A TUNNEL from the Eastern Freeway to the Tullamarine Freeway will be considered by the Baillieu government as part of an infrastructure plan ordered by Treasurer Kim Wells, following widespread criticism that Victoria is not planning major projects.

Mr Wells has ordered his department to urgently get to work on an infrastructure plan for Victoria after being warned the state is at risk of losing billions of dollars of investment and thousands of skilled workers to New South Wales and Queensland.

The Age believes the government will reconsider a range of transport projects flagged by the previous government, including an east-west road tunnel from the Eastern Freeway to the Tullamarine Freeway, a metro rail tunnel from Footscray to St Kilda Road, and a ”missing link” connection between the Metropolitan Ring Road and the Eastern Freeway.

Infrastructure Australia chief Sir Rod Eddington is believed to have recently told the Baillieu government to consider following the NSW government’s lead, which has announced a new body headed by former premier Nick Greiner called Infrastructure NSW to aggressively pursue major projects.

It is unclear when the major new plan will be released or how it will be funded, but the department is working with the Department of Transport and other agencies to develop it.

“My view is that we need to make this body as efficient as possible and at the moment I’m satisfied that the Department of Treasury and Finance are the right people to be pulling it together,” Mr Wells told The Age.

”We have spoken to nearly every single very large contractor in this state but the message is very clear: this is about targeting the investment in tough economic times to make sure that we are able to boost productivity.”

The decision represents a belated acknowledgement by the government that Victoria is in danger of losing its reputation as an innovative state when it comes to procuring major projects.

The Age has spoken to senior Melbourne business figures who are worried about the lack of action, warning they are now looking to NSW, Queensland, Western Australia and Asia because of the long lead times associated with major projects.

“People are nervous about what happens next,” a Melbourne-based business figure closely involved with high-profile major projects told The Age.

“Six months, 12 months, 18 months, I don’t know. It’s a pain in the arse sitting here waiting for a whole lot of work that we were doing before and we don’t know whether it is going ahead or not going ahead.”

Mr Wells said he was determined to make rigorous decisions to avoid mistakes of the former Brumby government. But he refused to be drawn on when or if the plan would be released.

“When I talk to the contractors in Melbourne, they are looking for certainty,” he said.

“The issue of the pipeline is an important part of addressing their concerns and we believe this will be an incredibly positive step forward for the state and to give certainty to those large contractors.”Business and transport lobby groups are also getting tetchy.

RACV general manager Brian Negus said Melbourne needed a long-term transport plan to address the ”frustration” being felt by road and public transport users. Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Mark Stone said he understood the government’s immediate priority was implementing election promises, but a long-term blueprint for Victoria was needed.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/wells-plans-to-fix-projects-dilemma-20110626-1gltm.html#ixzz2JzrvwCHY

See Link http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/wells-plans-to-fix-projects-dilemma-20110626-1gltm.html

Here is my comment written for the on line comments on the article (it was not printed) Neither were any letters printed on the subject:  

The Treasurer The Hon Kim Wells appears to have a gung ho attitude to building freeways. We would like to ask  – why aren’t these announcements coming from the Minister for Transport? Why is the Treasurer deciding? We suspect who is behind these ideas – Sir Rod Eddington,  who is now said to be advising the NSW Government.  The East West Link, through the inner suburbs and Royal and Holland Parks, to the Port and City Link, was Sir Rod’s idea but it was rejected after an extensive review by Government in 2008 and a widespread citizens’ revolt and was, consequently, not included in the Brumby 2008 Transport Plan. (Note that the North East Link is also back on the agenda)

People have been pushing for public transport,  including the Doncaster Rail Link and the Railway to Tullamarine Airport, NOT for freeways. These railway projects were pre-election promises made by Premier Ted Baillieu. So what’s happened to them?

And as for the arrant nonsense that we have to start big road projects because skilled workers will leave Victoria and go to NSW and Queensland!  Brumby promoted the huge Peninsula Link project on the grounds that it would give locals in Frankston steady employment for years but what did they find? Queenslanders took most of the jobs! The Victorian unions had a lot to say about this issue. 

The last point which should be made is  – who is paying for these mega projects? The Federal Government refused to fund WestLink under Footscray and the East West Link (the extension of the Eastern Freeway.) Planning for WestLink has nearly been completed but where are the funds?

In our view it is essential that we cut back overseas skilled migration to sustainable numbers, get commuters onto public transport and freight onto rail.  We need to undertake public transport projects not road construction. Unless we do this car ownership will continue to increase.  By 2036 there will be at the present rate of increase, according to Monash University Centre for Population and Social Research , 3.5 million cars on Melbourne’s roads ie adding up to one big traffic jam!