August 2007

Media Release: Enter into Zones of Isolation

Posted on 22 August 2007 by alex

Walk into the latest exhibition at Maroondah Art Gallery and you will enter into Zones of Isolation – an interpretation by artist Simon Cross of the urban parklands and industrial estates of our cities.

Councillor Alex Makin encourages the community to view this solo exhibition by Simon Cross, who was awarded the inaugural 2006 Walker Street Art Gallery art prize funded by the City of Greater Dandenong.

“This annual art prize was set up to encourage and showcase the work of emerging male artists and is supported by Maroondah City Council and the City of Kingston,” said Cr Makin.

“Simon’s work encompasses painting and photography, with much of the action taking place in sparse urban parklands or on the edges of desolate industrial estates,” said Cr Main.

Figures wander into these paintings like actors on a stage; some seem oblivious to the strange sculptures located in these settings while others make careful observation of the world about them. Improbable things occur, such as people and animals taking to the air, but more often than not, the drama is one of isolation.

In Cross’s photographs toys and mannequins peer at the viewer, leaving us to wonder about their history and position in the eerie landscapes surrounding them.

‘Simon Cross – Zones of Isolation’ will be on show at the Maroondah Art Gallery from 23 August to 22 September Maroondah Art Gallery is located at Maroondah Federation Estate, 32 Greenwood Avenue, Ringwood.

Opening hours are Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 4pm and Saturday 12pm to 4pm. For further information telephone the Maroondah Art Gallery Curator on 9298 4542.

Delegates' Report: Improving our urban sustainability through the Eastern Transport Coalition

Posted on 20 August 2007 by alex

There were a number of significant events that occurred over the past month and I would like to use this opportunity to brief both council and the wider community:

On the 20th of July the Eastern Transport Coalition, which consists of Melbourne’s seven eastern councils, organised a bus tour for Meredith Sussex the Coordinator-General of Infrastructure. Meredith is responsible for coordinating the areas of planning and transport on behalf of the State Government. Given the urban revitalisation and consolidation that is occurring in the eastern suburbs, it was imperative that Meredith saw the region firsthand to understand the issues facing the seven councils, including Maroondah.

As the Maroondah delegate on the Eastern Transport Coalition, I discussed the council’s vision for Maroondah, with a particular emphasis on the Ringwood Transit City and Croydon Activity Centre. We stressed the need for further bus improvements, particularly along main thoroughfares such as Maroondah Highway, Canterbury Road, Dorset and Wonga Roads to ensure that our community is provided with transport choice. We also highlighted the need for rail frequency improvements, where currently people must wait up to half an hour to catch a train between Ringwood and Croydon during a weekday, despite the fact that services are more frequent, with a twenty minute interval, on weekends.

We also discussed the need to upgrade Ringwood Station and for improvements along the pedestrian crossing at Maroondah Highway.

I will be tabling the factsheet compiled by Maroondah’s Sustainability Department, which explained Council’s direction and highlighted the issues requiring active involvement from the State Government.

The tour provided a welcomed opportunity to explore these issues firsthand and I would like to thank Meredith for her time.

On the 12th of August I attended a meeting organised by the Maroondah Climate Change Action Group and supported by Maroondah City Council. The meeting, which explored the issues surrounding climate change, was well attended and demonstrated the partnership that can exist between the community and council. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Maroondah’s Sustainability Department for providing logistical support for this function and hope that this will be the first of many instances of where we as a council support such groups in exploring environmental issues.

Lastly, on the 14th and 15th of August, as part of a delegation from the Eastern Transport Coalition, I flew to Canberra to discuss public transport issues with Federal Parliamentarians and to meet other stakeholder groups such as the Australasian Railways Association and the Australian Local Government Association.

Despite the dramas experienced at Melbourne Airport, where our 8.25 am flight did not depart until 11.10 am, the trip was extremely productive, once we finally arrived in Canberra.

Australia remains the only OECD nation, that is the only Westernised nation, where the Federal Government has no involvement in urban public transport. This is despite the recent Sustainable Cities Inquiry of 2005, which was based on a vision for Australian cities to be vibrant and healthy and concluded that a coordinated and concerted action plan, through leadership from the Federal Government, was currently missing in regard to our cities.

There is an economic, social and environmental case for Federal involvement in urban public transport and the ALGA motions brought forward in tonight’s agenda expand upon these elements.

In particular, however, is the issue of good governance and accountability and I would like to take this opportunity to clarify the stance of the Eastern Transport Coalition.

Cost-shifting from the State Government is a major source of frustration and increases costs to local government and our community. Since we experience this burden firsthand we are not about to try and shift State responsibilities to the Federal government. What we are calling for is Federal involvement to keep State Governments accountable. Federal involvement in urban public transport would help ensure that the State Government lives up to its pledge of improving public transport and finally delivers on previously made promises, such as the third track to Ringwood which was promised by the current State Labor Government since its election in 1999.

Federal leadership would further the infrastructure investment within our region and boost our the wellbeing of our community, the same way that the offer for matched federal funding for the then Scoresby Freeway ensured that it was on the State Government agenda.

The Eastern Transport Coalition is not about to shift costs and responsibilities to the Federal Government, what we are calling for is better governance and Federal leadership on this issue to ensure greater sustainability and the economic wellbeing of the eastern suburbs.

The trip to Canberra provided an opportunity to explore these issues with Parliamentarians and there is definite potential to explore suitable models for Federal leadership in creating Sustainable Cities. Federal leadership and involvement in such issues will ensure greater accountability and ensure that State Governments are not able to simply forget about their responsibilities for urban sustainability and public transport.

I will be tabling my written report that the trip to Canberra as well as the Eastern Transport Coalition’s report on the feasibility of federal funding for urban public transport.

MAV Energy Efficiency and Generation Forum

Posted on 16 August 2007 by alex

Along with Cr. Jo-anne Taylor and members of Maroondah’s Sustainability Department, I attended a forum hosted by the MAV on energy efficiency to learn about initiatives being undertaken by other councils around Victoria.

The forum explored projects being undertaken by councils and the community to improve the sustainability and efficiency of energy production and usage. A number of councils are now looking at an energy sustainability fund, a concept similar to Maroondah’s water sustainability fund, and I will be advocating for an energy fund within Maroondah’s budget next year.

Energy saving initiatives often provide quick economic benefits since the focus is on improving the efficiency of energy usage and lowering overall requirements. While some projects such as energy efficient public lighting requires the cooperation of energy distributors, other concepts can be initiated solely through councils such as improving the efficiency of council buildings and vehicle fleets.

The forum provided an opportunity to exchange knowledge and provided valuable information on the initiatives being undertaken by councils. It is clear that Maroondah must focus on issues surrounding energy usage in the same way we have to begun to tackle water sustainability.

Second Reconciliation Workshop

Posted on 15 August 2007 by alex

This evening, upon my return from Canberra, I attended the second community workshop in regard to the 1967 Referendum and to identify the issues facing both mainstream and indigenous Australia.

While the first workshop focused on identifying a number of goals required to improve the wellbeing of Indigenous Australians, the second workshop focused on the challenges that stand in the way of achieving this vision and the potential resources that exist to help overcome these issues.

Like all sectors of society, issues surrounding a lack of mobility and onerous bureaucratic processes, are significant barriers and these must be overcome. A lack of public transport, particularly within townships of the Yarra Ranges, makes it difficult for Indigenous Australians to access services that are commonly located in Lilydale and a lack of cultural awareness coupled with bureaucratic paperwork can make it difficult to deliver these necessary services.

Issues such as these can be overcome and in particular there is a need for government to streamline duplication and to focus on service delivery, programs need to be provided with a sustainable funding basis and all levels of government need to work in a cooperative manner. These issues are in fact quite similar to mainstream society where wasteful duplication costs taxpayers both in terms of service delivery and service costs.

The feedback from these workshops will aim to serve as a discussion point for the forum organised for Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th of September. As part of these proceedings I have been invited to participate in a panel discussion on the 18th.

ETC delegation to Canberra – Federal leadership on urban sustainability

Posted on 15 August 2007 by alex

To further its campaign for public transport improvements in the eastern suburbs, the Eastern Transport Coalition funded a delegation to Canberra to lobby Federal Parliamentarians for involvement in urban public transport.

I was part of this delegation which consisted of Knox Councillor and ETC Chair, Cr. Mick Van de Vreede, Manningham Councillor, Grace La Vella and the CEO of Greater Dandenong, John Bennie. In addition, the trip also had the support of the Metropolitan Transport Forum, meaning that the delegation was in effect representing most of metropolitan Melbourne.

In 2005 The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Environment And Heritage tabled its report on an inquiry into Sustainable Cities. This report identified the need for sustainable cities through a vision of economically, socially and environmentally vibrant and healthy urban centres. In particular, the report identified that there is a need for the Federal Government to assume a significant leadership role in achieving sustainable cities. Despite these findings neither the Australian Liberal Party or the ALP have currently formally responded to the recommendations listed within the report.

Despite delays at Melbourne Airport, where our 8.25 am flight did not depart until 11.10 am, the trip proved to be beneficial through direct meetings with Federal Parliamentarians, advisors and other key industry groups.

The delegation left Melbourne on Tuesday the 14th of August and arranged meetings with:

Dr. Mal Washer, Member for Moore and Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Environment and Heritage;
Martin Ferguson, Shadow Minister for Transport;
Stewart McArthur, Corangamite and member of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Environment and Heritage and member of the Sustainable Cities Inquiry;
Simon Crean, Shadow Minister for Regional Development;
Advisors to Mark Vale, Minister for Transport;
Anna Burke, Member for Chisholm

In addition, Mick van de Vreede and I also met:

The Australasian Railways Association;
The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA).

The ETC prepared a presentation outlining the economic, social and environmental benefits of public transport and highlighted the national costs of these issues to explain the need for Federal involvement in urban public transport. There was general consensus that, with the exception of Western Australia, State Governments across Australia have failed to adequately improve public transport and that models examining the potential for federal funding are worth exploring.

The delegation provided an opportunity to directly lobby members of Federal Parliament and other key stakeholders over issues surrounding the sustainability of Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. In particular these discussions will allow the Eastern Transport Coalition to develop further content to explore suitable models for Federal involvement in urban public transport.

Media Release: Survey finds Melbourne's east want federal funding for public transport

Posted on 14 August 2007 by alex

A survey of 1000 people commissioned by the Melbourne based Eastern Transport Coalition and conducted by the Australian Research Group has shown that a majority of voters in key eastern Melbourne Federal electorates want the Federal Government to consider funding public transport as well as roads.

ETC Chairperson, Cr Mick Van de Vreede said that congestion was a major problem in the east of Melbourne and because of major holes in the public transport network meant people often had no option.

71% of people use cars to get to work and 61% would use public transport if the option was available.

“The Federal Government can help provide that option, 62% of respondents said it was not acceptable that the Federal Government provided funding for major roads but not for public transport infrastructure.

The Federal Government currently provides billions of dollars for major road infrastructure and they refuse to see public transport as a viable alternative. The fact is however public transport can achieve the same ends, taking private cars off the roads, helping reduce greenhouse gas emission and leaving road space for freight.

Our local residents don’t want to see each level of Government blame each other, 76% believed the State and Federal Governments should share the cost for all necessary public transport infrastructure.

“n Melbourne’s east we have a number of key projects which would make Melbourne’s transport work better, we want the Federal Government to change its transport funding policies so they can be considered. The projects which would make a difference for us are;

Heavy Rail to Rowville,
Increased capacity of Belgrave, Lilydale and Dandenong Lines,
Heavy Rail to Doncaster,
Upgrades to transport Interchanges such as Ringwood Station.

“The Rowville Rail is a point in case. If it were built, 2400 cars or a freeway lane of traffic would be removed from our roads every hour.

“While the Federal Government doesn’t currently fund public transport projects, this has been recommended by the Federal parliamentary Committee on Environment and Heritage that the provision of Australian Government transport infrastructure funds include ‘provision of funding specifically for sustainable public transport infrastructure for suburbs and developments on the outer fringes of our cities.’

“The residents of Melbourne’s east clearly want the Federal Government to help improve our public transport,” Cr Van de Vreede concluded.

The sample for the survey was 1000 people in the Federal electorates within the ETC member Councils area.

Continue reading “Media Release: Survey finds Melbourne's east want federal funding for public transport”

Presentation on urban sustainability and transport

Posted on 13 August 2007 by alex

This afternoon I was invited to deliver a presentation exploring the linkages between urban sustainability and public transport to the 41st Annual Geography Conference organised by the Geography Teachers Association of Victoria (GTAV).

The hour-long presentation provided a synopsis on the economic, social and environmental benefits of public transport, investigated current urban policies and examined Ringwood as a case study to demonstrate the interdependence between urban sustainability and public transport.

While the State Government appears to have neglected its goal of increasing public transport modal share to 20% by the year 2020, this target is required to mitigate rising congestion. With an annual cost of $4 billion annually, congestion is currently outpacing Melbourne’s population growth. Likewise the provision of public transport will provide transport choice to the many outer suburban households that are struggling due to rising petrol prices and the fact that private transport consumes up to 20% of budgets within these households.

The lack of public transport in Melbourne’s outer suburbs can also place non-car households at a significant disadvantage and limit the ability to participate in employment, educational, community and recreational opportunities. Similarly, obesity and health issues such as diabetes, can be symptomatic of car dependent suburbs where the potential to exercise is diminished.

In regard to environmental sustainability, transport accounts for 17% of Australia’s national greenhouse emissions and is the fastest growing sector of emissions. The figures are even more stark for individual households, where due to car dependence, transport is responsible for up to 49% of greenhouse emissions and is the largest contributing source of emissions within households.

These and other costs mean that car dependence is not sustainable and that urban sustainability cannot be achieved under current practices. While it may be claimed that excessive car usage contributes to the economy, when equating the economic, social and environmental impacts of car dependence there is an annual deficit of $16.3 billion.

Melbourne 2030, the State Government’s urban planning strategy was supposed to achieve a more sustainable future for Melbourne. While the plan identified numerous activity centres, each of which are earmarked for urban development, the public transport network that was supposed to cater to these urban centres remains underdeveloped.

This is even more apparent in the purpose-built activity centres that were initially designed to showcase the integration that was to result between transport and planning. Activity centres such as South Morang, Cranbourne East and Wyndham Vale have been denied much needed rail extensions despite their location within the rapidly developing growth corridors.

The problems experienced with Melbourne’s public transport system, such as unreliable train services, infrequent and poorly connected bus services and trams that terminate short of logical destinations can be resolved, but it requires Government will. Within Australia, Perth has proven to be an example of the improvements that can result from an integration between transport and planning and a commitment to urban sustainability. As an example, Perth recently doubled the size of its rail network, including the construction of a new 70km rail line (twice the distance of the CBD to Dandenong) and new stations are built simultaneously with urban development.

The integration that has borne results in Perth needs to be implemented in Melbourne, particularly for designated transit cities such as Ringwood. The suburb of Ringwood, located 27km east of Melbourne’s CBD, has been designated an area of higher density development but the State Government has been lacklustre in its commitment to improving public transport.

Ringwood currently suffers due to a disjointed retail precinct and transport hub which requires pedestrians to cross a six lane highway. Despite the goals of creating a sustainable community, the State Government and VicRoads have currently refused requests to make it easier to cross Maroondah Highway. Coupled with poor public transport, which includes making public transport users wait up to half an hour to travel between Ringwood and Croydon, the current culture of car dependence is exacerbated and potentially jeopardises the ability to create green open space and a new heart for Ringwood. Furthermore the lack of commitment over the redevelopment of Ringwood Station has created uncertainty for major developers resulting in unnecessary delays.

Each of these issues are interrelated, since due to poor public transport there is less open space which creates a pedestrian hostile environment and investment delays as developers wait for these issues to be rectified. While 40% of land in Melbourne used for roads and carparks, a staggering 62% of land within Ringwood is used for these purposes, leaving less land available for residential, commercial and community purposes.

While new developments, such as three storey residential buildings, are occurring the investment in public transport and hence the investor confidence in larger commercial developments is not. In particular, while residents within these new developments are encouraged to use public transport, walking and cycling as a form of travel this will not be sustainable if public transport is not improved.

Poor public transport connectivity and a lack of frequent bus services along main roads, such as Maroondah Highway, Canterbury and Wonga Roads, means that public transport usage will remain limited due to the fact that these poor levels of service fail to provide a real transport choice. The State Government must deliver significant public transport improvements to demonstrate that it is committed to creating a sustainable community within Ringwood.

The provision of sustainable transport is a key component of creating a sustainable community and increasing economic, social and environmental pressures means that action is required.

Presentation on urban sustainability and transport delivered at the 2007 GTAV Conference

Maroondah Climate Change Action Group: the Science, Politics and Solutions on Climate Change

Posted on 12 August 2007 by alex

The Maroondah Climate Change Action Group was formed earlier this year to advocate to all levels of government on the need for action in regard to climate change and to educate the wider Maroondah community on the need for greater environmental sustainability. In working towards these aims, the group organised a public presentation at the Karralyka Centre which explored the growing consensus around climate change and the solutions that are available.

The presentation included two speakers, Dr. Peter Christoff, the Vice-President of the Australian Conservation Society and Professor at the School of Social and Environmental Enquiry at the University of Melbourne and Mark Wakeham from Greenpeace.

Dr. Christoff, who was trained to deliver presentations on Al Gore’s film An Inconvenient Truth, was able to reinforce his presentation with a number of localised examples, showing the repercussions that climate change would present to Australia. While the focus of the presentation was in regard to energy, Dr. Christoff did make reference to the damage being caused by the transport sector, which remains Australia’s fastest growing source of emissions.

Mark Wakeham spoke about the need for greenhouse reduction targets, but failed to provide any indication as to whether political parties would in reality meet such goals. While setting greenhouse reduction targets might be seen as a positive step forward, there is a need for a detailed implementation plan to achieve such goals.

As an example, the State Government has targets to increase rail freight usage to 30% by the year 2010 and public transport modal share to 20% by 2020. In the case of the freight goal, the trends have shown a decline in rail freight usage, demonstrating a complete failure to achieve this target. In regard to public transport modal share, the State Government has still failed to provide a detailed implementation plan that would work towards increasing modal share above the current figure of 9%. While more people are using public transport, more people are also driving showing very little improvement in achieving this target and a lack of conviction on the part of the State Government.

It is easy for political parties to set goals, it is more difficult for them to actually maintain the conviction to achieve such goals, particularly when target dates such as 2050 are chosen. Electorates should remain cynical until a detailed implementation plan is provided with interim targets to benchmark performance.

Maroondah Journal: Brumby urged to act on transport

Posted on 7 August 2007 by alex

John Brumby has been appointed as the new Premier of Victoria after the resignation of Steve Bracks and the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has called on the new Premier to commit to his promise of fixing Melbourne’s public transport system. The Maroondah Journal has reported on this request:

On his first day in the job, Mr Brumby announced that his six priorities included fixing Melbourne’s overcrowded public transport system. He has promised to fast track Victoria’s public transport blueprint Meeting Our Transport Challenges.
However, the Public Transport Users Association has called on Mr Brumby to the scrap the plan and start again.

Meeting Our Transport Challenge, which was released last year, failed to identify the improvements necessary to boost Melbourne’s public transport system. Much needed rail and tram extensions were largely missing from the plan and the identified bus upgrades were lacklustre and would fail to provide a convenient, readily available and frequent system.

PTUA outer east spokesman Alex Makin said much-needed service improvements were missing from the $10 billion plan. “John Brumby needs to do more than simply fast track Meeting Our Transport Challenges”.
Mr Makin said Mr Brumby’s ability to address public transport problems would define his term as Premier.

As Melbourne struggles to cope with worsening traffic congestion and rising petrol prices it is clear that the Government must deliver the rail, tram and bus improvements necessary to provide people with an alternative to car dependence.

John Brumby, as Premier, should begin by implementing the recommendations within the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission (VCEC) inquiry into traffic congestion, which was commissioned by Mr. Brumby during his time as Treasurer. Chief among those recommendations was the need to accelerate much needed rail and tram extensions and to provide further improvements to the bus network.