Credit: Cathy Wilcox
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TRANSPORT
Let’s take stock (“Victoria locked into Suburban Rail Loop’s $35 billion first stage by new contract”, 10/11). The second set of Suburban Rail Loop tunnels – 10 kilometres from Glen Waverley to Box Hill – has been contracted for $1.7 billion. The first – 17 kilometres from Cheltenham to Glen Waverley – was contracted earlier this year for $3.6 billion. Add the $2 billion of early works, and the total current commitment is $7.3 billion.
Are we allowed to be impressed that 27 kilometres of underground rail tunnels are costing Victorians less than just the $10 billion blowout on the $26 billion North East Link toll road? No, this doesn’t include the underground stations, and they’re expensive. Fortunately, Victoria’s just built four of them for the Metro 1 Tunnel, and has construction experience that was lacking a decade ago. Even if the six stations cost $1 billion each, and the entire project blows out by another 50 per cent, it’d bring the total well short of $26 billion.
Why then haven’t the state opposition and our “fiscally conservative” commentators spent the past two years urging Premier Jacinta Allan to cancel the North East Link when that was still possible? Do they honestly believe this will be unlike every other road in the world and actually reduce congestion?
Tony Morton, president, Public Transport Users Association
Priorities vary
Premier Jacinta Allan tells us that the Suburban Rail Loop “has been strongly backed by Victorians who have told us that this is a project that they want and need”. Perhaps her rationale for this statement is that it was part of Labor’s last election manifesto that resulted in a comprehensive win. While not decrying the value and need for this project, perhaps testing public sentiment at the moment would not bring forth such a ringing endorsement. I think Victorians would support a pause in this project with the money saved being spent on securing strong health and education sectors or prioritising a rail link to the airport.
Bill Pimm, Mentone
A failure of government
Adam Carey reminds us of the unending disaster of Victoria’s electronic public transport ticketing system over two decades (“It’s a touchy subject, but next-gen myki may already be on the ropes”, 11/11). Instead of using a tried and tested system 20 years ago, the Bracks government reinvented the wheel, and it didn’t roll well. Now the new company contracted to bring myki up to somewhere near similar systems of a decade ago is lawyering up, because the project wasn’t properly costed or risks (such as shutdown of 3G) managed. I suspect it’s another example of political advisers obsessed with PR imperatives but blind to realities – disempowering and overstepping professional public servants in the design, tendering and management of complex projects. The waste in time and funds is an indictment of state government – as reported by our auditor-general.
Disputed blowouts on Metro and the Westgate Tunnel have made projects uneconomic for contractors. We’re at the point where no sane provider of services in the global marketplace is willing to tender for Victorian projects, due to the ineptitude of our processes and inability to control rogue construction unions or co-ordinate utilities and other essential services. Serious players have walked away, leaving us prey to “chancers”. Locking us into the Suburban Rail Loop without a solid business case or guaranteed source of funding is thus another massive concern.
Caroline Leslie, Hawthorn
Look north
If the relationship between the Victorian government and Conduent falls apart regarding myki, then Transport for NSW, which runs Sydney’s Opal card, should be invited to help set up myki’s successor. Adopting a system with a proven record can save Victoria millions of dollars. Plus, passengers could be charged for distance rather than time, eliminating a drawback of myki that one pays $5.30/$2.65 for travelling just one station or tram stop. And myki and Opal could be each used in both Melbourne and Sydney in the same way e-tags can be used across Australia.
Rod Watson, East Brighton
THE FORUM
Facing the future
The world earnestly examines the entrails of the goat, the portents, the signs, the demographics. But the real reason for the election of Donald Trump is not so complex. All over, populist politicians promise a return to the good old days. We are in an unhappy world, and everywhere people yearn for a return to the way it was, when things were “better”.
Trump promises this with his MAGA mantra. Trouble is, the population of the world has more than doubled since Trump was a young man. There is little, and in many places no, room to move. The past cannot be recreated. We can only go forward into new unknown territory. Are we brave enough? Or do we discover the dust and desolation that is all that is left from our memories of past wonderful times?
Chris Waters, Ormond
An AUKUS customer
Re: “Australians on edge over Trump election win” (The Age, 11/11), there may be a silver lining – Trump could scuttle the AUKUS agreement to sell us second hand nuclear submarines and thus save our economy millions of dollars. We could then build homes, upgrade our health programs, and review the whole education system.
Kevin Laws, Thornbury
Breaking a deal
Despite all the chatter about the solidarity of the Australian-US alliances and levels of trust between the two nations as a basis for the AUKUS deal, the prospect of Trump at the helm, has been causing me some sleeplessness. The reality of the submarine deal is that the US is going to be filling its needs first before it supplies us with Virginia Class subs. Also given the futuristic nature of the deal and that the US is already working on man-less subs I just wonder if we are committing to already out-dated technology?
Perhaps that financial commitment could go a long way towards mending the appalling rural/urban divide in this country, as well as helping address the imbalances in the present distribution of wealth along with housing, medical, and educational needs here.
Graeme Foley, Werribee
Who benefits from Trump?
So Gina Rinehart thinks the tactics that gave Donald Trump an election victory should be applied here? (“‘Watch and learn’: Rinehart lauds Trump policies as ‘lesson’ for Australia”, 8/11). In return for giving Peter Dutton a ride on her private jet and despite Dutton saying there would be no favours in return, I wonder if she will have Peter Dutton ask us “are we better off now than four years ago”? This was the question Trump posed to his constituents and motivated many of his supporters to vote against their own economic interests, despite a host of data (growth, unemployment, jobs created, investment) indicating a far better economy in the US now than under Trump just prior to COVID.
Yet the Australian Financial Review reports that Gina Rinehart has increased her wealth from $28.89 billion in 2020 to over $40 billion in 2024.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk, a key Trump supporter who stands to benefit immeasurably from Trump’s election, increased his net worth from $US27.6 billion in 2020 to over $US300 billion in 2024. I guess there are some who won’t have a problem deciding on what to leave out of the basket at the supermarket checkout or paying their next power bill.
Rod Eldridge, Derrinallum
The decent stayed home
Over the ensuing days following the US election much has been written about how Trump won. The seemingly complicated reasoning based on demographics, disenfranchisement and angry, forgotten people has glossed over the influence of the mass media otherwise known as the corporate or legacy media. Trump was given a free ride by the fourth estate. On top of that the Murdoch arm of the Trump propaganda machine toiled away relentlessly aided by social media. This was no red wave or landslide despite what the final Electoral College map looked like. Some 10 million fewer people voted compared to the 2020 election and Trump received barely 500,000 more votes this time around. These numbers tell us that there is a malaise permeating the American voting cohort who reside on the side of decency. They preferred to either stay home or abstain, rather than rid themselves of an ignorant, childish, twice-impeached, four times indicted, convicted criminal and sex offender, fraudster, lying malignant narcissist who by good fortune has been protected by enablers.
Let’s see how things go over the next four years, not only in the US but worldwide, before we go making comparisons with Dutton and his possible political fortunes.
David Legat, South Morang
Lacking a compass
I was interested to read the opinion of a letter writer (“Voter anger”, 11/11) that voters in Australia are angry with politicians because the majority of them lack a moral compass. My observation is that such an assertion could well be applied to the majority of Australians, who in my experience will do anything they think they can get away with. Just observe the motorists running the red lights or pedestrians also ignoring red lights.
Margery Renwick, Brighton
Protect institutions
Your correspondent (“Kennett hits and memories”, 11/11) provided an important reminder of our own history in Victoria of an autocrat coming into government, decimating the public service, public institutions and expectations of public consultation in decision making. Jeff Kennett arrived in 1992 faced with difficult economic circumstances, but his response – widespread privatisations, the sacking 50,000 public servants and closing 350 schools – resulted in private consultants making a fortune while inadequately filling the gaps created. School sites were sold off and new sites have had to be purchased later at great expense for our growing population. And as your correspondent reminds us, the promise of cheaper electricity from the sale of the SEC was never going to eventuate. America should be careful what they wish for.
Jenny Macmillan, Clifton Hill
Changes go too far
As a recently retired accredited mental health social worker, I am appalled to read of the Victorian government’s decision to reduce services and salary compensation to people whose mental health issues were caused by their workplaces (“More than 700 workers lose compensation despite WorkCover surplus”, 10/11). It is very, very hard to get a claim accepted for mental health involving many assessments over a lengthy period of time, often leading to a deterioration in the individual’s mental health. It is unlikely that many, if any, whose claims have been accepted on mental health grounds are gaming the system.
It is also mean spirited to make these changes retrospective so that people receiving their salary are cut off. No law should be made retrospective no matter the mischief it is intended to change – and there is no mischief here on claimants’ part.
I urge a re-think. WorkCover needs reform but not this way.
Charlotte Brewer, Shepparton
Divide and conquer
The article “Relaxing ‘torturous’ townhouse rules won’t solve housing crisis” (The Age, 11/11) quotes planning experts as saying opportunities for increasing Melbourne’s housing stock are being lost because existing lots are being subdivided only into two. Similar opportunities to add to Melbourne’s housing stock are being lost when existing houses in prime locations for medium density are replaced by another (often massive) single house. Missed opportunities for additional well-located housing are especially noticeable on corner lots because multiple dwellings fit better on corner lots. It is easy to see why landowners would prefer to build a large single dwelling. In most of Melbourne a single dwelling on a lot of more than 300 or 500 square metres does not require a planning permit and so avoids the “torturous” planning permit process.
One way to make multiple dwellings a more attractive and economic proposition on well-located existing lots, compared to a new single dwelling, would be a fine-grained residential zone or overlay. It could require a planning permit for all new dwellings on, say, lots over 500 square metres with two street frontages that are within 1 kilometre (15 minutes walk) of a main public transport stop, primary school, daily shopping and a park. One of the criteria for approving demolition of a single dwelling and construction of new housing on such sites would be that it proposes a suitable level of development given its proximity to a cluster of walkable amenities.
Kate Alder, Altona
Compromise needed
As one who loved to climb at Arapiles/Dyurrite in the 1970s, I share the distress of the climbing community at changes announced to the use of Dyurrite. This distress mirrors the distress the Wotjabaluk peoples have experienced over two centuries as their needs and desires for the land have been ignored and silenced.
However “two wrongs do not make a right” and the climbing community should have the opportunity to sit with the traditional owners and work on possible compromises before a top down “fait acompli” is enforced by Parks Victoria.
If demands were made for cultural protections of Bondi and St Kilda Beach we would see a more nuanced approach to mixing Indigenous cultural needs and current cultural practices and uses.
Michael Langford, Flinders
Proud silos
As an ex silo keeper in Banyena, it is amazing how city folk consider a silo to be “faded” and a “boring concrete cylinder” (Letters, 11/11). It is a thing of magnificent beauty — built for a real purpose and a guardian of the landscape. To desecrate it with so-called modern “art” is a shame.
Peter Drum, Coburg
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit: Matt Golding
Trump’s victory
There were times in our youth when we would wake and wonder what we did last night and what we might regret. How many Americans are now doing the same thing?
Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill
When I vote I look upwards and choose someone who reflects my best self. Silly old-fashioned me.
Heather Glassford, Williamstown
I was heartened to see Gina Rinehart front and centre at Trump’s celebration dinner. I am sure that she will be pushing hard for all of Australia’s exports to be exempt from Trump’s tariffs in 2025.
Phil Mackenzie, Eaglemont
Impact on Australia
Thank you, Ross Gittins, for your reassurance that Trump’s proposed new import duties will have little effect on the Australian economy (Business, 11/11). The damage they may do to his own country is not our concern.
Sandra Torpey, Hawthorn
I hope our journalists will learn from the Trump election (“PM, Dutton can learn from Trump”, 11/11) and scrutinise blatant dog whistling and distortions that pass for policy.
Peter McGill, Lancefield
Peter Dutton may well choose to ask whether I am better off than I was three years ago. What I do know is I would have been worse off under his government.
Mary Wise, Ringwood
Furthermore
Paying $15 million for the five Block houses where you can’t walk to the beach, have no views, and the neighbours are very close is crazy.
Michael Brinkman, Ventnor
The old Australian adage “she’ll be right in the end, we’ll work it out” is apropos. When the end comes, it’s because we didn’t work it out at all. Stop robbing the future to pay for the present.
Campbell Laughlin, Berwick
Finally
The supposed “ABC” sounded in Morse code at the start of the new ABC 7pm TV news theme is malformed, with a dit too many. Has Aunty lost her dash? Is she going slightly dotty?
Peter Dann, Blackburn
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To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number below your letter. No attachments. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published.