Appeal for funds

By Ed Merrison
A KNOX councillor and chairman of a local government transport lobby group says urgent public transport funding is required to arrest a slide in quality of life in Knox and the eastern suburbs.
Tirhatuan Ward councillor Mick Van de Vreede said without an increase in spending in the next and subsequent budgets, the region would inevitably fail to meet its Melbourne 2030 planning targets.
Cr Van de Vreede is also the chairman of the Eastern Regional Integrated Transport Group (ERITG) of local councils.
However, Knox will have to wait for the release of the State Government’s transport and livability statement before it knows if its calls for funding have been heard.
Sofia Dedes, a spokeswoman for Transport Minister Peter Batchelor, last week declined to comment on issues specific to Knox and the outer east, instead pointing to the State Government’s major policy statement outlining future investment strategies, due for release ‘in the near future’.
Her comments followed a joint submission from Knox City Council and six other municipalities expressing concern at a lack of strategies designed to meet Melbourne 2030 targets, such as an aim for at least 20 per cent of all daily travel undertaken by public transport by 2020.
The Eastern Regional Integrated Transport Group (ERITG), which comprises Manningham, Maroondah, Monash, Greater Dandenong, Whitehorse and Knox councils and the Shire of Yarra Ranges, has also called for an integrated, regional approach to public transport provision.
ERITG chairman Cr Van de Vreede said the outer eastern suburbs in particular had poor public transport services and limited public transport options that perpetuated disadvantage.
He said a lack of public transport options meant residents were ‘condemned to their cars’, a situation that could have serious economical implications as petrol prices continued to rise.
“ERITG has written to the minister previously, but this united stand by the seven affiliated municipalities demonstrates that they speak with one voice calling for urgent improvements to public transport funding and service provision for the region.
“ERITG is calling for improved bus service frequencies and extended hours of operation throughout the region, including increased weekend services especially in areas devoid of any public transport. We need quicker introduction of the Orbital Bus routes and integrated timetabling with other transport modes,” Cr Van de Vreede said.
Cr Van de Vreede urged the State Government to ‘show vision’ by including light and heavy rail proposals, such as the Rowville rail extension, in its documentation to put it in line with the Federal Government’s Sustainable Cities report.
The report recommended boosting Federal funding for public transport systems in major cities, and providing specific funding for sustainable public transport infrastructure for suburbs and developments on the outer fringe of cities.
“No Federal Government will want to fund (light and heavy rail projects) if they are not mentioned in the transport and livability statement. With the transport and livability statement yet to be announced, there is still time to impact on that statement and still time to have an impact on the State budget with relation to this issue.
“Knox council won’t give up and will take every opportunity to push this particular issue, which is a really, really important issue,” he said.
Cr Van de Vreede said disadvantages would increase as the population rose in the region in coming years, and said livability had already begun to deteriorate.
“My personal view is we have the ability to arrest that slide and actually enhance our livability, not just from an environmental but also from an economic and social viewpoint, and we can only do that with significant and urgent improvements to public transport services.
“It is just so important to get this right.”