Ed Gannon: It’s the rail journey we’ve been on before
ANOTHER election, another promise of fast rail for rural Victoria. The fact is, we have been here before and very little has come from previous attempts, writes ED GANNON.
Opinion
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ANOTHER election, another promise of fast rail for rural Victoria.
I can’t help but feel slightly sceptical of Opposition Leader Matthew Guy’s plan for a network of 200kmh fast rail services throughout the state.
The fact is, we have been here before and very little has come from previous attempts.
Remember the very fast train service promised by Steve Bracks and John Brumby early this century?
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They bought the trains and rebuilt the tracks. And yet the service never got anywhere near the speeds that had been promised.
Guy’s new plan of a network of fast trains to Ballarat, Geelong, Bendigo, Traralgon and Shepparton is admirable. But take note of the electoral significance of each city.
Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong are not just major regional centres, they also contain seats that are traditionally electorally winnable for the major parties.
Many people in rural Victoria are growing tired of the largesse that is heaped on these centres by all parties once election time comes around. A case in point is Geelong’s Kardinia Park — or whatever it is called nowadays. It seems that every election, we get another promise of redevelopment of Geelong Football Club’s stadium.
I recently heard Labor Sports Minister John Eren promising another redevelopment of the ground, calling it “the MCG of regional Victoria”.
That is both a load of crap and an insult to the rest of the state.
Then there is Traralgon, which sits in the state electorate of Morwell. This seat is held by former National Russell Northe, who will stand in the state election on November 24 as an independent.
It is a seat both Labor and the Coalition feel they can win.
And Shepparton is held by independent Suzanna Sheed, who won the seat from the Nationals four years ago.
The Nationals are desperate to take the seat back, while the Andrews Government appears happy for Ms Sheed to be re-elected so that it stays out of Coalition hands.
But the Liberal rail plan does not initially extend to Wodonga. Yes, it is a lot further from Melbourne than those other centres, but it deserves to rank with the others as a regional centre of importance.
Rail in northeast Victoria is an extremely hot topic and has been for decades. Guy could have done worse than try to fix it once and for all.
But, of course, Wodonga is a safe Coalition seat, so perhaps it’s thought there is less need to throw immediate money in that direction. (Although northeast Victoria is becoming a hotbed of independent agitation, with strong independent campaigns launched in Euroa and Benambra on the back of the success of independents Cathy McGowan, in the federal seat of Indi, and Suzanna Sheed at the state level in Shepparton.)
Now, don’t get me wrong. To have fast and efficient rail across country Victoria would be fantastic, with the benefits felt by areas well beyond the major centres.
But it seems that fast rail has become the drug of choice among the major parties. And it’s easy to see why. Fast trains are sexy and we all love the concept of cutting travel times. Throw in the term “European-style” and most of us begin to swoon.
But will we also have to pay European-style ticket prices? It’s hard to imagine the current $30 to travel from Melbourne to Bendigo off-peak remaining the same for a 200kmh service.
And then there’s the fact that fast rail alone will not fix all problems. A new fast rail service would presumably increase regional populations. And that would create a need for more amenities — schools, childcare facilities, hospitals and roads. So it seems obvious that funds need to be allocated for those as part of this plan.
But is this really about regional Victoria, or rather about shuffling workers in and out of Melbourne each day to take the pressure off a sprawling, congested city?
The plan must be about building each regional city into a true economic centre, with new jobs and industry.
The aim should not be to live in Torquay and work in Melbourne. It should be to live in Torquay and work in Geelong in a comparable job. Or even better still, work in Torquay.
If Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong and Traralgon merely become dormitories for Melbourne, is that an ideal outcome?
Fast rail is great, but far more important is building regional centres into strong places that people won’t want or need to leave each morning.
Ed Gannon is publisher of The Weekly Times and co-host of The Ag Show on Sky Business News
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