Perth Freight Link: Suspended or Dead in the Water

Premier Colin Barnett has a habit of white-anting his Ministers and hanging them out to dry (apologies for the mixed metaphors). Witness the appalling treatment of Local Government Minister, Tony Simpson, during the local government so-called reform process of 2014-15, when Simpson was still talking it up while the Premier was ready to run up the white flag.

In the case of the Perth Freight Link, this is far from the first time that he has left Transport Minister, Dean Nalder, red-faced and defending the indefensible. It raises the question, though, of how someone as closely-identified with the project as the Premier can say, now, that the PFL is "incredibly complicated, incredibly expensive for what it does" - when it was obvious to so many right from the start that this was so.

Add to that, the very real concern that "what it does" is not what is in the best interests of Western Australia - as evidenced by decades of bipartisan freight and port planning for Perth predicated on the development of an outer harbour container terminal.

Good to see, though, his finally acknowledging the need for the outer harbour container terminal and its relevance for the proposed PFL.

But Roe 8 is still a problem - and not only because of the destruction of valuable and irreplaceable wetlands. Roe 8 is a problem because, like the PFL itself it is a road to nowhere. In the absence of either PFL Stage 2 or a commitment to the Outer Harbour, Roe 8 will simply funnel more trucks onto roads that are already struggling to cope and still does nothing to create better (from everyone's perspective, not just the freight industry) access across the Swan River and into the port itself.

So what are we likely to see in 12 months, which will be only 4 months or so from the next election. It isn't likely that Barnett will resurrect PFL Stage 2 in an election campaign - except possibly to promise he won't build it and then, if he wins, turning round and doing just that (precisely what he did with forced local government amalgamations, so it wouldn't be the first time).

Even Roe 8 looks dicey for the 2017 election. Unless it is built really quickly (unlikely given that extensive stabilisation works will be needed across a wetland), the scar that is Roe 8 under construction will be a very visible running sore.

Still, if Roe 8 does get built, it will get used and will funnel more trucks to the Inner Harbour - and he could then argue that Stage 2 is needed because of the number of trucks accessing the Inner Harbour. In effect, we created a problem and now we need to build more to ameliorate some of this problem and create a bigger problem close to the port itself. Stranger things have happened.

What we need is for the federal government to withdraw funding from the PFL - it has the basis for doing so in that it is no longer the project it originally agreed to fund - and reallocate the money to other, more beneficial, transport projects in WA.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-01/colin-barnett-parks-stage-two-of-perth-freight-link/6903282

Does Perth Public Transport Have A Future?

Reports indicate that the WA Government is seriously considering abandoning its commitment to a long-term program of much-need additional railcars. 

For an alternative vision of the future of Perth public transport, come along to 43 Below (Cnr Hay Street Mall and Barrack Street) at 5pm on Tuesday 27th October to hear Rita Saffioti, ALP spokesperson on Transport, talk about METRONET.

And stay (if you want) for a brief Annual General Meeting of the Sustainable Transport Coalition at 5.45pm. We'll report on the year just gone - and we'll be looking for people to join our committee and be part of the year to come.

PS The committee meets monthly after work in a city coffee shop, so you get to enjoy a caffeine hit at the same time as helping the cause of sustainable transport.

PPS Please pass this invitation on to others who might be interested.

Diary Date: 27th October - AGM and Forum

Each year, the STCWA holds a forum in conjunction with its Annual General Meeting. This year, the forum will include a presentation on METRONET from the Labor spokesperson on Planning, Finance, Transport and Infrastructure, Rita Saffioti, MLA.

The 43 Below Tavern makes the meeting room available free of charge to STC, so we encourage you to patronise them for a drink or a meal before or after the meeting.

New Era for Transport Federally Requires Important Decisions

The Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has announced his new Ministerial team, which includes a Minister for Cities and the Built Environment. The PM has also stated that the Government would no longer prioritise roads over public transport.

These are hopeful signs that indicate a change to a more balanced way of looking at national transport requirements. The STC has sent an email to Malcolm Turnbull encouraging him to adopt this 'new way' and asking that he revisit federal funding in relation to MAX Light rail and the Perth Freight Link, in the Perth Metropolitan Area, and the issue of Tier 3 Grain Rail lines in regional WA.

Dear Prime Minister

On behalf of the Sustainable Transport Coalition of Western Australia, I congratulate you on becoming the 29th Prime Minister of Australia and wish you well.

The STC has been very concerned at the lack of effective involvement of the federal government over the past two years in matters of urban transport and, in particular, the government's 'sticking to its knitting', which meant funding roads and not public transport.  In this respect, we note with approval your appointment of the Hon Jamie Briggs MP as Minister for Cities and the Built Environment and your reported statement that the Government would no longer prioritise roads over public transport (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-22/light-rail-back-on-agenda-with-turnbull-expert-hopes/6793438).

The STC has long promoted transparency and a level playing field for transport funding and investment (http://sustainabletransportcoalitionofwa.blogspot.com.au/2014/10/transparency-and-objectivity-needed-in.html) as has the Federal Government's own Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (http://bitre.gov.au/publications/2014/overview-project-appraisal.aspx) and by Infrastructure Australia (http://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/policy-publications/publications/files/Australian-Infrastructure-Audit-Key-Findings.pdf). We hope that your appointment of a Minister for Cities and the Built Environment heralds a new era in the way business is carried out.

In Western Australia, your predecessor's refusal to fund public transport resulted in the withdrawal of federal funding from an important light rail project (MAX Light Rail) and its reallocation to a highly contentious road project (Perth Freight Link - see http://www.rethinkthelink.com.au to see how contentious it is) that had not previously even been on the transport agenda and runs counter to decades of port and related transport planning that had bipartisan political support. Infrastructure Australia has noted that "the Perth Freight Link project is not directly mentioned in any of [the relevant] State plans and policies" (http://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/projects/files/WA-Perth-Freight-Link.pdf).

Neither the abandonment of MAX Light Rail nor the planning for the Perth Freight Link has yet reached the point of no return and we respectfully request that your Government reassess its funding priorities using objective analysis as part of an inclusive and transparent process.

Outside the Perth Metropolitan Area, there is a key issue of the closure of what are known as Tier 3 rail lines, which are primarily seasonal rail lines serving the multi-million tonne annual grain harvest of Western Australia. Lack of funding to maintain these lines is resulting in their closure and a massive increase in heavy trucks on country roads (largely local government roads) not designed for this level of loading.

The STC would be very happy to discuss these important issues with appropriate members of your Government by email (catalystian@netscape.net), phone (08 9328 8978 or mobile 0435 305 662) or, should the opportunity arise, in person.

With all best wishes for the future.

Ian Ker, Convenor, Sustainable Transport Coalition of Western Australia

Written and Posted by Ian Ker, Convenor, STCWA