Archive for August 21st, 2008

Eastern Transport Coalition - Strengthening our aims and objectives

Published by Alex Makin on Thursday 21st of August, 2008

With the success of the Eastern Transport Coalition’s recent public transport summit and State Government announcing that it will release a new transport plan in November of this year, it was timely to review the group’s mission statement and objectives to reflect the growing need for public transport improvements.

The ETC’s mission statement has been revised to reflect the importance of accessibility, as well as the need for an integrated public transport system that will improve the liveability of Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. The mission now reads as follows:

The Eastern Transport Coalition will advocate for integrated and accessible sustainable transport in the Eastern region of Melbourne to improve liveability and reduce car dependency.

This mission statement will ensure that that the ETC will remain a strong advocate for public transport improvements within its member councils.

Tonight’s meeting also included a presentation from the Bus Association of Victoria to provide some input into the impending bus service reviews for Maroondah, Knox and the Yarra Ranges. It is unsurprising that bus routes that have received improvements, such as frequent services and longer operating spans, have seen patronage increases, especially the Ringwood to Frankston SmartBus which has seen almost a 60% increase in patronage.

The success of the Ringwood to Frankston SmartBus, as well as other SmartBus routes demonstrates that people will use bus services when they are fast, frequent, direct and readily available. The State Government must therefore respond by accelerating its implementation of the SmartBus program so that the orbital network is completed by the end of 2010, rather than the original completion date of 2015. This would assist in providing transport choice for residents that live beyond the reaches of the rail network.

Likewise local routes need further improvements with the the State Government’s minimum service standard of hourly frequencies being inadequate. These routes should be provided with a half-hourly frequency, which would enable better connections with the rail network and other bus services.

The bus network across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs requires substantial improvements and the State Government must use the bus service review process to deliver bus services that provide transport choice for Melbourne’s outer east.

I have stressed to my council colleagues the importance of engaging the community over the bus service reviews. Council will be hosting its own forum to discuss bus improvements once the State Government releases its timeframe for the service reviews. This will ensure that council is providing feedback that is consistent with the views of our community.

We must continue making a difference to secure public transport improvements within Maroondah and Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

Melbourne 2030 Reference Group

Published by Alex Makin on Thursday 14th of February, 2008

Thursday, 21 February 2008
10:00 am	to	12:00 pm
Thursday, 24 April 2008
10:00 am	to	12:00 pm
Thursday, 12 June 2008
10:00 am	to	12:00 pm
Thursday, 21 August 2008
10:00 am	to	12:00 pm
Thursday, 30 October 2008
10:00 am	to	12:00 pm
Thursday, 11 December 2008
10:00 am	to	12:00 pm

The Melbourne 2030 Reference Group provides a forum for councils to discuss the State Government’s Melbourne 2030 planning policy and its ramifications for local government. The group has focused on activity centre development, public transport and sustainability to ensure that local councils are empowered and supported by the State Government in the aim of creating sustainable communities.

Ultimately the State Government must lead by example and implement its own planning policies. Ringwood, where Maroondah Council has been advocating for an upgrade of Ringwood Station, is an example of where State Government commitment is required to ensure the creation of a vibrant and sustainable urban community. While Maroondah has been strengthening its planning schemes to encourage sustainable urban design, these efforts will be difficult without a newly redeveloped Ringwood Station or a stronger statewide emphasis on accessible and sustainable urban design.

The Melbourne 2030 Reference Group provides an avenue to discuss these concerns and to seek improvements into the implementation of Melbourne 2030. I have been Maroondah’s delegated representative to this committee since being elected in November 2005.

Eastern Transport Coalition meeting

Published by Alex Makin on Wednesday 19th of December, 2007

Thursday, 24 January 2008
6:30 pm	to	9:00 pm
Thursday, 21 February 2008
6:30 pm	to	9:00 pm
Thursday, 20 March 2008
6:30 pm	to	9:00 pm
Thursday, 17 April 2008
6:30 pm	to	9:00 pm
Thursday, 15 May 2008
6:30 pm	to	9:00 pm
Thursday, 19 June 2008
6:30 pm	to	9:00 pm
Thursday, 17 July 2008
6:30 pm	to	9:00 pm
Thursday, 21 August 2008
6:30 pm	to	9:00 pm
Thursday, 18 September 2008
6:30 pm	to	9:00 pm
Thursday, 16 October 2008
6:30 pm	to	9:00 pm
Thursday, 18 December 2008
6:30 pm	to	9:00 pm

The Eastern Transport Coalition consists of seven outer eastern metropolitan councils (Maroondah, Knox, Whitehorse, Yarra Ranges, Manningham, Monash and Greater Dandenong) and is a regional based advocacy group that lobbies for better public transport in Melbourne’s outer east.

The Eastern Transport Coalition meets on a monthly basis to discuss the transport priorities of the region and to further its advocacy for public transport. I have been Maroondah’s delegated representative on the Eastern Transport Coalition since my election in November 2005 and have been re-appointed as the delegate for 2008.

For more information on the Eastern Transport Coalition please visit www.etc.org.au.