The Chairperson of the ETC, Cr Mick Van De Vreede said that the need for better public transport was high on the agenda at the recent local 2020 summit hosted by the Federal Member for Chisholm, Anna Burke, along with five other local MPs from the eastern and southeastern suburbs.

“The ETC was invited and attended Your Local 2020 Summit held jointly by the Federal Members for Chisholm, Deakin, Holt, Hotham, Bruce and Isaacs, and found that there was a great deal of interest in the Federal Government providing funding for major urban public transport infrastructure.

“This confirmed what we found in a major survey last year – 71% of people use cars to get to work and 61% would use public transport if the option was available.

“The survey also found that the Federal Government can help provide that option, 62% of respondents said it was not acceptable that the Federal Government provided funding for major roads but not for public transport infrastructure.

“The Federal Government currently provides billions of dollars for major road infrastructure but public transport is a viable and a necessary alternative. People know that public transport can achieve the same ends, taking private cars off the roads, helping reduce greenhouse gas emission and leaving road space for freight.

“Our local residents don’t want to see each level of Government blame each other, 76% believed the State and Federal Governments should share the cost for all necessary public transport infrastructure.

“In Melbourne’s east we have a number of key projects which would make Melbourne’s transport work better, we want the Federal Government to change its transport funding policies so they can be considered. The projects which would make a difference for us are;

• Heavy Rail to Rowville,
• Increased capacity of Belgrave, Lilydale and Dandenong Lines,
• Heavy Rail to Doncaster,
• Improved transport Interchanges.

“We hope that the Federal Government can act on the ALP platform and modify AusLink to provide funding for major public transport infrastructure,” Cr Mick Van De Vreede concluded.

Federal Member for Chisholm, Anna Burke said a number of groups at Saturday’s summit emphasised the importance of reducing car dependency and of providing integrated local transport choices.

“There is a clear need for long-term public transport planning and a role for the Federal Government in urban planning and development,” Ms Burke said.

For more information please contact;

ETC Chairperson Cr Mick Van De Vreede 0438 029 932
CPR Communications, Robert Larocca 0409 198 350

The Eastern Transport Coalition has reacted with disappointment that the Eddington Report fails to provide a long term vision for public transport that includes the outer eastern suburbs

The Eastern Transport Coalition has reacted with disappointment that the Eddington Report fails to provide a long term vision for public transport that includes the outer eastern suburbs.

The Chairperson of the ETC, Cr Mick Van De Vreede said that Sir Rod Eddington was correct that a massive investment was needed in public transport to save the environment, Melbourne’s liveability and to protect families from rising fuel prices.

“The recommendation to increase the capacity of the Dandenong line through an underground system is welcome. The acknowledgement that massive investment is needed in public transport for environmental and social reasons is also welcome.

“The report also makes the right choice by putting the rail project first.

“We also welcome the recommendation to speed up the implementation of priority measures for buses.

“We are however very disappointed that there is no long term vision for the outer east. The report represents a real lost opportunity to help families reduce travel costs, reduce congestion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“We will now campaign for the State Government to include plans for projects such as rail to Rowville and rail to Doncaster in its response.

“We need a long term vision for rapid transit in the outer east.

“Rail to Rowville for example would remove 2400 cars from the roads every hour, cars that otherwise cause congestion as they head into the city.

“The report seems to ‘give up’ on the east, suggesting that as residents already prefer to use cars rather than existing rail services there is no point in expanding rail.

“This ignores the fact that many interconnecting bus services only run to 7pm thereby providing no access to the rail network from people’s homes and when zone 3 was removed people flocked to the trains.

“The report ignores the fact is that tens of thousands of families in the outer east currently have no option but a car and are therefore more exposed to rapid increases in fuel price. Expansions of rail to Doncaster and Rowville would provide people with rapid public transport services they don’t get with buses.

“We strongly feel that families in the outer east should have the same transport options as other parts of Melbourne,” Cr Mick Van De Vreede concluded.

For more information please contact;
ETC Chairperson Cr Mick Van De Vreede 0438 029 932