Infrastructure Victoria vision includes congestion charge, freeway tolls, police supersites
A RADICAL scheme of proposed road tolls and charges that could include slugging motorists $5 to enter the Melbourne CBD has been rejected by Daniel Andrews.
VIC News
Don't miss out on the headlines from VIC News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A RADICAL scheme of proposed road tolls and charges that could include slugging motorists $5 to enter the Melbourne CBD has been immediately rejected by Premier Daniel Andrews.
The transport pricing scheme, which could include a mandatory fee for motorists driving into the CBD, was Infrastructure Victoria’s top priority to reduce congestion because it would have more impact than building any new roads.
But Mr Andrews said this morning that tolling existing roads was not and would not be government policy.
He said Infrastructure Victoria “are not the government”, and while they had produced an important draft blueprint, some of their recommendations jarred with government policy.
“We’ve had a very consistent policy about not tolling existing roads,” he said.
“That remains our policy and that won’t be changing.”
But Mr Andrews was strongly supportive of calls for the North East Link.
He said it was “farcical” that the metropolitan ring road had a “missing link” in Melbourne’s northeast.
A 30-year vision from Infrastructure Victoria says a “transport pricing scheme”, which could include a CBD levy, would do more to reduce congestion in Melbourne than any new road.
One radical concept floated is a $2 charge for motorists driving into inner suburbs and $3 for driving into the CBD.
The independent advisory body, created by Premier Daniel Andrews, will today unveil a $100 billion plan to cater for Victoria’s growing population, expected to reach 9.5 million by 2046.
Its three main recommendations are to set up a new transport pricing scheme, to increase housing density in the southern and eastern suburbs, and to boost the provision of affordable housing by up to 30,000 homes.
The report recommends the construction of a North East Link connecting the M80 Ring Road to the Eastern Freeway, an expansion of the Regional Rail Link, and an airport rail link.
Longer term, it says that land should be set aside in case the East West Link — dumped by Mr Andrews despite $1.2 billion having been spent on it — is needed.
The report by Infrastructure Victoria, which was set up by the Andrews Government, says “we can no longer ‘build our way out’ of congestion”, and recommends radical changes to transport costs.
Last night, Opposition Leader Matthew Guy told the Herald Sun a congestion levy would be “madness”.
Other key recommendations in the blueprint include:
BUILDING the $10 billion North East Link within 15 years, and a new outer metropolitan ring road after that.
UPGRADING major hospitals including The Alfred, Royal Melbourne and Footscray, at a cost of more than $10 billion.
CLOSING smaller police stations and creating supersites to handle more non-urgent matters, allowing officers to be more mobile.
CREATING priority bus lanes to Melbourne airport before building a rail link within 15 to 30 years.
INVESTIGATING an expansion of the troubled Wonthaggi desalination plant or even a second plant elsewhere.
USING schools for community sport, libraries and kindergartens, and a consideration of a change to school start times.
MANDATING peak and off-peak energy pricing within five years.
Infrastructure Victoria said a transport pricing regime would be needed with five to 10 years.
It released modelling from KPMG, Arup and Jacobs for a “double cordon”: motorists would be charged $2 to cross a middle-suburb ring taking in Clifton Hill and Maribyrnong to South Yarra and Port Melbourne; entering a second ring around the CBD would cost $3.
The modelling suggested this would slash inner-city congestion by 35 per cent, providing a permanent “school holiday effect” overall, and network-wide traffic reductions of up to 7.4 per cent.
“Transport pricing ... could deliver more significant reductions in congestion than any new road projects, cutting daily commute times and improving freight efficiency,” the report said. “Of all the recommendations … transport pricing is one of the most needed and the most beneficial.”
In suggesting the East West Link would likely be needed in the long term, the report reignited the political storm over its abandonment.
Mr Guy declared “Victorians now have 1.2 billion reasons to be furious with Daniel Andrews”.
“Daniel Andrews said the East West Link was a dud idea ... it is the most expensive lie in Victoria’s history,” he said.
Infrastructure Victoria chief executive Michel Masson said he was “absolutely not ruling out” the East West Link and urged the government to plan for its potential construction.
But Major Projects Minister Jacinta Allan said the road was a “dud” and “not a priority”.
The final Infrastructure Victoria report will be tabled in parliament in December.
The government is to respond with a five-year plan by the end of next year.
30-YEAR VISION FOR OUR FUTURE
JUSTICE
■ POLICING: Replace stations with supersites handling more services. Start within 5 years. Cost: Up to $1 billion.
■ COURTS: Deliver new/refurbished/expanded courts in growing areas. Beginning in 5 years. Cost: Up to $4 billion.
SUPERSITE PLAN MAY CLOSE POLICE STATIONS
PLANNING
■ Revamp planning laws to intensify development in well-serviced parts of Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo within 5 years. Focus on Melbourne suburbs on rail lines.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
■ MELBOURNE AIRPORT RAIL LINK: $3-$5 billion project should be completed in 15 to 30 years.
■ Geelong/Werribee/Wyndham rail: New stations and extra tracks needed along Regional Rail Link. 5-15 years. Cost: Up to $3 billion.
■ Metropolitan bus network: Overhaul routes within 5 years.
■ LEVEL-CROSSING REMOVALS: Develop plan within 5 years to remove more crossings beyond current target of 50.
■ MELBOURNE AIRPORT BUS: Create priority bus lane to airport within 10 years. COST: Up to $100 million.
■ MELBOURNE METRO 2: Tunnel linking Clifton Hill to Fishermans Bend, then Newport needs investigation in next 5 years and could be required in 15-30 years. Cost: More than $10 billion.
■ TRAMS: Extend services to Fishermans Bend and Footscray. 5-10 years. Cost: Up to $3 billion.
ROADS
■ NETWORK-WIDE TRANSPORT PRICING REGIME: Fees needed for drivers in 5 to 10 years, with one option seeing motorists accessing inner suburbs charged $2 and those going to CBD paying another $3.
■ NORTH EAST LINK:
$5-$10 billion link from Eastern Freeway to M80 Ring Road should be built in 10 to 15 years.
■ OUTER METROPOLITAN RING ROAD: New outer ring road needed around Melbourne in 15 to 30 years. Cost: More than $10 billion.
■ EAST WEST LINK: More planning needed in next 5 years, with land reserved to protect corridor. Road could be needed in 15-30 years.
NORTH EAST LINK PRIORITY PROJECT
EDUCATION
■ SCHOOLS AS COMMUNITY FACILITIES: Use state schools for kindergartens, long daycare, sport and libraries in 5 to 30 years. Cost: $1 billion.
■ SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY: Develop virtual learning within 10 years. Cost: Up to $1 billion.
HEALTH
■ MAJOR HOSPITALS: Upgrade the Alfred, Royal Melbourne and Footscray. 10-15 years. Cost: More than $10 billion.
■ TECHNOLOGY: Roll out video conferencing and remote monitoring for patients. Over 5 to 10 years. Cost: Up to $3 billion.
■ MENTAL HEALTH: Build new secure hospital to support Thomas Embling, which only houses 116 patients. 5-10 years. Cost: Up to $1 billion.
HOUSING
■ SOCIAL HOUSING: Build up to 30,000 affordable homes over 30 years. Cost: Up to $10 billion.
SUSTAINABILITY
■ ENERGY PRICING: Enforce higher charges peak-hour use and cheaper off-peak rates within 5 years.
■ WATER: Create incentives to boost water recycling and stormwater harvesting. Investigate expanding Wonthaggi desalination plant or building a second desalination facility.
CITY LURE WILL LOSE LUSTRE
THE weekly ritual of heading to the Queen Victoria Markets or a weekend football match would have to be reconsidered if there were an added fee for driving said Ascot Vale resident Brent Lavery.
“Everyone knows Melbourne’s traffic is getting worse and worse, but any sort of congestion fee is not the answer,” the 44-year-old gym owner said.
With sporting events and festivals on every weekend, Mr Lavery said it was understandable the city was becoming busier than ever.
But with parking as much as $20 per hour in some areas of inner-city Melbourne and new tollways, drivers are already bearing the brunt of the burden he said.
“At least with tollways you’re paying to use a facility and have a direct benefit in cutting your trip shorter,” he said. “Simply paying to drive into the city doesn’t benefit anyone except the people making revenue off it.”
But Mr Lavery said it was unlikely to stop him travelling to the city by car.
— Genevieve Alison
MORE:
NORTH EAST LINK PRIORITY PROJECT
SUPERSITE PLAN MAY CLOSE POLICE STATIONS
‘Angels’: Hero Coles workers save mum’s life
A mother of three has opened up on how her life was saved after she suddenly collapsed while doing a routine supermarket shop.
Wildlife and traffic fears over music festival
Wildlife advocates fear a weekend music festival in central Victoria will endanger native animals including rescued joeys.