Rail plan threatens homes
- Date: April 23, 2013
Homes and business premises in Melbourne’s south-east could be wiped off the map to make way for extra tracks along the Dandenong railway line to carry freight trains from the Port of Hastings.
The plan to build ”an additional track or tracks” along the heavily congested rail line is contained in a briefing to Premier Denis Napthine and Transport Minister Terry Mulder, which was obtained by Fairfax Media through freedom of information.
The plan revives elements of the former Bracks government’s doomed $1 billion Dandenong triplication project. If that project had proceeded, a large number of houses and commercial premises along the rail line – particularly between Caulfield and Oakleigh stations – would have been acquired.
Illustration: Ron Tandberg.
The Napthine government plan, tentatively dubbed the ”Eastern Regional Rail Link”, would involve widening the Dandenong rail corridor to lay dedicated track for freight trains and V/Line trains from Gippsland. It also includes provision for a new line along the Western Port Highway from the Port of Hastings to Lyndhurst on the Cranbourne line, which connects with the Dandenong line.
A spokesman for the Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure confirmed the plan but said it was too early to say whether properties would be acquired.
”That said, should any property acquisition be required, we will ensure full and proper consultation as we are required to under various acts,” he said.
The plan, outlined in a September 2012 briefing by department deputy secretary Gillian Miles, predicts the existing two tracks in the corridor between Caulfield and Dandenong will cope with freight train traffic for the next decade.
”Nearly all freight is presently carried by trucks on the M1, Dingley and other arterial roads,” the briefing says, adding that the M1 and the Princes Highway ”are already at capacity”.
By contrast, just nine freight trains currently use the Dandenong line each week, plus two trains a day on the Frankston line from Hastings that join the Dandenong line at Caulfield.
”Beyond 10 years, commissioning of new container capacity at the Port of Hastings is likely to result in a steep change in freight demand,” Ms Miles wrote.
She warned that with the advent of Hastings as Melbourne’s second major port, ”demand will outgrow the existing infrastructure and additional tracks will be needed”.
Tony Morton, of the Public Transport Users Association, said there was an argument for extra tracks to cater for more freight and regional trains, but not at the expense of private properties.
”There are ways to accommodate more trains, especially if we improve the signalling on the Dandenong line and get rid of the level crossings,” he said.
Labor’s spokesman for ports, freight and logistics, Natalie Hutchins, said the government should drop its plan for a second port at Hastings and build it in Melbourne’s west, arguing it would cost half as much and be much closer to the city’s industrial areas.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/rail-plan-threatens-homes-20130422-2iasd.html#ixzz2RF9wsJyx
Glen Eira Debates 
April 23, 2013 at 12:49 PM
interesting as they have been trying to sell apartments on land between Frankston and Dandenong lines forever. Now they are selling it as vacant land as a mortagee auction. Who would take this risk when this land will definitely be compulsorily acquired
April 23, 2013 at 1:59 PM
Off topic. Too bad that some Councillors didn’t turn up for the Anzac Service held by the Council last Sunday. This is the most solomn event of the year and surely our community leaders should attend. Cr Souness did attend and full credit to him. Crs. Esakoff, Hyams, Magee attended as well.
Cr. Delahunty was no where to be seen. It is held in her Ward. All talk no action. Probably turn up to the opening of a car door but not the Anzac Service.
April 23, 2013 at 2:47 PM
What about LIPSHUTZ ?
April 23, 2013 at 2:55 PM
Delahunty has contributed more to Glen Eira in 6 months than Esakoff has in her 8 years.
April 24, 2013 at 4:20 PM
Agree with you Anonymous but I just don’t think it was much of a challenge
April 24, 2013 at 9:41 AM
I happen to know that Delahunty’s mother was put into hospital on Sunday, she is in her 80s and has Parkinsons. I spoke to Delahunty about it at the Racecourse shambles later that day.
April 24, 2013 at 6:25 PM
I wouldn’t dream of judging somebody by whether they choose to participate in an Anzac service or not. My dad did participate and enjoyed catching up with his mates each year until his death. Some of them though, close personal friends, never participated, and would never talk about their war experiences. I haven’t a clue about my older brothers, whose birthdays were the only ones drawn out of the barrel out of all the eligible youth in our street. There’s something obscene about demanding particular behaviours from others simply to ease a troubled conscience. Sincerity, integrity and humanity count for much more than fealty to somebody else’s conception of the meaning of Anzac Day.
April 23, 2013 at 3:21 PM
Liberal MP Elizabeth Miller in embarrassing bungle over rail crossing
Matt Johnston
From:Herald Sun
April 23, 201311:55AM
A STATE Liberal MP has been caught telling her electorate a rail crossing has been removed when work hasn’t even begun on planning.
Elizabeth Miller sent a brochure to residents in her seat of Bentleigh, spruiking the “removal” of a level crossing at North Rd, Ormond, with a big red stamp saying “delivered”.
The embarrassing bungle was pointed out by aggrieved locals who want the crossing fixed.
And in a blow to the Coalition Government, the misleading pamphlet has been revealed on the same day that the Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder announced funding to plan several level crossing removals.
That money will “allow for further planning and pre-construction activities” – including at North Rd.
One senior Labor source pointed out that Ms Miller’s brochure also claimed that the Monash Children’s Hospital has also been “delivered”.
“What’s next, is she going to claim credit for world peace?” the source said.
In a media release on the rail crossing removal funding, announced today by the Coalition, Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder said removing level crossings provided “a raft of benefits to the community”.
He said that other crossings to get planning money were Blackburn Road in Blackburn, Main Road in St Albans, Mountain Highway and Scoresby Road in Bayswater, Burke Road in Glen Iris, and Murrumbeena Road in Murrumbeena.
Opposition Public Transport Spokeswoman Fiona Richardson said Ms Miller was being misleading.
“David Copperfield might be able to make an elephant disappear but Liberal MP Elizabeth Miller has managed to make a whole train station and level crossing upgrade disappear,” she said.
“The Liberal Government has again demonstrated that they are continuing to put politics ahead of safety when it comes to level crossing upgrades.”
Comment is being sought from Ms Miller.
April 23, 2013 at 4:22 PM
Tony Morton, of the Public Transport Users Association, said there was an argument for extra tracks to cater for more freight and regional trains, but not at the expense of private properties.
”There are ways to accommodate more trains, especially if we improve the signalling on the Dandenong line and get rid of the level crossings,” he said.
I am a little surprised at this statement by Tony. Sounds as though PTUA is all for residential development. Note also that removal of level crossings may aid cars and not necessarily public transport, depending on how t is done. The focus should be on improving public transport and in particular freight transport. Yet the State Government is linking the level crossings removal with urban development. The timeline of only a decade to wait is also interesting as it coincides with the development and timeline of Caulfield Village development. Let’s see what happens to Murrumbeena level crossing and its station development.
April 23, 2013 at 9:24 PM
To sort out all of our roads and public transport there is one simple solution. We can have a world class road and rail network including all undwerground rail. The only thing stopping this is the cost of labour. We could import the labour just like we import everything else from China. This is what they do in Dubai. Australians are happy to eat imported fruit and veg while watching an imported flat screen TV, sitting on their imported couch while wearing their imported clothes looking out on their imported car. You can bet that their lawn mower and all the garden tools and power tools are also imported. Time to import the manpower and tunnel under the level crossings. Anyone that thinks that Murrumbenna level crossing will never go away without a full tunnel is dreaming. It is too hard. Hertiage building there as well. They are dreaming as much as the people that think they can tunnel through the mud that is under the Yarra to build the rail track from Kensington to Caulfield. The under Princes Bridge is like no other. An engineering nightmare.
Imported labour would not be worried about site allowances.
April 23, 2013 at 10:18 PM
If the Government can’t fit 4 tracks at 4.00m track centres in a reservation of 20m width then its not really trying. The article didn’t make clear whether its DoT that thinks it needs land acquisition between Caulfield and Oakleigh or who it is that’s making the claim. Perhaps the same nonentities that pushed for the Bendigo line to be singled [used to be double-track] are in charge.
April 24, 2013 at 8:28 AM
Ain’t gonna happen – with the rate that Council is pushing in over development along the railway line (Pheonix Precinct at Caulfield, Carnegie, Murrumbeena and Hughesdale Activity Centre) the cost will always be too much and compulsory acquisition of thousands of strata title apartment will be too complex and take too long.
Shame really ‘çause it’s already a major congestion area and will only get exponentially worse.
April 24, 2013 at 11:36 AM
Something else the article doesn’t discuss is why a brand new rail corridor is being proposed from Hastings to Lyndhurst rather than use the existing Stony Point rail corridor. Much of the Frankston line is already triple-track, and it doesn’t have the same VLine passenger traffic as Dandenong lines. As for rail freight, the entire network has been rendered non-viable by successive governments, leaving it exposed to the demands of the road freight industry. B-doubles, then B-triples, next B-quadruples, all while trucks are over-represented in traffic “accident” statistics. For all the talk of open space, consider how much land is tied up in sealed roads too.
April 25, 2013 at 1:45 AM
To hear of E. MILLER telling stories is just unbelievable. The disease must have blown down to the south from David SOUTHWICK AS HE IS NOW NOTED FOR HIS VARIOUS TWISTS OF THE TRUTH.!!!
To Not a Horse
Would you believe the reason why the units in Dudley Street may be hard to sell because the single bed space allowaqnce is partially taken up with a study table over the ankle and foot end. There is no oppoertunity for being restless or he shins may be skinned if moving in bed in an unconscious state.
These units are an insult to humanity. Just imagone every one of the dozens of units opposite each other with air coolers running on a hot summers’s noght.. the noiuse will be unbelievable,
REPROBATE
On the transport issueNow isn’t it amazing… the Bendigo City COUNCIL IS CALLING ON GOVT. TO RE-BUILD THE LINE DUPLICATION ONLY ABOUT 8 YEARS AFTER THE LABOUR GOVT. DISMANTLED IT!!!!
Now about Anzac Day Commeration. I find it totally unacceptable to commerate ANZAC DAY ALWAYS ON ANOTHER DAY. tHIS YEAR THE COUNCIL orgnised the function on another sacred day when many member of our society have other spiritual duties tio attend to,.. that is why Anzac Day is gazetteda s a piublic holiday. This is astounding as my father was on one of the first troup ships to leave our shores in 1939 to make his contributio toward suppressing Nazi Germany and my father in law died at 33 because of his effort in WW11 leaving 4 boys under 7 years. So many people in Glen Eira were directly affected by the dictator but yet our council cannot even hold the service on the day which those who fought for our freedom in respect of all those fallen and sick mates set aside the day in respect of all who made so many sacrifices on our behalf.
Now perhaps thos who were npot present did have other functions to attend, however if this council ever held the service on the correcr day it may be suitable to attend but in the morning at 6.00am ther is a service at EAST MALVERN RSL WHERE CITIZENS CAN RECOGNISE THE SACRIFICES OF THE ANZACS.OR AT THE SHRINE AND OF COURSE THERE IS THE MARCH
LATER IN THE DAY. THIS IS THE DAY FOR THE COMMERATION NOT ANY OTHER DAY AS GLEN EIRA COUNCIL DEEMS!!!!