Broken Promises Mr. Baillieu – Pressure rises over lack of transport plan

Transport groups want to know where the Baillieu government's plan is. Photo: Craig Abraham

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 transport minister a 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…

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.  Jason Dowling, The Age, February 6, 2013

To read more go to: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/pressure-rises-over-lack-of-transport-plan-20130205-2dwl1.html#ixzz2K4FrHkuj