

''The Coalition government has committed funding to progress its priority infrastructure projects that the Commonwealth government are yet to commit funding to,'' she said.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/pressure-rises-over-lack-of-transport-plan-20130205-2dwl1.html