Australia: Transport plan is taking us the wrong way

JOHN Brumby has put the cart before the horse. The first step in the creation of a sensible transport policy is for Melburnians to decide what they want. The second step is to decide what ownership structure will best deliver this.

I would guess that Melburnians want liveability together with mobility. The question is how do we achieve this against a background of peak oil, global warming and another million people by 2030?


Even before these issues were on the radar, 5000 Melburnians and their grassroots organisations who were consulted on the Melbourne 2030 strategy said they would be prepared to accept in-fill development providing it was associated with an improved public transport system to make higher-density living tolerable. Instead we have multibillion-dollar freeways/tollways, increased congestion and in-fill without improved public transport.

The powerful and well-connected banks and developers that have a stranglehold on the infrastructure decisions that will define Melbourne’s liveability and mobility for the next 60 years must love it. When push comes to shove, they will be able to decamp to Noosa to escape the urban mess they are creating. And the politicians will hope that when their political careers begin to wane they will be able to move into the directorships and consultancies for which their experience in government has qualified them.

In short, what Melburnians wanted