Major transport and urban planning reforms are needed to prepare Victoria for significant increases in petrol prices, say the environment, social and transport groups organising today’s conference Peak Oil, Petrol Prices and Climate Change: Preparing Victoria for the Future.
These plans must include massive investment in public transport in both Melbourne and rural and regional areas to ensure travel to work and recreation remains affordable.
‘Unless there are affordable public transport alternatives to get to and from work families will struggle to manage big petrol prices rises,’ says Carolyn Atkins, Acting CEO of the Victorian Council of Social Service.
‘Major new public transport investments would slash Victoria’s greenhouse gas emissions from transport,’ says Robyn Evans, Sustainable Transport Campaigner at Environment Victoria. ‘Major rail investment would also address the current problem of overcrowding.’
‘Forty years of disconnect between transport and land use planning need to be reversed, with an expanded network of train, tram and bus services coordinated to provide a seamless network,’ says Public Transport Users Association President Daniel Bowen.
The Peak Oil conference heard from Professor Peter Newman, Dr Richard Denniss and Dr Jago Dodson prior to intensive sector workshops. Workshops developed recommendations for action that will be published soon.
Conference attendees include representatives from government, business and community and from across diverse sectors of transport and land use planning, business, agriculture and rural and regional development, health and education.