Free buses ease congestion, boost tourism. Why not have them all year?

Don’t say no, say Free Holiday Bus | Sunshine Coast Queensland | News Article: "“And it’s not just passengers who’ll benefit. We’re encouraging tourism and accommodation operators to remind guests before they arrive about the Free Holiday Buses. It could be the added incentive to make visitors choose the Sunshine Coast over other destinations.
“The Free Holiday Buses aim to ease congestion at the busiest time of year on our roads and in our car parks, plus, our surveys show that they should increase public transport usage throughout the year with 59% of respondents saying they would use public transport more as a result of the Free Holiday Buses program.”"

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How much extra does it cost to commute by car?

The Urbanist: "A new study concludes Australian workers who live in the suburbs and drive to work in the CBD could save a fortune if they used public transport instead. But it’s a choice most workers don’t have"

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East-West Link advisers quit: "road transport solutions.... not smart"

The Urbanist: "Metropolitan road transport solutions used in the 1960s and 70s do not make a great 21st century city. The east-west concept and design is adopting old technology – it is not smart, innovative or progressive thinking."

Free or discounted Adelaide public transport about to start

Yahoo!7: "Seniors will be able to travel free off-peak (before 7am and after 7pm) across the week.

Sunday and public holiday fares will be cheaper for all bus, train and tram users."

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Reality bites as climate change adds fuels to bushfires

theage.com : "Hot, dry conditions create conditions favourable for bushfires. Australia has just experienced its hottest 12 months ever recorded, and September 2013 was the hottest September on record."

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Free transport urged for fire recovery

News.com.au: "THE NSW government should provide free bus and train rides to and from the Blue Mountains these holidays to help businesses recover from the October bushfires, the state opposition says."

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Fare-free buses increase ridership and save lives

Free Nightrider aims to win patrons: "Territory and Municipal Services Minister Shane Rattenbury said the decision to trial a free Nightrider bus service was an attempt to increase patronage.

Besides removing the temptation to drink and drive, the service has been linked to reductions in arrests in the centre of the city during the ''drinking season'', greater public safety and as a way of introducing people who would not normally use public transport to what is available."

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Senior groups call for free public transport for elderly

Yahoo!7: "A string of crashes involving elderly drivers has prompted a call for public transport to be made free for older Victorians.

John Finnigan, 78, catches buses and trains every week, but he says he would do it more if it were free."

Climate change is 'absolutely' linked to wildfires, says UN chief

The Verge: ""We are really already paying the price of carbon," Figueres said. "We are paying the price with wildfires, we are paying the price with droughts.""

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Free buses make travel easy over the summer break

Sunshine Coast Daily: "FROM December 26 to January 5, all public buses and council cabs will be free across the region, thanks to Sunshine Coast Council's Public Transport Levy and TransLink.

By leaving the car at home this holiday season, you could save money in petrol, alleviate parking and traffic hassles, and discover that buses are a convenient and comfortable travel option."

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Bushfires rage in Australia from #climatechange, deniers continue to deny

CSMonitor.com: "Firefighters in New South Wales admitted they were unprepared for the hot and windy conditions that led to Thursday’s inferno, which turned hundreds of houses into smoldering ruins and left at least one person dead. At the height of the emergency, 97 fires with a combined front of more than 400 kilometers were burning across Australia’s most populous state."

Make Perth Public Transport Free

facebook : "In order to make real change about Perth, about urban sprawl, about air and noise pollution how much would it really cost our community to make Perth Public Transport Free?"

Real time bus tracking coming to Adelaide and Perth

iTnews.com.au: "From the outset passengers will be able to access the information via the Adelaide Metro website and on-site countdown screens, but eventually the government plans to release the data feeds to app developers."

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Australians will regret building roads to solve congestion

The data that proves Tony Abbott should change his mind on public transport: "However, just because Labor did not fare well in public transport policy does not mean the incoming federal government should rule out public transport funding.

If it is ruled out, Abbott's "roads of the 21st century" will inevitably become clogged without better alternative transport, and those of us who have used exemplary public transport systems overseas will continue to return home thinking, demanding and lamenting: why can't we have that?"

Sydney's Cross City Tunnel enters voluntary administration, blames Government for financial woes

ABC News: "MP David Shoebridge says they attempted to force traffic into the tunnel by closing local roads and restricting public transport.

"This is a classic case of a failed public-private partnership which was based on an anti-public transport, an anti-alternative transport model which was never going to be sustainable," he said."

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Architects win praise for #carfree housing

Living on air: " Located near shops, public transport and community services, their ideal location is particularly useful for low-income families less able to afford cars and who need to live within walking distance of services and infrastructure."

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Tindo Solar Bus added to Adelaide free connector system

Tindo Solar Bus - Adelaide City Council: "The Adelaide City Council has raised the standard in international sustainability with the introduction of the world's first solar-powered electric bus that is recharged using 100% solar energy. The bus named Tindo, the Kaurna Aboriginal word for 'sun' is the newest addition to the Adelaide City Council's Adelaide Connector Bus service, a free service for the people of Adelaide. For the current Connector Bus timetable and route, click here."

Our sustainability crisis didn't start and doesn't stop at climate change

theconversation.com: "Suppose we, humanity, survive the current planetary sustainability crisis relatively unscathed and, in 100 years time, can say that we have stabilised global ecosystems. By this I mean: biodiversity has ceased its dive into mass extinction; CO2 is under control; global population is in a manageable decline; chemical and physical damage to ecosystems is being reversed and healed; and we are living within our planetary means.

To countenance such a deep and radical change requires us to rethink the entire way we organise humanity, politically, economically and socially."

Fares are for rationing, not revenue

Fed-up commuters swap go cards for car keys as price hikes continue | News.com.au: "But Robert Dow from commuter advocacy group Back on Track said he believed the falling patronage on trains was part of a deliberate strategy to ease pressure on the rail system.

"Falling patronage is artificial because it's induced by high-cost fares. I think that's been quite a deliberate strategy since 2010, to make it costly in order to control patronage," Mr Dow said."

Young people just not that into cars

The Australian: "In 1991, of NSW kids aged 20-24, 79 per cent had licences. By 2001 it had risen to 80 per cent. Yet by 2008 it had crashed to just 51 per cent and continues to decline. A new study in Victoria by Monash University shows the number of licence holders under 30 is dropping at more than 1 per cent a year."

Immigration battle is intentional distraction

Fund education instead of locking up refugees | Green Left Weekly: "We would have the resources to build public transport instead of more toll roads, or properly fund hospitals and the education system. A publicly owned and run economy would create the ability for Australia to put the needs of society ahead of a few billionaires."

Solving congestion with more roads has led to parking problems

 Parking can hit hip-pocket nerve | The Examiner: "LAUNCESTON has the most expensive off-street one-hour council-owned parking in the state, and the city council has no immediate plans to add more parking bays to the city."

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Australia Socialist Alliance - Advocates for free public transport

Policy on Public Transport: "The Socialist Alliance advocates:

• Free public transport
• Free carriage of bicycles on public transport
• Ending all tax concessions for company and company-purchased cars
• The imposition of a public transport levy on all CBD employers with more than 10 staff, along the lines of the French versement de transport.
• Special levies on developers who gain access to commercially profitable sites close to railway stations and bus interchanges.
• The reclassification and redeployment of all public transport staff whose job has been the sale of tickets to passenger assistance/security functions, with no loss in pay or conditions.
• Rebuilding public transport staff numbers to ensure safe, comfortable and efficient services.

The Socialist Alliance supports free public transport and will set up and run a national free public transport campaign which seeks to resource and support actions at the local level."

Canberra: better roads just lead to parking nightmares

Canberra's Road Network the Envy of the Nation: "The downside is we seem to becoming more and more like Los Angeles. While you can drive everywhere and anywhere, it is getting harder and harder to find a park."

Cars just don't fit in cities. We have built roads for decades as a solution to traffic congestion. This allows more cars to get where they are going quickly. But where do you put the car when you get there? In the city, this is a real problem.

Commuting to Brisbane by car costs more than by public transport

Car Commuters Likely To Earn Less, Says Report: "The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries says small passenger vehicles are the most commonly sold car in Australia, and the RACQ nominates the Hyundai i30 Active as the best small car under $35,000. According to the RACQ, that car costs 59.90¢ a kilometre to run, inclusive of fuel, tyres, services and repairs. That makes the cost of the return 21.5 kilometre weekday commute $128.78, more than double the cost of public transport."

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Corporatocracy killing grassroots democracy

TheAge.com: "Freedom of speech is no small thing, but is anyone with power actually listening? If you are speaking on behalf of a community that sees its quality of life threatened by fast food outlets, freeways, power stations or coal mines, you probably shouldn't hold your breath waiting for someone in power to respond. You think it's a bad idea to invest in roads when overwhelming evidence points to the need for public transport, never mind destroying precious parkland in order to move gridlocked traffic from the end of the Eastern Freeway into a tunnel? It's not up for debate, least of all by the people immediately affected by it! Government determination to build the east-west tunnel without regard to expert opinion, community opposition, fiscal responsibility or common sense sends a clear message. They have the power and they intend to use it."

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Pensioners want free public transport

Herald Sun: "Lobby group Fair Go for Pensioners will send a submission to the government to ask that pensioners receive free public transport seven days a week."

Hot enough for you? It's #climatechange folks. The delayers were successful, but now let's take action.

Humans stoked Australia’s unprecedented ‘angry summer’ heat, study finds: "WASHINGTON—Human influences that drive global warming are likely to have played a role in Australia's exceedingly hot summer of 2013, the hottest in that country’s observational record. A new study shows that global warming has increased the chances of Australians experiencing record hot summers, such as the summer of 2013, by more than five times.

"Our research has shown that, due to greenhouse gas emissions, these types of extreme summers will become even more frequent and more severe in the future," said Sophie Lewis of the University of Melbourne in Victoria,Australia, who is lead author of the study."

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What you can buy for the cost of the East-West Tollway

https://twitter.com/RohanLeppert/status/353034343058395136/photo/1

Perth gets new $8.2 million free bus service

Australian Bus & Coach, July 1, 2013  
Western Australia’s Public Transport Authority (PTA) has fast-tracked the development of a new $8.2 million free bus service, ahead of major rail disruptions.
Perth commuters have again been warned to prepare for mass rail shutdowns related to the Perth City Link redevelopment planned for Friday July 12 to Wednesday July 17.
The new Green CAT bus service was launched on June 30, as part of a $46.7 million plan to ease the city’s congestion and help manage the rail shutdowns.
Western Australian Transport Minister Troy Buswell says the service will transport passengers between Leederville and Perth's CBD, starting July 1.
The service joins three existing free CAT services, which have operated for about 20 years.
“People are voting with their feet when it comes to our CAT buses, with eight million boardings a year,” Buswell says.
“They are hugely popular modes of transport and I expect the Green CAT will be the same, with commuters likely to use it as an alternative way into the city, or for those who want to head into Leederville to shop or meet friends for a coffee.”
The Green CAT will connect Leederville with the Esplanade Busport and is the fourth CAT route introduced to deal with growing population.
Seven new buses will operate on the route, which is timetabled to run Monday to Friday from 6am to 7.30pm.
CAT service passenger boardings account for five percent of the total number of public transport boardings a year.
The Green CAT has 19 stops on its route and will run every eight minutes in peak.
Each bus can potentially take more than 50 cars off the road.

Pensioners rally for 'fair go' -- demand free public transport

Green Left Weekly: "More than 200 pensioners rallied on the steps of Victoria’s parliament house on July 10.

...At the state level, they called for better pensioner concessions for utilities and council rates, free public transport for pensioners, and the reintroduction of the pensioner discount on motor registration.


See more at: http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/54499

Professor admits that fares exist to discourage ridership

Free public transport? | 3AWNeilMitchell: "Surely it would be better if we just made public transport free?"

In this taped interview it is agreed that free public transport would result in a 20% increase in ridership. But it was also agreed that this is a bad idea, since the buses and trains in Melbourne are already full in peak hours. That means that fares are there to ration by discouraging ridership. Instead the response should be that if 20% more people are willing to take public transport we should invest in more equipment.

Perth free buses, "immensely popular" and expanding service

Green CAT Bus Service For Perth to Leederville: "Mr Buswell said the buses had "proved to be immensely popular in Perth," having attracted millions of passengers over the last year."

Free rides for seniors under new plan Local Gold Coast News | goldcoast.com.au | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Free rides for seniors under new plan Local Gold Coast News | goldcoast.com.au | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia: "SENIORS will be able to ride the city's buses for free during off-peak times under a new Gold Coast City Council plan."

Melbourne: The high cost of collecting fares

Sustainable Cities Collective:

• A $1.5 Billion development cost that has been rumored to be the world’s costliest for a ticketing system;
• Consumers having to pay for their initial cards as a separate fare from their travel (thus tourists wanting to spontaneously take a tram would have to plan their journey by buying a card and then topping it up with adequate funds for their journey);
• If you wish to top up your MYKI online, your payment won’t be processed on the same day;
• New evasion techniques have already been found (ie: If user goes from Zone 1 to Zone 2 area (more expensive than just Zone 1 travel) and doesn’t check off upon his arrival to his Zone 2 destination then he would be charged as if he only travelled within Zone 1); and
• The ability to fare evade has remained, as no physical barriers or increase in the amount of ticket inspectors have been associated with the systems implementation.

Axing of free bus 'stingy' | Fairfield City Champion

Axing of free bus 'stingy' | Fairfield City Champion: "Mr Lalich said the bus allowed people on fixed incomes in Cabramatta, Canley Vale, Canley Heights and Cabramatta West to get around.

"These shuttle services help people in our local area get by, making it easier for people who don't have cars to visit medical appointments and the shops and catch up with friends and family," he said.

"This free shuttle service was fought for and championed by local community members who saw a gap in public transport provision."

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Fossil Fuel Subsidies in Australia

Fossil Fuel Subsidies: "Each year, Australian governments spend billions of dollars of public money on programs that  encourage more coal, gas and oil to be extracted and burned. Market Forces estimates that the tax-based fossil fuel subsidies amount to over $10 billion per year federally."

Oil companies get free ride and try to force you to have a car

Crackdown snares big rise in fines for fare dodgers on Adelaide's public transport | adelaidenow: "A crackdown on public transport offences has resulted in the number of on-the-spot fines jumping 70 per cent compared with last financial year, new figures show."

While taxpayers pay billions buy oil for mining companies

The fossil fuel subsidies for the mining companies that the Greens would remove are:

• Diesel fuel tax rebates - $7.95 billion over four years;
• Accelerated depreciation on assets - $1.85 billion over four years; and
• Accelerated depreciation on exploration - $4.05 billion over four years.

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Melbourne: Push to ban cars in Acland Street

Push to ban cars in Acland Street: "Cars could be barred from much of StKilda's most famous shopping strip to make way for trams and pedestrians in a plan to transform one of Melbourne's busiest tram routes into a light railway.

The southern end of Acland Street, known for its cafes and bars, would be permanently closed to vehicle traffic and turned into an open air mall if a proposal by the government authority Public Transport Victoria goes ahead."

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Private auto footprint a nation security issue

Defence have special case for parking sites in Triangle: "If people at Russell need to undertake personal business during their lunch breaks they must travel to Civic or Fyshwick because of the lack of facilities at Russell. They have little choice but to drive because they cannot rely on public transport to get them there and back in time."

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Can the auto-system go through just one day without killing someone?

Council 'blows up' Fatality Free Friday | Sunshine Coast Daily: ""As the name of the project suggests, we are aiming to achieve a fatality free Friday later this month"

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Car culture promoters admit their product chokes economies, propose road-pricing

Charging drivers to use roads a solution to traffic congestion: report | CarAdvice: "“This is challenging the established view of the car as something owned and mostly driven by just one person, which sits idle when that driver is not behind the wheel.”"

Western Australia carers get free off-peak public transport

Australasian Bus News: "More than 8,500 Western Australian carers can ride free on any Transperth bus, train or ferry service during off-peak periods from today.

Carers who hold a Carers Health Care Card and receive the Commonwealth Carer Payment can now travel for free between 9am and 3.30pm on weekdays and free all day at weekends and on public holidays."

Parramatta, Australia conference will discuss free public transport

Green Left Weekly: "The conference panels and workshops will include: Beyond the carbon price: confronting the climate crisis today; No radioactive dump in western Sydney; the case for free public transport; breaking the fossil fuels addiction: towards a zero carbon Australia; and the campaign to stop coal seam gas mining."

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Does your city care about #walkability? It should, people are checking this index.

City's walkability lags Tasmania News - The Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania: "HOBART has been caught dawdling in the pedestrian stakes, says a new survey that ranks the Tasmanian capital 19th in a list of Australia's most walkable cities.

The WalkScore rating system, which calculates the ability of residents to live a car-free lifestyle, has Hobart trailing centres including Dubbo, Lismore and Geelong."

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Algal fuels promoters have problem right, solution wrong

Algal fuels key to nation's energy independence - On Line Opinion - 23/4/2013: "Just days into a major Middle East or Southeast Asian conflict, Australian cars and trucks could be immobilised, public transport overwhelmed and supplies of life-saving medications would begin running out.
Within a week, shops would be stripped of food and farmers' tractors would be silent.
"Essentially, our society as we know it would cease to function," says former Royal Australian Air Force deputy chief John Blackburn in a recent NRMA report, warning of Australia's extreme vulnerability to an overseas fuel supply disruption."

Much better idea than algal fuels. Gradually abolish the private auto. Start in the cities, by making public transport fare-free and gradually banning cars.

Scottish Socialist Party has long advocated free public transport

SSP

morningstaronline.co.ukThe Scottish Socialist Party has been examining the issue for some time and has been impressed by the experience of the Belgian city of Hasselt, in Flanders.

In 1997 the authorities there faced chronic congestion, poor air quality and pressure from the car lobby. But instead of building more roads they decided on an altogether more radical approach.

They abolished the fares on their entire public transport system.

Critics scoffed at them, said it was madness and forecast that people would never leave their beloved cars just because the bus was free.

Yet in the space of three years passenger numbers in Hasselt increased tenfold from 330,000 in 1996 to 3.7million.

The new scheme also led to lower pollution levels as air quality improved. Road accident rates fell, billions were saved on road building and repairs and social inclusion rates improved markedly.

The Mayor of Hasselt Mr Steve Stevaert was so impressed that he concluded: "We don't need any more new roads, we need new thought highways."

The SSP advocates replicating the remarkable success enjoyed in Hasselt on a nationwide basis by introducing free travel for all passengers on buses, trains, Glasgow's underground system, Edinburgh's trams and ferries.

Cars are choking and bankrupting Australia

What can we do about traffic congestion? | The Urbanist: "The economic cost of traffic congestion in cities is estimated to cost the Australian economy $20.4 billion per annum by 2020.

A new report by the Victorian Auditor General, Managing traffic congestion, argues governments need to think harder about ways to deal with the problem.

He says there’s too much attention given to increasing the supply of road space as a way of tackling congestion and not enough to managing demand."

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Victoria, Australia, traffic congestion costing $3 billion per year

Traffic continues to rise at a rapid rate on the city's freeways and tollways. Photo: Joe Armao

The road to a standstill: "According to the state government, congestion has a significant impact on Victoria's ''productivity and liveability''. Indeed, the economic, social, and environmental costs of congestion have been calculated at more than $3 billion a year, which is expected to rise to $6.1 billion by 2020."


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/the-road-to-a-standstill-20130414-2hter.html#ixzz2QSMvhvpt

A "rat's nest of on and off ramps" for Melbourne

Abbott comment throws doubt on rail, road funding: "''If Tony Abbott is elected, it will be a disaster for inner-city Melbourne,'' he said. ''The suburbs that we love and that make Melbourne consistently one of the world's most liveable cities will be turned into a rat's nest of on and off ramps.''

''To suggest the federal government doesn't have a role in building public transport in major cities like Melbourne is 19th century thinking.''"

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Sydney Australia plans massive #carfree boulevard project

Car-free designs for Sydney's George St: "The city is contributing $220 million to the light rail project to make George Street one of the world's great plazas, with 25,000 square metres of roadway turned into a huge tree-lined pedestrian boulevard."

Melbourne - Freeway plans show huge impact zone in Royal Park

Freeway plans show huge impact zone in Royal Park: "State Greens MP Greg Barber said the new freeway would not reduce congestion.

"Anyone who thinks this is going to reduce traffic in the inner city is kidding themselves. This is going to turn inner Melbourne into a giant set of on and off-ramps," Mr Barber said.

Yarra City Council Mayor, Jackie Fristacky, said the freeway was a "misuse of public resources" and called for the government to prioritise a railway line to Doncaster.

"It (the planned freeway) is the worst excesses of 1970s planning, where is the consulting with the community?" she said.

Secretary of Protectors of Public Land Victoria, Julianne Bell, said the plans for the freeway were "extremely concerning".

"It is the final nail in the coffin of Royal Park," she said.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/freeway-plans-show-huge-impact-zone-in-royal-park-20130326-2grx8.html#ixzz2Oe28Vd2N"

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Free ticket to ride the bus Tasmania News - The Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania

Free ticket to ride the bus Tasmania News - The Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania: ""Drivers on Thursday will be treating non-paying passengers the same they do any other day, or any other week, or any other month," she said.

"They will say to them 'Just take a seat'."

"We take them from A to B, if they choose to pay that's fantastic, if they don't have the money we won't refuse to take them.""

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Cut the cost, not the fun | thetelegraph.com.au

Cut the cost, not the fun | thetelegraph.com.au: "For Karen and Michael Knight, of Kellyville Ridge, attending the show is a family tradition. They take advantage of the free public transport and catch a bus to the show with their children. This year they will have Tianna, 7, Noah, 3, and 10-month-old Ashton in tow."

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Car-dependency and subsidy locking us in to #climatechange

City Council opposes State Government's CBD parking tax | adelaidenow: "Mr Paine said higher parking fees would push more people to shop in the suburbs, where parking is free."

Here is why free public transport is a good investment in Australia

So what if the well runs dry?: "A few days into a significant Middle-East or south-eastern Asian conflict, Australian motorists and trucking companies would be immobilised, urban public transport overwhelmed and supplies of life-saving medications would start running out. Within a week, shops would be stripped bare and farmers would be running out of fuel for their tractors and water pumps.

The reason is that about 85 per cent of Australia's transport petroleum now comes from overseas, as either refined or unrefined product. Our dependency on imported refined fuels will rise sharply when two more domestic oil refineries close in the next two years. In a country blessed with more energy choices than almost any other on Earth, transport fuels are our gangrenous Achilles heel."

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Union calls for free child bus fares Local Gold Coast News | goldcoast.com.au | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Union calls for free child bus fares Local Gold Coast News | goldcoast.com.au | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia: "UNION officials have begun to pick holes in the Queensland Government's legislation to crack down on students misbehaving on school buses, saying it would be easier to abolish fares for children.
"

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Commuters 'deserve fare-free day' | The Australian

Commuters 'deserve fare-free day' | The Australian: "SYDNEY’S commuters have endured so much pain in the last month they deserve a fare-free day, the NSW opposition spokesperson for transport says."

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Opposition Leader Steven Marshall pledges free public transport during Clipsal and festivals | The Australian

Opposition Leader Steven Marshall pledges free public transport during Clipsal and festivals | The Australian: "Opposition Leader Steven Marshall said free transport would be provided before 9am and after 3pm during total road closures. If the policy had been in place this year, he said it would apply from February 23 to March 6."

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Free public transport leaves people wanting more public transport

People who caught free buses during the summer holidays are likely to use public transport more in the future as a result of the initiative.

That’s according to results of a survey conducted on Sunshine Coast Council’s Free Holiday Buses program, which is funded by the Public Transport Levy.

Transport Strategy Portfolio Councillor Rick Baberowski said the early survey analysis was promising.

“Almost 90 per cent of the people surveyed said they either would or may use public transport more in the future as a result of the program,” he said.

Read more at mysunshinecoast.com.au

'Climate change hurting economy' | The Australian

'Climate change hurting economy' | The Australian: ""Damages and losses from natural disasters have more than tripled over the past 30 years," said Mr Kim, giving as examples the $45 billion of losses from the 2011 floods in Thailand, whose effects "spread across borders disrupting international supply chains.""

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Carers offered free public transport in Perth - Business - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Carers offered free public transport in Perth - Business - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): "The WA Liberal Party has promised to offer free public transport to carers if it wins the state election.

The Disability Services Minister, Helen Morton, says the plan would allow travel on all metropolitan buses, trains and ferries during non-peak periods, at a cost of $1.2 million to taxpayers over four years.

She says more than 8,500 carers would benefit from the pledge."

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Heavy rain from #climatechange continues to hammer Australia

Sydney Weather | NSW Weather Floods | Cyclone Oswald | Sydney Rain: "Floodwaters also have cut off all roads between NSW and Queensland and isolated about 2000 people in northern NSW."

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A month of rain in one day. This is #climatechange caused by burning fossil fuels.

Photo from http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/

Queensland hit by flash flooding - Weather - Al Jazeera English: "Vast areas of Queensland are underwater and the rains are continuing to pour as the remains of Tropical Cyclone Oswald cross the state."

Public transport fare evaders costing Queensland $25 million a year | The Australian

Public transport fare evaders costing Queensland $25 million a year | The Australian: "MORE than 50,000 people were caught trying to get a free ride on trains over the past three years."

How about this headline: people driving in the subsidized cars system are costing us the biosphere!

Sydney Sizzles in Record Heat as Fires Threaten Victorian Towns - Bloomberg

Sydney Sizzles in Record Heat as Fires Threaten Victorian Towns - Bloomberg: "Sydney, Australia’s largest city, posted its highest temperature ever recorded today, reaching 45.8 degrees Celsius (114.4 degrees Fahrenheit), as wildfires burned in five of the nation’s states, destroying homes.

...More than 80 fires are still ablaze in the states of New South Wales, where about 50 homes were destroyed last week, and in South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania, where about 100 homes were burnt earlier this month. Australia’s hot, dry climate makes bushfires a major risk in the southern hemisphere’s summer."

Climate-change denial feels the heat

Climate-change denial feels the heat: "Scepticism about climate change in Australia may be something else that will melt during the nation's great heatwave."

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Australia heat off the charts, time to get rid of the private auto

Photo: Bureau of Meteorology

Bureau Of Meteorology Weather Chart | Deep Purple: "The range now extends to 54 degrees – well above the all-time record temperature of 50.7 degrees reached on January 2, 1960 at Oodnadatta Airport in South Australia – and, perhaps worringly, the forecast outlook is starting to deploy the new colours."

Australia heat wave - time to end cars and address warming

BBC News - Australia bushfires: Tasmania search for 100 'missing': "A heatwave which began in Western Australia in late December has been the fiercest in more than 80 years."

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35 - City Circle (Free Tourist Tram) - Public Transport Victoria

35 - City Circle (Free Tourist Tram) - Public Transport Victoria: "The City Circle tram service operates within Melbourne's central business district. The service operates in a circular route passing major tourist attractions, as well as linking with other tram, train and bus routes in and around Melbourne. "

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