...rang the other night.

They LOVED Genevieve's submission and, amongst other things, wanted to know if they had our permission to put it in the printed summary of responses from the public.

It's only the DoT staffers, who will be making suggestions to the author of the printed summary, but hey... OF COURSE I said yes! 

It will have the byline "Genevieve - Aged 2" if it does get in.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

This is Genevieve's Submission to the DOI regarding the Eddington Report.

On the back I've written what she said.

"Genevieve and Harry and Mummy and Chele playing in the park"

"I love my park"

"I want my park forever"

And her full name and address.

So, I was pretty impressed by what she said!  However, that pales compared to what I was watching as she was drawing.  Only in the last week or so, has she progressed from scribbles to drawing circles, but I wasn't prepared for what you see right!

(I'm still bouncing!  Very proud Daddy!)

The submission

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

We've been putting a lot of time and effort into informing people about the tunnel, the park, and (most importantly) the Jul 15th deadline for any emails to be sent to the State Government.  It seems, however, that http://savehollandpark.com.au may be quite useful.

Traffic

OK... so it's not thousands of visits, but if that's new people looking, it's getting the word out.

I also risked losing friends, by committing that most heinous of eCrimes... sending SPAM.  Here's a copy of the message that pretty-much anyone I've ever known, or come across, received last night.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello,

Firstly, I apologise for sending you a 'broadcast' style email.  It's not something I would normally do, but it IS that important.

Secondly, for those of you who haven't heard from me for years, or if I'm a name from your deep dark history, or even just a mailing list, bear with me and keep reading.

Thirdly, those of you I'm in regular contact with, you've probably been expecting this, and I apologise if you receive it more than once.

You probably know that the State Government is planning on building another toll-road - a big tunnel linking the Eastern Freeway to the Tullamarine Freeway, and then on to somewhere in Footscray.

If you trust me - please send the email text below (of course, feel free to change to suit your sensibilities) to eastwestyoursay@transport.vic.gov.au NOW... or at least prior to Jul 15th, which is the deadline for them receiving responses.

If you don't want to just accept what I'm saying - take a look at http://savehollandpark.blogspot.com/2008/06/so-whats-all-this-about.html , or just elsewhere on that site (link below - there's plenty of other suggestions there.\, including alternative solutions), read up, an get informed.  Hell... just google eddington tunnel and make your own decisions.

If this car tunnel is allowed to be built, not only is it an incredible waste of money that could be put towards more sustainable solutions, but it's a legacy that our children, our children's children, etc etc will have to live with forever.

Anyway... here's the email.  You can now resume your normal programming...

Thanks (I hope!)

Cory
Have you sent in your email to the Vic Gov before Jul 15?  Find out how at
http://savehollandpark.org.au

------------------------------------------------------

Copy (change if you like) and paste the following to eastwestyoursay@transport.vic.gov.au :

Dear East-West Options Review Panel,

I would like to register my opposition to Recommendation Four of the East-West Link Needs Assessment (EWLNA), for a East-West link car tunnel, on the following grounds :

- Based upon the economic report underlying the EWLNA, the return on investment of the East-West Link road tunnel is criminally low, and is a neglegent usage of public funds.  If another Public-Private Partnership is entered into, Victorian residents will ultimately end up paying more, as evidenced in many other major infrastructure projects undertaken Australia-wide.
- Environmentally, the prospect of a tunnel goes against the State Government's own Greenhouse gas targets. Building another road is encouraging people to use their cars more.  Instead, we should be encouraging people to use alternatives to private vehicles wherever possible.
- During construction, and if page 75 of the Engineering report underlying the EWLNA is to be followed, after completion vital Melbourne parkland will be reduced, and lost forevermore.  Royal Park, JJ Holland Park, Newlands Wetlands and Trin Warren should not be negotiable.  In fact, inner city and inner suburban parkland should be increased, to cater for higher density population. JJ Holland Park, in particular, is home to a number of sporting and community groups, as well as children's facilities that would have to discontinue if the park was lost.  The City of Melbourne has no capacity to relocate them elsewhere, as other parks/ovals are full to capacity.
- The vast majority of users of the Eastern Freeway are not headed west, or in fact north. They are headed into the CBD.  This means that if people do use the tunnel, at the earliest opportunity (potentially, the corner of Dynon and Kensington Roads) they will head back into the city, further choking the roads which the EWLNA intends upon reducing traffic. Many city's freeway systems provide 'the fastest trip between two bottlenecks'.  This isn't the future that Melbourne's infrastructure should be creating.

Recommendation Four of the EWLNA is old thinking for a problem that has been highlighted for decades.  What is required is newer, more sustainable thinking, so that current, and future generations of residents of Melbourne, do not suffer.

Yours faithfully,

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

It's been a while between drinks regarding our opposition towards the tunnel... mainly because http://savehollandpark.org.au has been the focus of my energies.

However, I've felt the need to post this, as it's a quite horrific confirmation of all of our fears regarding the park, Kensington, and the State Government's pro-car direction for solving Melbourne's transport problems. This one, particularly, is of great concern "That the private sector "had no appetite" for investment in public transport and that this would have to be done by Government.  The private sector would invest in roads and would have a strong influence over road alignment and access. "

Here are some highlights of the email :

On 25 June our local member Bronwyn Pike invited executive members Richard Reilly (Chair), David Ettershank (Secretary) and Tony Dare (Treasurer) to a meeting at Parliament House to discuss the Eddington Report and the potential impact of its recommendations. 

The meeting was also attended by the Minister for Roads, Tim Pallas who is probably the Minister most responsible for the carriage of the Eddington recommendations.

The discussion extended for over an hour and a half ...

Tim Pallas advised that

*  The Government retains an open mind on the Eddington Report and that in fact "things have moved on" in many areas (such as petrol prices and public transport utilisation) since the Report was commissioned.

*  That Bronwyn has expressed her concerns strongly within government but that for her to do so publicly would be a breach of Cabinet solidarity and reduce her capacity for advocacy.

*  That after submissions on the Report close (15 July) an Issues Paper will be produced for public discussion and representatives of business and the community will be invited to a "roundtable" meeting to discuss the paper in August.

*  Concurrently, the Government is commissioning a number of wider studies to assist in an overall traffic and transport plan for Melbourne (however these will not be subject to release to the public).

*  That he personally believed the current dependence on the Westgate Bridge is unsustainable and that an alternate road route had to be developed. 

*  That it was not possible to construct major infrastructure without impacts, and that some had to be tolerated for the wider good.  However, he also indicated that if the tollway did extend through JJ Holland Park, the Government would be vigilant to minimise any negative impact.

*  That the private sector "had no appetite" for investment in public transport and that this would have to be done by Government.  The private sector would invest in roads and would have a strong influence over road alignment and access.

*  That the Government would decide its position on implementation by the end of the year.

So what does this all mean?

At the end of the meeting we formed a number of views about the meeting and the way forward:

*  Our fears about

The use of JJ Holland Park as a 'staging point' and construction site.

A possible permanent 'open cut' through the Park.

An interchange at Kensington-Dynon Road allowing traffic into Kensington.

An elevated truck link across Newell Wetlands.

Vent stacks and related environmental degradation.

are entirely well founded.

*  Formal public consultation will end on July 15^th.  After that there is only the "roundtable discussion" in August and we will not see a preferred government proposal (including route) until December.

*  Once Government announces its preferred position there will be an extended period while they line up constructors, financiers and the like. This is the first opportunity the community will have to enter the debate in the context of a concrete proposal and no consultation with the community is proposed.

This could be long battle so we need to be prepared.

Actions to take

Please  get your submissions in to eastwestyoursay@doi.vic.gov.au by 15 July.

Also, to your local Member of State Parliament:  bronwyn.pike@parliament.vic.gov.au

And to your local Member of Federal Parliament:  Lindsay.Tanner.MP@aph.gov.au

If you wish to respond to this email, feel free to contact us at info@kensingtonassociation.org.au or better still, attend our regular general meetings of members on the first Monday of every month, 7.30 pm at the Holy Rosary Primary School in Gower Street. (Next meeting July 7) 

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

...just around the streets near us, and took a few pix.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26670541@N07/show/

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

...as shown on the TV news.  (Channels 2, 9 and some of 7 until my battery ran out).

You can see Nai and VV towards the end of the ch 2 footage).

And here's some pix.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Famous

It's had over 400 views, and I've received a few letters back from the politicians I sent it to.  It's also had a few supportive comments posted on YouTube.

There a huge public meeting scheduled for 2pm this Saturday at Kensington Pool (well.. the hall in the Community Centre in which the pool resides).  It's entitled "DEFEND KENSINGTON" and has been set up by the Kensington Association.  So, I've been out sticking up nice posters (colour ones, printed by KA) and Nai and I will be handing out flyers at the train station on Thursday.  Oh... and I have chalk on my hands again - there's a few footpath scrawls about the streets ;)

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

... and this is the contentious section, that seems to contradict the 'nice, brochure style' report where Eddington say show great the East-West Link will be for Melbourne.

Pg 75

As you can read, it says: "New overbridges would be required for the railway line, Childers Street and Dynon Road to cross this open 'slot'". This seems to indicate that instead of 'cut and cover' construction, it's more like 'cut and leave open'.

This graphic is also from the engineering report.  I think the line drawn is only indicative - however if you do look at it, it seems to go straight through the park.  I've zoomed in, so it's a little difficult to read.  The box says "SOUTH KENSINGTON TO MARIBYRNONG RIVER".  Then, just to the right of that, there's a little double-headed arrow thing.  Just below that - that green area is JJ Holland Park.  So, as you can see, the line goes straight through the guts of it.

From the report

If I try to follow a line through, as outlined above, it would look something like this.

Park tunnel

For one proposal, south of Childers Street and the railway line, it seems to go parallel to Kensington Road, through what is currently some light industrial factories, businesses and derelict buildings, before going up and over Dynon Road.

For the other, it will continue towards the river and link up with Ballarat Road.

I'm still reading, (OK... currently I'm working, so I'll be reading tonight) to get my own take on what is happening.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Read and post comments | Send to a friend