Fw: Mon.31.10.22 daily digest archive part 2

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Australian government cash boost for Canberra's light rail welcomed. Julia Kanapathippillai February 25 2021
Andrew Barr, Michael McCormack, the Alinga Street stop. Pictures: Keegan Carroll
Public transport and construction industry lobbies have welcomed the federal government's $135 million funding injection for Stage 2A of Canberra's light rail network.
"This is a clearest indication yet that the federal government supports the extension of Canberra's light rail network from Civic to Woden," he said.
"I am very grateful that we can move the conversation from 'should we build it?' to 'how do we build it?'."
Stage 2A will expand the service from Alinga Street to Commonwealth Park and is the first phase of light rail from Civic to Woden.
Despite the Commonwealth's funding commitment and gaining environmental approval, the ACT government is still awaiting approval from the National Capital Authority and ACT Planning.
Transport Minister Chris Steel said he expected the NCA to approve the project about quarter three this year.
Work is expected to commence on Stage 2A in 2021-22.
The ACT government has not released an expected completion date for Stage 2A.
Mr Hemsley said he was confident the government would release a firmer timeline for the completion of Stage 2A following NCA approval.
Master Builders ACT chief executive Michael Hopkins said he welcomed the funding for Stage 2A.
"Local contractors are looking forward to the opportunity to help deliver Stage 2A of the light rail project, including early works to raise London Circuit," he said.
"This project has the potential to create thousands of local jobs, and the MBA is pleased to see the ACT and federal government working together to deliver infrastructure and support the local construction industry."
Chief Minister Andrew Barr, Transport Minister Chris Steel, senator for Canberra Zed Seselja and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack presented a united front when they announced the funding for the project on Wednesday.
"All aboard this congestion-busting, job-creating, hope-building and confidence-creating project," Mr McCormack said.
"This is what happens when governments collaborate.
"The Canberrans walking by, they don't care what particular stripe of government is up on the hill or here in Canberra.
They just want to get things done."
Mr Steel said Stage 2A would be a disruptive program in the short term, but would "provide long term benefits for our city".
Regarding stage 2B, Mr Barr said the project required complex Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation approvals before work could go ahead, along with approval from both houses of Parliament.
Gesturing to Mr Seselja and Mr McCormack, Mr Barr said he'd be "calling on these two gentlemen for their advocacy, support and a vote for the project when it ultimately comes before Parliament".
Despite his previous stance against light rail, Mr Seselja said the people had spoken and that "the debate on light rail was over".
"The question now is making it work and, of course, making it accessible to as many Canberrans as possible," he said.
"I've always said once the first stage of light rail was completed it made absolute sense to expand it and turn that into a network."
Mr Seselja said he would continue to push for infrastructure funding for Canberra, for both public transport and car-based transport.

Road, rail and freight upgrades worth $10 billion in federal budget.  Melissa Clarke, Monday 10 May 2021
The sun struggles to break through on William Hovell Drive
William Hovell Drive in the ACT is among the road projects to receive funding in the federal budget. (ABC News: Nick Haggarty)
More than $10 billion in spending on major infrastructure projects will spearhead the federal government's efforts to boost both jobs and productivity in the COVID-affected national economy.
Key points:
Tuesday's federal budget will include $10 billion over 10 years on major infrastructure projects
The funding will cover road, rail and freight upgrades in every state and territory
It is designed to create local jobs and boost productivity in the COVID-affected national economy
The money will be spent over 10 years across all states and territories, including $2 billion for a new freight hub in Melbourne and another $2 billion to upgrade the Great Western Highway between Katoomba and Lithgow in New South Wales.
There is also funding for road projects in South Australia (Truro Bypass), Tasmania (Bass Highway), Northern Territory (National Highway Network) and the ACT (William Hovell Drive), as well as rail and freight upgrades in Queensland and Western Australia.
The funding will be outlined in Tuesday's budget, in which the federal government will continue to pump money into the economy as it grapples with the ongoing presence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic lockdowns last year hit the job market hard and although the unemployment rate has dropped quicker than expected, another outbreak of COVID-19 could send it rising again.
The unemployment rate dropped to 5.6 per cent in March, but the federal government wants to see it fall closer to 4.5 per cent.
We need genuine full employment Jim Stanford, director of the Australia Institute's Centre for Future Work
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg wants the unemployment rate to fall below 5 per cent, but one economist says that still won't be enough, writes Gareth Hutchens.
To do that, the Coalition is foresaking its long-held rectitude on fiscal discipline to spend big, particularly on road, rail and freight infrastructure.
"Our record funding commitment is creating jobs, boosting business investment, while securing Australia's COVID recovery," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the funding would create jobs now and "set Australia up for the future."
"A new intermodal terminal in Melbourne will help to boost the productivity of the nation by helping businesses get their products to domestic and international markets faster following the completion of inland rail," he said.
Traffic diversion on wet highway. The Bass Highway in Tasmania will also be allocated funding in the budget. (ABC News: April McLennan)
Job market 'surprisingly resilient'
The long-term infrastructure spending follows the end of the economy-wide JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme, which was widely credited with preventing mass unemployment last year.
It shows the jobs market is "surprisingly resilient," according to co-author of the longitudinal study, Professor Matthew Gray.
"Between two and four weeks after the removal of JobKeeper, employment has remained stable and there hasn't been any drop that we've picked up yet," he said.
The introduction of a wage subsidy at a time of crisis shows the federal government has learnt from previous recessions, according to Prof Gray.
"There has been efforts made to keep as many people connected to the workforce as possible," he said.
"Some of the training programs and investment in human capital and re-skilling… (minimises) the chances of (people) becoming long-term jobless, which is when the real damage starts to happen at an individual level."
Spending on 'economic infrastructure' urged
The federal government is expected to spend billions more on aged care, mental health and other critical sectors in the budget, as well as the infrastructure spending.
RMIT University economist Dr Leonora Risse is hoping to see budget measures that go beyond propping up consumption.
"It has got to be more than just replacing household demand, like supporting kitchen renovations," said Dr Risse.
"Something that [will] deliver a long-term payoff or the economy's productivity in the future."
Policy changes proposed ahead of the budget won't actually change the systemic issues, argue Kate Noble and Peter Hurley.
Beyond physical infrastructure, she suggests the federal government invest in "economic infrastructure."
"It is the infrastructure that supports us to participate in the economy productively, which includes investing in childcare, social housing, aged care, disability care, education and training."
As for the accruing debt, Dr Risse backs the federal government's decision to spend, rather than save, at this point in time.
"Economic management is not about how to bring a budget into balance. That's more of an accounting issue," said Dr Risse.
"Economic management is how do you make fullest and greatest use of your economy's capacity."
Infrastructure pledges by state
STATE
FUNDING
KEY PROJECTS
JOBS SUPPORTED
NSW
More than $3b 
...More than 6500
Vic
$3b
$2b for a new Intermodal Terminal in Melbourne
...More than 3000
WA
$1.3b
$379 million for METRONET upgrades
...More than 4000
SA
$3.2b
...More than 5000
Qld
$1.6b 
$400m for the Inland Freight Route Upgrades
...More than 2800
NT
$323.9m 
$150m for Northern Territory National Network Upgrades 
...More than 900
Tas
$322.6m 
...More than 1000
ACT
$167.3m
...Around 200

Tuggeranong Parkway, Kings Highway projects axed, but officials deny link to light rail.  Toby Vue January 10 2022
Boboyan Road user group urges ACT government to discuss concerns, to allow input into safety upgrades.
Boboyan Road User Group spokesperson Damian De Marco says the ACT government has been ignoring its concerns since early 2021. Pictures: Jamila Toderas, Supplied
An ACT Australian of the Year Awards recipient has slammed the territory government for being "completely unwilling to discuss legitimate road-safety issues with community groups", saying users of a key rural road linking the ACT with the Snowy Mountains have had their concerns ignored since early 2021.
Damian De Marco, who is also a spokesperson for the Boboyan Road User Group, says that despite recent safety works and additional federal funding for upgrades, more can be done and urge the government to discuss with them about its concerns.
"The entire goat track-like sections of the road need to be widened enough for two cars to pass each other," Mr De Marco said.
"Our group find it concerning that the government is completely unwilling to discuss legitimate road safety issues with community groups."
The Boboyan Road is an arterial road linking the ACT, from Tennet, to Adaminaby in NSW and goes through Namadgi National Park.
Mr De Marco, the 2015 ACT Local Hero recipient, said grading was temporary and with the higher usage and rain, it did not last as long as previously.
"There are so many two-wheel-drives that come up here, trying to navigate, especially around Christmas and Easter," he said.
"When the Monaro Highway closes because of a bad crash, as it did recently, all the traffic goes elsewhere.
"Boboyan Road suddenly has semi trailers, buses and all sorts of other vehicles." 
Mr De Marco said the minimum expected of a government was to discuss with those who use the road frequently.
"We've had countless number of requests to just discuss the dangerous problems with the road," he said.
"When we've spoken with the engineer, he said they can't fix the problem because it's a political problem and for us to go to the politicians.
"[Roads Minister Chris Steel] says in the Assembly he's willing to meet with community groups and then he's not willing to meet with our group.
"That's not the way it should operate."
In an email to Mr Steele, Mr De Marco wrote that within two weeks of being graded in August, the road "had again deteriorated to a state not safe for two-wheel-drive vehicles".
"It is currently in such a poor condition, there is a high risk of vehicle becoming stuck or damaged by deep washaways, extensive bogs and potholes more than 50 cm deep," he said.
Mr Steele last wrote to Mr De Marco in mid-December, confirming an inspection and works.
In May 2021, long-time residents warned that the deteriorating road conditions could severely hamper emergency services, tourism and businesses if safety upgrades were not prioritised.
Since then, the ACT government has rehabilitated four kilomtres of the road and completed upgrade works at various sections.
The latter include sealing at Rendezvous Creek, about halfway, and reconstruction at Mount Clear, just before the ACT-NSW border, completed three months after schedule in November.  
In June, the entire 40 km of the road, which now has about 15 km unsealed, was also graded as part of routine maintenance works.
Further grading started in late 2021 and is scheduled to be finished by January's end.
Resealing work was also completed in December 2021 for an 11 km section from the intersection of Top Naas Road.
A government spokesperson on Sunday said the rehabilitated sections "would improve traffic safety by reconstructing the existing gravel road surface ...as well as undertaking associated drainage improvements".
Mr Steele has yet to respond to questions about discussing the issue with the group.
Last December, the federal government announced $5 million for Boboyan Road as part of a $75 million commitment to fast tracking safety upgrades across a number of southern ACT roads.
ACT Liberal senator Zed Seselja said the Boboyan Road upgrade would help improve access in and out of Namadgi National Park during bushfire seasons.
Mr Seselja said the funding would "deliver road resurfacing and widening, soil stabilisation and drainage works, providing improved access through Namadgi National Park during bushfire seasons".
Canberra resident James Hudson is another who is concerned about the deteriorating conditions of Boboyan Road near Namadgi National Park. Picture: Dion Georgopoulos
Damian De Marco has been part of the Boboyan Road User Group formed 10 years ago lobbying for upgrades to a standard that is safe and wide enough for two cars.
A section of the road around Christmas 2021. Picture: Supplied

George Street’s car-free zone extended to near Circular Quay.  Michael Koziol, October 10, 2022, 167 comments [mostly in favour]
Sydney CBD’s main artery, George Street, will soon be pedestrianised all the way from Chinatown to near Circular Quay, after the state government and City of Sydney council announced plans to shut the road to cars north of Wynyard.
George Street will be closed to traffic between Hunter Street and Grosvenor/Bridge streets from January 9, technically on a trial basis, though the council has released a formal planning proposal to make the change permanent.
Under the plans, the boulevard will extend from its current end at Hunter Street to Essex Street, outside the EY building. That is still a block south of Circular Quay, where George Street meets Alfred Street and the light rail terminates, that is slated for pedestrianisation at a later stage.
At present, cars can turn right into George Street from Hunter Street and head north to Bridge Street, and the road has one lane each way for vehicles between Bridge Street and Circular Quay.
Cities and Infrastructure Minister Rob Stokes and Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the light rail and pedestrianisation of George Street south had turned an ugly thoroughfare for vehicles into an exemplary public space for all Sydneysiders to enjoy.
“George Street’s transformation from a traffic-clogged arterial route to a destination in its own right is nothing short of remarkable,” Moore said.
“In a post-COVID world, the role of public space in the heart of our city is vital as we strive to ensure a thriving, liveable and accessible city for all.”
Stokes said the state government was contributing $3 million for the project on top of its ongoing work to create new public squares at Central and Circular Quay, book ending “one of the world’s great boulevards”.
“Every city needs a central spine ... this will change the way people move around our city, bringing more foot traffic for businesses and allowing more venues to open their doors for outdoor dining,” Stokes said.
Moore said there were 18 outdoor dining applications for George Street south in just two months following its pedestrianisation. She said the council would continue to waive outdoor dining fees until the end of this financial year to encourage businesses to use public space.
Asked why the pedestrianisation will end at Essex Street for now, the council affirmed its long-term vision to extend the boulevard all the way to Circular Quay, but said it was undertaking the works in stages to minimise disruption to residents and businesses.
There is also a section of the southern end of George Street between Ultimo Road in Chinatown and Railway Square that remains open to cars.
This “penultimate piece of the pedestrianisation puzzle” will create another 5900 square metres of pedestrian space, contributing to 20 000 square metres of reclaimed roadway between Central and Circular Quay by the time the project is complete.
Moore raised an extended pedestrianisation of George Street at Premier Dominic Perrottet’s CBD Summit in February, a brainstorming session between government, business and industry groups that was designed to rebuild the city centre following the scourge of COVID lockdowns.
While conditions have improved since then, Sydney office occupancy is still hovering just above 50 per cent according to Property Council surveys as working at home remains popular among professionals.
The George Street pedestrianisation plan is on public exhibition until November 10 and feedback will be incorporated into the final scheme.
The council is also consulting the public on plans to pedestrianise Loftus Street and Reiby Place near Circular Quay.
Cars turning left into Essex Street. The pedestrian boulevard currently ends at Hunter Street, near Wynyard Station, but will be extended north to Essex Street.Oscar Colman
An artist’s impression of the proposed pedestrianisation of George Street north.City of Sydney

Federal government boost for ACT light rail stage 2a in budget.  Dan Jervis-Bardy October 25 2022
ACT will get $85.9 million from the federal government to help extend the light rail line from Alinga Street to Commonwealth Park.
The funding is on top of the $132.5 million which had been allocated under the former Coalition government, taking the Commonwealth's contribution to Andrew Barr's signature project to $218.4 million.
The federal budget also revealed a new National Security Office Precinct, and delivered funds to reopen the mothballed AIS Arena, in what Finance Minister and ACT senator Katy Gallagher is hailing as a "good story" for Canberra. 
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has helped deliver extra funding for Canberra's light rail project.
Canberra Times understands that the new funding, which is subject to agreement with the ACT government, is spread out over six financial years, starting with $15 million in 2024-25.
The funding announcement comes after Labor walked back a commitment, which former leader Bill Shorten took to the 2019 election, to invest $200 million in the project.
The federal budget does not include any funding for the project's so-called stage 2B, which will take the tram across Lake Burley Griffin to Woden.
The budget featured a $20 million local infrastructure package for Canberra, which included $5 million for an inner-north cycling route, $10 million toward the new CIT campus in Woden and $5 million to upgrade Gorman House.
A total of $750,000 will be spent on a business case to upgrade the University of Canberra's sporting facilities.
As expected, the budget didn't include funding for projects which former Liberal senator Zed Seselja promised during his failed election campaign, including $15 million to redevelop Viking Park as a 10,000-seat boutique stadium.
There was also no waiver of the ACT's $100 million historical housing debt, as Senator Gallagher confirmed earlier this month.
The cash for the Alinga Street to Commonwealth Park stretch is on top of a wider 10-year, $8.1 billion road and rail package.
The long-awaited reopening of the AIS Arena is one step closer after the budget delivered on Labor's promise to spend $15.1 million on much-needed upgrades to the mothballed stadium.
Some $11.6 million has been set aside across 2022-23 and 2023-24 for the works.
READ MORE:
Budget at a glance: all the key changes www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7953659
Karen Barlow's budget analysis www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7954804
How the budget impacts the public service www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7953677
Mark Kenny's budget analysis www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7953690
Peter Martin's economic analysis www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7953745
Jim Chalmers delivers federal budget, targets inflation and promises budget repair www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7953659/hard-times-chalmers-sets-his-sights-on-budget-repair

'So many questions': concerns next stage of tram line could take longer than thought.  Lucy Bladen October 26 2022
Chris Steel defends federal government's light rail investment after opposition casts doubt on timing.
An artist's impression of light rail after London Circuit is raised following a period of signifcant disruption in the city. Picture supplied [dup]
Discussions between the federal and ACT government around the timing and delivery of light rail are ongoing, as the $85 million set aside for the project in the federal budget will not be fully handed over until 2030.
The ACT's opposition has cast doubt on the timing of the light rail extension from Alinga Street to Commonwealth Park following the budget announcement.
The ACT's Transport Minister has dismissed suggestions it would not be finished for another eight years, saying the money reflected the financial completion of the project not the completion of construction.
But the ACT government has not said when the project is expected to be completed citing the procurement process currently underway for the project.
The federal government's latest investment for the extension, dubbed stage 2a, will be delivered over a six-year period starting in 2024-25.
Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee said she was concerned about the timeline for the funding and questioned whether this meant the project would not be finished until 2030.
"The funding that's been announced for light rail stage 2a we see no detail.
We know that there's going to be about $85 million and we know the start will be $15 million from the 2024-25 financial year and it will be spread across six years," she said.
"There are so many questions about the timing of this funding announcement, including whether it is going to be 2030 by the time we'll see the completion of stage 2a."
ACT Transport Minister Chris Steel rejected this and accused the opposition of being against light rail.
"The Canberra Liberals don't support light rail.
They never have and they never will.
This is just another failed attempt to jeopardise the project," he said.
"The funding profile reflects the financial completion of the project not the completion of construction.
"The timing of stage 2A operations will be determined through the procurement process underway."
The ACT and federal government are having ongoing discussions about the roll out of the funding.
Initial works have already started on the raising of London Circuit, which needs to be completed before construction of the light rail can begin.
The new funding is on top of the $132 million which had been allocated under the former Coalition government, taking the Commonwealth's contribution to $218 million.
Once the extension to Commonwealth Park is completed, work will begin to extend the light rail across Commonwealth Avenue bridge and into Woden.
There was no money allocated to this in the federal budget.

Robbing Peter (vital roads infrastructure) to pay Paul (Stage 2 Light Rail) is not on.  Canberra Times editorial, October 31 2022
Three road projects, including upgrades to Tuggeranong Parkway, have been scrapped, with the costs adding up to the funding for the next stage of the light rail.  Pictures by Elesa Kurtz, Sitthixay Ditthavong
It didn't take long for Canberrans to get used to the red trams gliding up and down Northbourne, looking for all the world like they belonged there.
This was after years of debate and hand-wringing over the cost, scale and relative merits of a project aimed at bringing Canberra a step away from its car-centric identity.
It's been harder, then, to debate the merits of the next step of the project, taking light rail south over the bridge.
But as we all know only too well, such projects span many years from conception to completion, notwithstanding the "Light Rail is Coming" signs already up on Northbourne as it segues onto Commonwealth Avenue.
Far too long, in other words, for anyone to start discounting the importance of updated roads infrastructure in the meantime, particularly as many thousands of Canberrans will not see any benefit from the next light rail project for a decade or more.
The revelation, then, that the Barr government agreed to cancel three federally supported infrastructure projects in the territory, whose costs exactly add up to the amount allocated to the next extension of the light rail network, is suspicious to say the least.
Officials have denied the projects were axed to pay for the light rail, but the amount - $85.9 million in total - is too precise to be a coincidence.
Infrastructure department deputy secretary David Hallinan insists the changes were about "moderating the construction market", and rejected suggestions during a Senate hearing that the government had made cuts to instead fund different projects.
However you spin it, the funding of light rail has always been sold as a long-term investment for Canberra.
But it now seems that there has been a fair bit of robbing Peter to pay Paul in the process, Peter being, for example, the many residents of the far south of Tuggeranong who are unlikely to see any benefit from the light rail at all.
Residents who use the three sections of roads whose funding has been cut - the Canberra south-west corridor, the Kings Highway-Pialligo Avenue corridor and Boboyan Road - have effectively had their convenience and safety traded off to pay for a relatively short stretch of light rail.
Many will be justifiably infuriated.
The upgrades had all been long in the planning, and together amounted to increased amenity for many residents, no matter who benefited "politically" from what some has now been described as a cash splash for former Liberal senator Zed Seselja.
Federal Finance Minister Katy Gallagher - an old political foe of Seselja's but still relatively new in her role - maintains there had been "little evidence" that the projects in question had been "priorities" of the government at the time.
But for those 40  000 driving along south-west corridor every day, or travelling between the east of Queanbeyan and Canberra Airport, or living in bushfire-vulnerable areas around Boboyan Road and hoping for increased access for emergency services, these projects would have seemed, in fact, quite vital.
Political expediency be damned, especially when it involves pitting road safety against longer-term commitments.
The light rail has always been a feather in the cap of a more sustainability-conscious government, easing its way towards a public transport-oriented city.
We're back now to light rail being an ideological flashpoint, but for all the wrong reasons.


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