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Media Release

Poor Transport Planning Means Delahunty Ditched

The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has demanded that the State Government strengthen the role of public transport provision and infrastructure, saying that otherwise its planning and transport policies are doomed to fail.

"Despite the continued rhetoric of Melbourne 2030, Mary Delahunty failed abysmally in combining planning with the need for improved public transport within Melbourne", PTUA President Daniel Bowen said. "Rob Hulls as the new Planning Minster must ensure that this serious mistake is immediately rectified beginning in this year's budget."

In 2002 the State Government released Melbourne 2030, which 'was designed to integrate land-use and transport policies around activity centres, to create a balanced and workable city' and to ensure that 'the public transport system makes the city generally easy to traverse' (Introduction, Melbourne 2030). Since its inception, however, Mary Delahunty has failed to incorporate enhanced public transport into the planning of activity centres, resulting in development failures such as Doncaster Hill and the hobbling of a major tram/train interchange at Melbourne Central.

Peter Batchelor, the Minister for Transport, lost the Major Projects portfolio, due largely to continued delays in projects such as the Spencer Street Station redevelopment and the fast rail project, as well as the failure to honour election promises such as the Knox tram extension.

Key election promises made in 1999 by the then Bracks Opposition such as the South Morang rail extension and an overhaul of bus services to provide 'increased frequency and spread of services' (Page 10, Rebuilding a Transport Network, Labor's Plan) have not yet been implemented by Peter Batchelor and the Bracks Government.

"Now that Peter Batchelor will be focusing solely on transport, we expect him to take immediate action to provide improved public transport services, particularly in the long neglected outer areas of Melbourne," Mr. Bowen said. "Mr. Batchelor is fortunate to have the opportunity to rectify his past mistakes and as a result we hope that Melbourne will begin to see significantly enhanced public transport services. Working with Mr. Hulls, he must take action if the government's goal of 20% of trips by public transport by 2020 is to be achieved".

Contacts:
PTUA Office 9650 7898

© 2010 Public Transport Users Association Inc. (PTUA), Victoria, Australia. ABN 83 801 487 611.
General copying and distribution on a non-commercial basis is permitted subject to proper acknowlegement.
Authorised by Tony Morton, 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, for the PTUA

Last Modified: 25 January 2005