30 April 2014

Firm appointed to investigate further routes for light rail in Canberra

| Canfan
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Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Simon Corbell, has today announced the appointment of consulting firms Arup, CBRE, Tract, Brown Consulting and Purdon Associates to undertake the Canberra Light Rail Master Plan project.

“The tender process for this important project was highly competitive with eight submissions received, including both national and international companies” Mr Corbell said.

“The government committed to a light rail network from Gungahlin to Civic in 2012. Work is currently being undertaken on the first stage with construction to begin in 2016.”

“It is also important for us to begin investigations on where future stages of this network will go, which includes Russell, Canberra Airport, the Parliamentary Triangle, Kingston, Woden, Erindale, Tuggeranong, Belconnen, Kippax, Lanyon, Weston Creek and Molonglo. Our goal is to ensure we get the best value for money, while providing world class public transport options for the Canberra community.”

The master plan project will explore options for a potential future citywide light rail network that will seek to maximise the significant social, economic and environmental opportunities that light rail transport can provide to cities.

“Public consultation is an important component of this project and community engagement will be sought on potential network options later in the year.”

The Capital Metro Agency will continue to focus on the delivery of Capital Metro Stage one between Gungahlin and City, while the ACT Government investigates potential future extensions of the light rail network.

The draft Light Rail Master Plan will be completed by early 2015. For more information visit www.transport.act.gov.au. Information on the current work being undertaken on Stage 1 of Capital Metro (Gungahlin to city centre) can be found at www.capitalmetro.act.gov.au

(Simon Corbell media release)

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bigred said :

Simon cynically trying to win green tinged votes before the next election. He lost mine forever when he agreed to build the road to nowhere, AKA GDE. Hope he loses his seat next time around.

Say what you will about Simon but I believe he can do basic addition (unlike your average “green tinged” voter). I’m sure he’ll be thinking up new ways to delay starting work on this white elephant lest Labor wrecks the ACT budget.

Canfan said :

Media Release from Jeremy Hanson’s office today:
The Canberra Liberals will fight the ACT Labor government’s case for light rail in the lead up to the 2016 ACT Election because it simply doesn’t stack up for Canberra.

A light rail line from Gungahlin to the City at a cost of $614 million is not good value and given the government’s record of delivering infrastructure, there’s every chance the cost and timeline will blow-out.

This is a line in the sand and the Canberra Liberals won’t back away from responsible use of taxpayers’ money.

Hard to disagree with the logic in that media release. As I’ve said previously there would need to be double or even triple the population base along that corridor to make light rail viable.

gooterz said :

dtc said :

wildturkeycanoe said :

Has anyone considered how much it will cost to ride this fantasy train in order to recoup the costs of building it?

I trust that you make the same argument whenever a new road (GDE, Majura Parkway etc) is built.

Indeed, the Majura Parkway will cost $300m on its own and will give a return of… well, nothing. Like every other road.

Isn’t that where they are building ikea. How much $$$ will that bring to Canberra?

To answer that question you have to go back in history when the then Treasurer, PJ Keating, issued 16 new banking licenses.
Ever wondered what happened to the banks that accepted those licenses? Well, most have left Australia because every CEO of those banks neglected to ask Mr Keating where the extra customers were going to come from.
So, where are Ikea’s customers going to come from?
All the socialists in Canberra hate the foreign owned mining companies in Australia because they pay tax offshore. Well, hello? Ikea is a foreign company. I expect the socialists will boycott Ikea?

dungfungus said :

“The master plan project will explore options for a potential future citywide light rail network that will seek to maximise the significant social, economic and environmental opportunities that light rail transport can provide to cities.”

I thought the primary purpose of light rail (or any type of mass transit system for that matter) was to move people from A to B.
No mention of this in any recent media releases from our Minister; its now about encouraging development along the rail corridor to generate revenue from rates. What a con.

And having named most of the places that they want the light rail to go they are going to fork out more millions for consultants to confirm that.

They have lost the plot completely.

Pray that they don’t get re-elected.

Too right dungfungus. Given the apparent experience on the Gold Coast, the ACT Light Rail system will cost b$1+. The Territory’s great treasurer is heading OS in June to drum up funding for this and other projects as “public private partnerships”. That’s only code for charging passengers absurd amounts to travel on it so the private sector can make more ROI. But they will make Light Rail fares look cheap once because they are incrementally jacking up parking fees and car registration.

You wouldn’t know that the Territory’s budget is m$350 in debut would u !!!!

Cum’on Simon Corbell. Tell the Truth. The Light Rail is NEVER going to make it to Tuggeranong will it. Your press release mentioning that is just to hose down the natives in Tuggeranong and elsewhere. It is more “spin” from what must be the most hopeless Government miss managers of the ACT economy since self government – and there have been some shockers !

“They have lost the plot completely. Prey that they don’t get re elected”. Well, dungfungus, it is almost inevitable that they will be re elected, IMHO. What ever votes they lose on in Tuggeranong because of the Light Rail, they will pick up in Gunghlain/Belco anyway.

Personally, I dont think this ACT Government could lay straight in bed. They are delusional and out to lunch with the fairies. Unfortunately, all ACT residents and Ratepayers are going to pay dearly for their economic incompetence.

dtc said :

wildturkeycanoe said :

Has anyone considered how much it will cost to ride this fantasy train in order to recoup the costs of building it?

I trust that you make the same argument whenever a new road (GDE, Majura Parkway etc) is built.

Indeed, the Majura Parkway will cost $300m on its own and will give a return of… well, nothing. Like every other road.

Isn’t that where they are building ikea. How much $$$ will that bring to Canberra?

dtc said :

dungfungus said :

Pity the daily commuters who live in Bungendore and Yass who have no other choice but to use their own cars which if not already are going to cost them up to $11 a day to park in Canberra.
Everyone in Canberra at least has access to ACTION buses which may not be ideal to drop off and pick up the kids but they have the choice.

Perhaps if you lived in Canberra and contributed to the cost of ACTION, or the roads, or the other stuff through your rates or whatever, then you might have a more sympathetic audience.

I do live in Canberra and I subsidize ACTION through my rates like every other ratepayer (a lot of ACTION users are not ratepayers). I am one of the 92% of Canberrans who rarely use ACTION. The hard facts are that the ACT Revenue needs car owners so they can soak them with extortionately high vehicle registration fees.
I was making my earlier comment on behalf of the 100% of people who live outside Canberra and never use ACTION because ACTION is not a regional service which it should be.
So much for the MOU that ACT signed with our cross-border neighbours.

HiddenDragon said :

TAs a footnote, I have no doubt that paid parking everywhere (not just in town centres), and reduced numbers of parking spaces, will be used to “encourage” people to use the trams.

Or else tollways for roads running parallel to the light rail, forcing people to support the light rail either way.

dungfungus said :

Pity the daily commuters who live in Bungendore and Yass who have no other choice but to use their own cars which if not already are going to cost them up to $11 a day to park in Canberra.
Everyone in Canberra at least has access to ACTION buses which may not be ideal to drop off and pick up the kids but they have the choice.

Perhaps if you lived in Canberra and contributed to the cost of ACTION, or the roads, or the other stuff through your rates or whatever, then you might have a more sympathetic audience.

wildturkeycanoe said :

Has anyone considered how much it will cost to ride this fantasy train in order to recoup the costs of building it?

I trust that you make the same argument whenever a new road (GDE, Majura Parkway etc) is built.

Indeed, the Majura Parkway will cost $300m on its own and will give a return of… well, nothing. Like every other road.

HiddenDragon said :

The detachment from fiscal reality is utterly breathtaking. Rather than looking at ways to spend further very large amounts of borrowed money on unnecessary projects, the ACT Government should be battening down the hatches and looking to make Canberra an attractive place for businesses which do not rely on federal spending.

Only those who have spent their whole adult life firmly attached to the public treat could think that a massively expensive (to build and run) tram system will help to make Canberra an attractive place to establish and run commercially sustainable businesses – and that’s what we need to offset the federal cutbacks. If this goes ahead, the resultant increases in ACT Government rates, taxes and charges will simply see more commercial activity moving out of Canberra, not into it.

As a footnote, I have no doubt that paid parking everywhere (not just in town centres), and reduced numbers of parking spaces, will be used to “encourage” people to use the trams.

Pity the daily commuters who live in Bungendore and Yass who have no other choice but to use their own cars which if not already are going to cost them up to $11 a day to park in Canberra.
Everyone in Canberra at least has access to ACTION buses which may not be ideal to drop off and pick up the kids but they have the choice.

house_husband1:09 pm 30 Apr 14

housebound said :

The Libs are saying they’ll stop construction. They won’t be able to: all those contracts will have been locked in, the trees on Northbourne demolished, and the road dug up.

I can see this will be the ACT equivalent to the Victorian desalination plant. A massive capital project that ends up a white elephant that will take a generation to pay off.

No doubt to estimate passenger numbers they’ll use the same consultants who provided overinflated figures for the various tunnels that saw less than half the numbers.

Also what I would like to know is who is going to be accountable if it goes off the rails? The Greens, Labor, Capital Metro? Or will they all point fingers at each other and duck for cover ?

VYBerlinaV8_is_back12:19 pm 30 Apr 14

HiddenDragon said :

The detachment from fiscal reality is utterly breathtaking. Rather than looking at ways to spend further very large amounts of borrowed money on unnecessary projects, the ACT Government should be battening down the hatches and looking to make Canberra an attractive place for businesses which do not rely on federal spending.

Only those who have spent their whole adult life firmly attached to the public treat could think that a massively expensive (to build and run) tram system will help to make Canberra an attractive place to establish and run commercially sustainable businesses – and that’s what we need to offset the federal cutbacks. If this goes ahead, the resultant increases in ACT Government rates, taxes and charges will simply see more commercial activity moving out of Canberra, not into it.

As a footnote, I have no doubt that paid parking everywhere (not just in town centres), and reduced numbers of parking spaces, will be used to “encourage” people to use the trams.

Spot on.

wildturkeycanoe10:04 am 30 Apr 14

Has anyone considered how much it will cost to ride this fantasy train in order to recoup the costs of building it?

Media Release from Jeremy Hanson’s office today:
The Canberra Liberals will fight the ACT Labor government’s case for light rail in the lead up to the 2016 ACT Election because it simply doesn’t stack up for Canberra.

A light rail line from Gungahlin to the City at a cost of $614 million is not good value and given the government’s record of delivering infrastructure, there’s every chance the cost and timeline will blow-out.

This is a line in the sand and the Canberra Liberals won’t back away from responsible use of taxpayers’ money.

HiddenDragon9:46 am 30 Apr 14

The detachment from fiscal reality is utterly breathtaking. Rather than looking at ways to spend further very large amounts of borrowed money on unnecessary projects, the ACT Government should be battening down the hatches and looking to make Canberra an attractive place for businesses which do not rely on federal spending.

Only those who have spent their whole adult life firmly attached to the public treat could think that a massively expensive (to build and run) tram system will help to make Canberra an attractive place to establish and run commercially sustainable businesses – and that’s what we need to offset the federal cutbacks. If this goes ahead, the resultant increases in ACT Government rates, taxes and charges will simply see more commercial activity moving out of Canberra, not into it.

As a footnote, I have no doubt that paid parking everywhere (not just in town centres), and reduced numbers of parking spaces, will be used to “encourage” people to use the trams.

“The master plan project will explore options for a potential future citywide light rail network that will seek to maximise the significant social, economic and environmental opportunities that light rail transport can provide to cities.”

I thought the primary purpose of light rail (or any type of mass transit system for that matter) was to move people from A to B.
No mention of this in any recent media releases from our Minister; its now about encouraging development along the rail corridor to generate revenue from rates. What a con.

And having named most of the places that they want the light rail to go they are going to fork out more millions for consultants to confim that.

They have lost the plot completely.

Pray that they don’t get re-elected.

This is a better idea than the Northbourne disaster. Why not start with that (Civic to railway station line) and extend it to the airport?

The Libs are saying they’ll stop construction. They won’t be able to: all those contracts will have been locked in, the trees on Northbourne demolished, and the road dug up. Not because Labor back the idea, but because they’ll want to make it impossible for the Libs to change anything on the very, very slim chance they actually manage to win an election.

So we have Capital Metro Agency focusing on building light rail and then we have another group doing a study for the rest of Canberra. If this was a real plan wouldn’t they just increase the budget of capital metro. As the first leg of the rail should feed into the planning for the rest of it. Otherwise they’ll both do the same work and end up wasting a great deal of our money.

“world class public transport options for the Canberra community.”
First or third?

Two words – Monaro Highway. Not that I think it will ever actually make it to Tuggeranong. And I concur with your thoughts about Mr Corbell, bigred.

“World class public transport options”. WTF is he on about? Has he actually used our failure of a bus network? Gets you nowhere you need to go in triple the time it should.

I honestly don’t think we need whatever his solution is to be “world class”. Canberrans just need it to take them where they need to go within a reasonable timeframe. Simple.

Simon cynically trying to win green tinged votes before the next election. He lost mine forever when he agreed to build the road to nowhere, AKA GDE. Hope he loses his seat next time around.

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