Free public transport advocate explains externalities (e.g. cost to environment)

Free Public Transit: "When i began to teach (and understand) systems thinking thirty years ago, it occurred to me that “problem solving” practice, or the conventional “problem/solution” expectation was a recipe for continuous displacements. This in turn was a fantastic source of employment and growth – as required by our political economy – but all performed at the expense of energy and planetary “resource” use, most of which did not have to be accounted for and therefore was not recognised, by that political economy.1 The displacements were of every type imaginable: spatial, temporal, social and ideological. So that, for example, when we threw away the chip bucket, the away to which it went, in the first instance, did not arise at all in the minds of the throwers and when it finally did, it became landfill. Landfill “dealt with” it:"



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Queensland - charging fares for public transport leads to bad health

brisbanetimes : "Dr Burke, also a Heart Foundation spokesman, said more than 80 per cent of trips taken in the southeast were by car and one third of those trips were less than three kilometres.

He said the high cost of Queensland’s public transport network discouraged many people from using it.

As a result, he said many people were not getting the 30 minutes of incidental, low-intensity exercise each day that often came with venturing to and from public transport access points and that could have enormous preventative health benefits."

People want public transport, not more roads

Post by Tunnel Vision Doco.

Victorian government failed to prove case for east-west link, infrastructure umpire finds

theage.com : "The state government failed to submit a ''robust'' business case for independent scrutiny to justify the east-west road link, according to Australia's major projects umpire.

Infrastructure Australia has singled out the controversial $6 billion to $8 billion road as a key example of why the public are cynical about about ''big-ticket'' infrastructure announcements.

In a strongly worded submission to a Senate inquiry examining government plans to overhaul of the advisory body, Infrastructure Australia national co-ordinator Michael Deegan warns that big spending promises are being made without proper scrutiny."



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Campaign against East-West Tunnel still strong and having an impact

No East West Tunnel - Take the pledge: "Today is the day the Linking Melbourne Authority said they would finish the test drilling for the East West toll road tunnel (after they had already said they were finished last November!)

They are clearly not even close to being finished, with less than half of the bore holes completed. We are clearly having an effect slowing down the project. Help us force Napthine to take it to the next election!"

Melbourne city centre a death trap as heat-island effect takes its toll

theage.com : "The number of heat-related deaths in Melbourne is expected to more than double by 2030.

During 2009's January heatwave, there were 374 more deaths statewide than would be expected for the week when comparing data over five years. The greatest number of deaths occurred in those aged 75 or older.

A sustainable cities expert, Professor Steffen Lehmann from the University of South Australia, said cities trapped and stored heat ''like a baking oven''."

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Many lies have been told to promote the East-West Toll Road

Just ignore the 40 degree weather, Tony Abbott says it's a hoax

Go home now, Metro says as heat hits services: "Commuters are in for a nightmare journey home this evening, with scores of trains and trams predicted to fail as the temperature soars into the mid 40s.

Metro is urging commuters who can leave work early to do so. Melbourne's rail operator expects to have to take many of its trains out of service this afternoon as the extreme heat takes its toll.

By 4pm, services had been suspended on five suburban lines."

About the Yarra Campaign for Action on Transport

About YCAT: "In times of rising fuel prices, oil supply issues, health concerns about air pollution and global warming, it seems to be bordering on an obscenity that Victoria’s elected state government is prepared to listen to private enterprise rather than the real concerns of local communities.

You can also take action – please inform all your family, friends, neighbours, work colleagues, school & friends about what is planned in our suburbs."

Where are the privatization success stories? There aren't any.

ACCC’s Sims spreads rot on power prices: "It seems to me that consumers do not receive any value from the sale of public assets – just look at transport in Victoria. The sale of assets is a short-term gain by politicians for longer-term pain to be suffered by the public."

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