GAMUT Conference: Public Transport Growth in Melbourne
On Thurs 23 August 2007 GAMUT hosted a conference for transport professionals and the public:Public Transport Growth in Melbourne: Opportunities in the Expiry of the Connex and Yarra Trams Franchises?
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Swanston Street Melbourne |
At the heart of the decisions about the future of the Connex and Yarra Trams franchises are vital questions about the public transport management in Melbourne:
- Is the '20% by 2020' target really just an aspiration?
- Must we wait 10 years for even the most modest rail extensions?
- Why do our buses and trains still not connect
International experience suggests new answers to these questions.
A world leader in public transport planning, Dr Gustav Nielsen spoke on the vital importance of network planning in achieving public transport growth.
Dr Gustav Nielsen is from the Oslo Institute of Transport Economics. He is the author of the European Union's HiTrans best practice guide: Public transport – planning the networks (www.hitrans.org).
Listen to a podcast of his presentation.
The conference continued with a debate on:
- The core challenges for public transport management in Melbourne, and the adequacy of the government's plan as a way to meet these challenge
- What changes should be made to the government's recently announced process for developing new tenders for private operation of train and tram services in Melbourne?
The debaters were:
- Paul Mees
Senior Lecturer; Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning
Accompanying pdf presentation to his presentation (745kb pdf) - Richard Allsop
An architect of the Kennett government's 1999 privatisation plan, now with the Institute of Public Affairs
Listen to a podcast of his opening statement. - John Stanley
Executive Director, Bus Association of Victoria
Listen to a podcast of his opening statement.
Accompanying pdf presentation to his presentation (305kb pdf)
Listen to the discussion between the debaters and the audience, moderated by the ABC's Jon Faine, and the debaters closing summaries.