If it has done one thing, the release of Sir Rod Eddington’s Report has got many people asking: if there’s $20bn to be spent on transport for Melbourne, and we’re in the middle of a climate change emergency, is a privatised road tunnel and an oddly placed rail tunnel the best way to spend it?
Have a read of the excellent recent post on this site from Greg Barber MLC: ‘What are Eddington and Brumby up to?’
And there is some great in-depth analysis of the report’s flaws at ‘Wrong Way – Go Back’
Below you’ll find some of the reasons The Greens say ‘No Road Tunnel’ as well as some links to other posts and sites.
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What’s wrong with Eddington?
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It’s not a strategy
The report suggests spending of upwards of $18bn on a suite of transport measures that, in the author’s auspicious opening words, “is not intended to be a list of transport priorities or a broad transport strategy for Melbourne or Victoria” because that wasn’t his brief (p6). A strong start for the biggest transport initiatives announced in decades. At least Sir Rod admits he was asked a stupid question.
No change to public transport
After spending this $18bn on privatised road tunnels and a rail tunnel link, there will be an imperceptible change in Melbourne’s traffic use: currently, 78% of Melburnians use cars to get to work; in 30 years time, the figure will be 75% (p12). We are in a climate change emergency, but greenhouse gas emissions from road transport – already increasing at twice the rate of the state’s carbon emissions – will soar.
Kensington/North Melbourne will cop it hard, as will Clifton Hill and Collingwood
the tunnel will run between the Eastern Freeway and the Tullamarine, and there will be no tunnel route into the CBD. There is no way out of the tunnel except at either end. So, traffic will be funneling into and out of the areas behind Racecourse Rd (Kensington/North Melbourne) and Hoddle St (Clifton Hill/Collingwood)(p73).
Worse traffic for inner north
Traffic that needs to get into Fitzroy, Carlton and suburbs north of there will continue to use the roads above the tunnel, meaning congestion remains. Net result: more cars in these suburbs.
Loss of parkland
Kensington residents can expect an awful time as JJ Holland Park, near Sth Kensington station, is taken over and the drilling equipment starts boring under their suburb (p73).
No rail line to Doncaster
Promised in the 1970’s but never built, despite its potential to take thousands of cars off the Eastern Freeway, the line hasn’t even made it back onto the drawing board. But the same sales techniques from that era are being dusted off: promise a big rail investment at the same time as the road, get started on the road first, then, well, time marches on …
Oh, and the tunnel ’shouldn’t be government owned’… so someone will be turning a nice little profit at others’ expense.
Updates
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Click here!
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Please visit our posts on the Eddington report to keep up to date on the latest with the tunnel debate.
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