Thesis topic: An argument against the extension of a heavy

rail link from Victoria Park to Doncaster

Position Paper OneRamsay Wright

258 864The Economies of Cities and Regions

History• 1890s – John Keys, Local MP for Doncaster, stated to

then Premier Duncan Gillies, a desire of local residents for a train service to Doncaster.

• Provision was made for the line until 1930, mooted from the railhead at Kew to a point opposite Doncaster Shire Hall with several stations that roughly follow the route of the 24 tram today.

• But when Depression hit, the idea was abandoned.

• No interest until post-war period

• Land was provided along Eastern Freeway, Victoria End cutting made

• Quoted construction price skyrocketed – bipartisan support and then reneging of such support.

• Freeway median filled in, properties along alignment sold.

• Greens included a link in its People Plan

• Neither party has a plan to provide a heavy rail link to Doncaster

• Current transport options heavily car dependent, only public option is a bus service with dedicated freeway lanes.

Position Paper One Ramsay Wright258 864The Economies of Cities and Regions

Proposed DoncasterTransport RoutesIn Maroon is the earliest proposed line, branching off from the now-defunct Kew Branch Line (the terminus of this line now the VicRoads Head Office), following a route to a terminus point opposite then Doncaster Shire Hall in Council Street, Doncaster.

In Lighter Green is the more commonly agreed upon route, taken upon by the Victorian Branch of the Australian Greens, starting at Victoria Park Station, following the Eastern Freeway until Thompsons Road and connecting to Westfield ShoppingTown Doncaster.

In Darker Green was the proposed extension of the 24 Tram Route from its Doncaster Road Terminus to Westfield Doncaster

In Dark Blue is the current train network within the confines of the image.

In Purple was the proposed line but only to Bulleen, a state Liberal Party proposal in December 1973

In Cyan was the part of a proposal by E.W. Russell to provide not only the service in lighter green but an extended service to Blackburn Road, East Doncaster.

In Darkest Green was an early mooted lined from Doncaster Shire Hall to Warrandyte via Templestowe.

Position Paper One Ramsay Wright

258 864The Economies of Cities and Regions

Arguments in support of thesis1. Institutional and managerial culture needs to be addressed

prior to any extension (those running the transport network regard behavioural management as more important than service provision – Travel Smart) – the myth of capacity constraints (Melbourne pre and post-Loop). The blame is placed on commuters.

2. The proposed route from Victoria Park to Doncaster along the Eastern Freeway has two benefactors – the suburb of Doncaster and Marcellin College (Melbourne does not have the bus feeder service nor do any parties have the inclination to provide such a service, and the current bus network, though extensive, is grossly inadequate. No forward thinking as in Perth.)

The map above indicates the most accepted Doncaster route and likely 400 metre walking catchments (in maroon).Bus services (connecting or not) are negligible.Blue indicates Marcellin College, one of the few prospective users.

Position Paper One Ramsay Wright258 864The Economies of Cities and Regions

‘Melbourne has a pretty good public transport system. People who use it, like it. The biggest complaints come from those who sit in university cafes or who drive cars’ – Peter Batchelor, Stateline Interview, broadcast 19/5/2006

‘TravelSmart Victoria uses travel planning to reduce people's dependency on cars and encourage them to choose sustainable transport alternatives such as cycling, walking and public transport. Smarter travel choices can be made by changing one or two trips per week, or by reducing the number of car journeys’ - DoTwebsite, accessed 18/10/2010

Arguments in support of thesis continued1. Most of Doncaster’s travel is not to the

city (only 17%), perhaps better to provide a cross suburban link.

2. Many lines and spurs were removed from the network, and many promised lines were abandoned, despite strong and sustained population growth (McMansions quote).

3. Goverment policy favours urban consolidation and better utilisation of existing infrastructure than sustained and considered transport investment (Transforming Cities, Melbourne 2030, Melbourne @ 5 million).

4. Public resignation with failures of system – public also builds lives around such failures.

‘The truth is not that they (McMansions) are unsustainable, but more that we suddenly stopped trying to make them work. The provision of infrastructure stopped at basic utilities and a road….So out here in the west we have no useful public transport, no strip shopping, masses of traffic sewers isolating each ‘community’ and the unavoidable obligation to have a car per adult to travel….’ – The Age

The map above represents the current Melbourne train network, with additions being promised and decommissioned lines (in yellow/blue) and former/proposed stations (black).

Position Paper One Ramsay Wright

258 864The Economies of Cities and Regions

Arguments in support of thesis continued….Here are some additional quotes from ‘Transforming Australian Cities’ demonstrating a governing class mindset not inured towards provision of essential services towards those they represent, but towards rationalisations of failure and a lack of vision and courage.

It is stated that most of Australia’s urban infrastructure is dated but only suggests rationalisation and better utilisation of existing infrastructure.

Words such as rationalisation, better utilisation, existing infrastructure, additional fringe development costs, increased health and transport costs, unending sprawl, more compact settlement patterns, all serve to highlight an unfounded bias in those managing our urban centres.

Position Paper One Ramsay Wright

258 864The Economies of Cities and Regions

Counter arguments

• Public transport is fine – people just need to change their behaviour (particularly towards higher density living), in order to gain an effective transport service – Tokyo as an exemplar of this.

• Rail travel can only work when travelling city bound

• ‘Gus Braidotti is rightly impressed with the quality, cost and frequency of public transit in Tokyo. But Tokyo has about nine times more residents per square kilometre than Melbourne. This is one of several fundamental reasons why Tokyo has such a high quality transit system and why Melbourne, with its highly dispersed and fragmented population, struggles to sustain the system we have. Until there is a wider community appreciation here of these fundamentals of how a metropolis functions, it seems Melburnians will continue to build a very low density city and as a corollary get a low quality, high cost, urban transit system’. ---David Mayes, Australian Institute of Urban Studies, The Age, 20 February 2006

Let's be frank about public transport - the outer suburbs of Melbourne are poorly served, and, with low population densities, are unlikely to be well served at any reasonable price. ---Sinclair Davidson, RMIT School of Economics, The Age, 11 July 2006

The deal implicit in urban consolidation is that people forgo private space, backyards and cars for a more compact lifestyle.... [instead] Melburnians are opting for ever bigger, more energy-consuming homes. They need to spare a thought for the environment in which their children will be brought up.... The compact city vision is also under pressure from knee-jerk resident groups and councils in established suburbs.... Unreasonable opposition to higher-density housing in existing streets only adds to the pressure for car-dependent fringe estates. ---The Age (editorial), 5 January 2007

Position Paper One Ramsay Wright258 864The Economies of Cities and Regions

Counter arguments (and refutation)• Such an argument is a rationalisation of failure, an admission

of defeat and condemns more and more Melbournians to irredeemable car dependency through no fault of their own.

• Former WA Transport Planner Peter Martinovich – ‘in Perth, the car is king. If we are serious about building public transport, we have to build it to be competitive with the car. Otherwise, we shouldn’t bother at all’

• Housing choice and location should not determine transport provision. The only indicator of a quality transport service is just that – quality.

• Does not matter where one lives - examples of Tokyo (higher – Shinjuku Station has 3.5 million commuters per day, Flinders Street has 90,000), Los Angeles, Toronto (lower), Sydney (fewer inbound lines), Perth (lower) (regardless of population density), Melbourne’s inner and outer suburbs have similar density levels yet differing transport use.

• City bound commuting was only ever meant to convey a middle class, professional working group to city offices and back. Success of Vancouver’s cross city metro.

• It does not account for the majority of Melbourne trips, which are cross suburban and usually car dependent (given the poor quality of bus services in Melbourne)

• A link to Doncaster is a laudable aim for an obvious gap in the network. But it is the authors’ belief that the above problems need to be considered and addressed before an extension can be made.

Position Paper One Ramsay Wright258 864The Economies of Cities and Regions