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Mulder mulls infrastructure challenges | by Leon Gettler
Mulder mulls infrastructure challenges
By Leon Gettler
Victoria’s new Minister for Public Transport and roads, Terry Mulder, knows that he has a big job ahead of him. The need for new infrastructure investment is acute, the budget’s capacity is limited – and even once the decision is made, new projects will take time to come onstream.
Expectations from industry were running high; with a number of major projects announced by the former government – like the Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel – supposed to come to market in the near future. But a challenging budget has seen the Baillieu Government pause to take stock of where it is at, what it can afford – and where the state needs to go.
‘The previous government included projects in its transport plan that were unfunded,’ Mulder says. ‘A number of these unfunded projects are now under review, such as WestLink, or in early planning stages, such as the Melbourne Metro rail tunnel.
‘I am keen to see projects get moving, but competing priorities for project funding from the Commonwealth and a much tougher fiscal climate for Victoria means that some of these projects have a difficult funding future or will take a little longer.
‘The unfunded projects that were priorities for the former government also have to be reassessed in the development of our new Metropolitan Planning Study. We’ve got to take account of the projects that we committed to, like the Avalon Airport, Doncaster, Rowville and Melbourne Airport rail links.
‘Clearly, Victoria, like other states facing huge infrastructure demands, must look seriously at the role of the private sector and how it can assist in delivering much-needed projects. Victoria has a great record in partnering with the private sector in building city-changing infrastructure, and I am confident that we can continue to do this in the future. Given budget realities, I think the State Government has little choice,’ Mulder noted.
A welcome development was Mulder’s recent recommitment to the massive Regional Rail Link. When the Coalition assumed office it found that the project was going to cost nearly $1 billion more because of escalations in costs for signalling and land acquisition. Just as challenging was Canberra’s decision to defer the payment of $500 million in federal funding as the Commonwealth reshuffled its own priorities in light of the Queensland and Victorian floods. Continued on page 62
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Mulder mulls infrastructure challenges
Continued from page 60
For his part, Mulder can see the sense in the Regional Rail Link. ‘There is no doubt that the project will provide massive benefits for the suburban and regional rail system, so now the decision is made, we are going to get on with it; we’ll go to the market and seek the best outcome from the industry.’
‘There is enormous interest from the construction industry in the project, and we are expecting very competitive bids,’ Mulder says.
The Regional Rail Link is a complex and expensive undertaking, and involves complex engineering challenges, including working along existing rail corridors. ‘We recognise that this project is important, and we’re actively engaging with industry and other stakeholders to make sure we get the best possible project, at the best possible price for taxpayers,’ Mulder says.
‘When you consider that we’ve got Regional Rail Link, Peninsula Link, the Sunbury Rail Electrification and the South Morang Rail Extension underway, there is a massive amount of work going on in Victoria.’
Victoria’s huge growth in population in recent years – and an even bigger increase in public transport patronage and road congestion – has put strain on Melbourne’s transport network. Infrastructure challenges on the railways pose difficulties, and congestion on the roads impedes buses, trams and private vehicles. Victoria also needs to improve coordination between modes.
A key problem is that State Government investment has not kept pace with Melbourne’s runaway population growth. Metropolitan Melbourne has expanded by more than 600,000 people in the past nine years. Such a growth rate suggests that the city could overtake Sydney within 20 years. But because investment in infrastructure has not matched the increase in population, roads and public transport networks around the state are increasingly choked. With an antiquated and overburdened rail network and port limitations, the costs to the economy are mounting.
Mulder understands the challenges ahead and says that the government has a number of key priorities for roads and public transport over the coming years.
‘Our key priorities for public transport over the next three years are to expand the network and to get the basics right. This includes better maintenance, increased frequency, improved punctuality and reliability and improved safety, so people aren’t afraid to use our trains at night,’ Mulder says.
‘Getting the fundamentals right will represent a major step forward for the public experience of our public transport network.
‘We’re backing this up with a $900 million investment over four years to speed up basic maintenance, such as concrete sleepers and new wiring to fix years of neglect. These minor investments will have a major effect on the rail network’s reliability.
Mulder mulls infrastructure challenges
‘To deal with some of the overcrowding issues, we are also overseeing a large rolling stock program, including 40 new trains and 50 new trams.’
Mulder also has an eye to the future projects that Melbourne needs – with a range of feasibility studies underway for new public transport projects in the state.
‘A feasibility study has begun into a rail link to Rowville. Planning studies will also be conducted for rail links to Doncaster and to Melbourne Airport, and we will be building new railway stations at Southland and Grovedale. We will begin construction of the Avalon Airport rail link in our first term.
‘Construction of the South Morang railway extension and electrification of the railway line to Sunbury are also progressing. The planning study on the Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel is continuing.
‘While the budget is tight, we never want to be in the situation where we do not know what projects need to be built when capital becomes available.’
In terms of roads, Mulder is upbeat. ‘I’m really focused on a dual strategy of improving Melbourne’s arterial roads and also addressing the bottlenecks on the regional road network.
‘In addition to completing the Peninsula Link and major upgrades to the M1 (Monash-CityLinkWestgate), the M80 or Western Ring Road, and Anthony’s Cutting on the Western Highway, a series of bypasses will be built to improve road traffic flow throughout Victoria. This includes the KilmoreWallan bypass, a longer Dingley bypass, and construction of a Koo Wee Rup bypass to fix local and tourist traffic congestion.’
A key priority for the new government is the establishment of the independent Public Transport Development Authority. This new agency will be the primary liaison point with public transport operators and other agencies. It is needed because the system has been dogged by a lack of coordination and fragmentation between agencies on the public sector side, according to Mulder.
‘At the moment there are so many different agencies and brands in the public transport area, commuters are rightly confused about who is in charge. We are going to change that,’ he says.
‘The Authority’s first job will be to audit all Victorian public transport assets and report publicly on the value and condition of those assets and the cost of renewing them to bring them up to 21st century standards.
‘It will also promote the extension of the public transport network, especially rail, and help deliver a safe, punctual, reliable and clean public transport network.
‘Another function for the new Authority will be to ensure services are integrated and priorities for expansion are identified and acted on.
‘It will be governed by an independent board, including a Chair and other members with highlevel expertise in the rail industry, and will report to Parliament twice a year.’
The Authority will also be charged with the role of ensuring that public transport projects do not run over budget. Mulder says: ‘The Public Transport Development Authority will be specifically charged with identifying key priorities and ensuring they are addressed in a timely and cost-effective way.
‘Some projects are going well, but other projects have been half-baked and have led to massive cost blowouts. Regional Rail Link is a key example, blowing out in cost by at least $1 billion. In other cases, the former government didn’t even provide proper power supply for new rail stations, meaning that trains won’t be able to run. These are elementary problems that need to be fixed.’
A priority for Mulder is an ambitious study into a future rail connection to Melbourne Airport.
‘The number of people travelling to and from Melbourne Airport was 26.3 million in 2009-10. It is growing rapidly. Nearly 90 per cent of them go by car, taxi or by shuttle from an off-airport car park,’ he says.
Mulder mulls infrastructure challenges
infrastructure challenges
‘By 2030 the airport will service nearly 60 million passenger movements so we are likely to need a mass transit system to Melbourne Airport in the future.
‘We are committed to exploring a rail link to Melbourne Airport and to commence constructing a rail link to Avalon Airport within four years. We have allocated funding for a study into the Melbourne Airport Rail Link, which will identify the best route for a new rail link.
‘Planning for the project will investigate the preferred option of a centrally located terminal at Melbourne Airport. The proposed rail link would allow for services to commence at Flinders Street Station and stop at Southern Cross to allow easy transfers between other Metro trains, trams and buses.
‘An airport rail link would reduce traffic congestion on the busy route to the airport, and provide travellers, who must currently use private cars, buses or taxis, with more options to easily travel to and from the airport.
‘More detail on potential timing, costs and the operating environment for the new rail line will be developed following the initial study.’
The RACV says that Melbourne’s outer metropolitan arterial roads need urgent improvement if the city is to cope with 1.4 million more cars within 20 years. How does his government plan to deal with the increase in Melbourne’s cars?
‘Our big investment in the rail network will give commuters the option to leave the car at home, but we also recognise the need to invest in improving the arterial road network. Public transport usage is growing at seven per cent a year, while growth on Melbourne’s arterial road network has slowed to just 0.5 per cent a year,’ he says.
‘We are providing money for planning, land acquisition and the commencement of construction of the next stage of the Dingley Bypass during our first term. Construction of the current stage, from Springvale Road to Perry Road in Keysborough, is expected to be completed in 2013. The construction of the next stage of the bypass will start immediately after.
‘Other projects under construction include Peninsula Link and Anthony’s Cutting, which will significantly improve travel in outer metropolitan Melbourne.’
Rural roads are another priority. There is a serious backlog in resurfacing, and some major roads in rural areas need sealing. Mulder will oversee a $160 million fund to support local authorities in bringing the state’s local roads under control.
‘Forty rural councils will be able to apply for up to $1 million from the fund each year over the next four years. We are also developing a Transport Solutions Plan that will identify regional transport needs and bottlenecks, potential transport solutions to freight, logistics and ports bottlenecks, and priorities specific to the agriculture industry and other industry sectors. The Transport Solutions Plan will draw on regional transport studies and stakeholder consultation, ensuring the right priorities are identified and funded.’
Mulder mulls infrastructure challenges
Mulder also points to a suite of other road projects, like the Kilmore Wallan Bypass. That project, worth $130 million, will start in 2013/14. ‘We will also fund half the cost of the Princes Highway West duplication between Winchelsea and Colac. The Federal Government has already committed to providing half of the total $515 million. We will provide $10 million initially for design and land acquisition, with the balance being rolled out in sync with the Federal Government releasing funds for the project.’
Mulder is keen to progress the next round of major projects across Victoria, but the state of the budget means funding is tight.
‘Getting the next tranche of major projects done is going to be hard for Victoria. We have a lot of demand and not much flexibility in the budget,’ he says.
‘But we have got smart people in the public sector, smart people in the private sector, and there is a lot of will in the Cabinet to get things done well,’ he says.
‘What we really need to do now is to get new thinking about how the private sector can play a bigger role in getting these projects off the ground.’
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Image: Kurilpa Bridge, winner of 2010 Consult Australia Awards for Excellence and 2010 Engineers Australia excellence award © Christopher Frederick Jones
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