Email from Protectors of Public Lands Victoria inc.

Dear Protectors of Public Lands Victoria Inc. members and friends

On Friday 12 September 2008 the Age "News In Brief" Page 9 had a segment headed "Transport - Tunnel Plan Slammed" which reported:

"One of the top advisers deciding which Australian transport projects get billions of dollars in public funding says Sir Rod Eddington's proposed $9 billion east-west road tunnel should not be built.

Curtin University Professor Peter Newman is one of 12 advisers on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's $20 billion 'nation building' fund, Infrastructure Australia. Sir Rod's $9 billion road plan, recommended to the Brumby Government in March, would not provide enough economic benefit to be justified, he says. "

Note that Professor Peter Newman is the Director of the Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy at Murdoch University. He is best known in Perth for his work in reviving and extending Perth’s rail system, which is now seen as a model for modern cities. Do a Google search and read about his distinguished career.

As circulated earlier, Sir Rod said that he would issue a discussion paper to stimulate ideas. Infrastructure Australia's immediate tasks were said to be to conduct an audit of the nation's transport, energy, communications and water infrastructure, produce a priority list and develop guidelines for public private partnerships.

The link to the relevant section of Infrastructure Australia's website is:

http://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/submissions.aspx

Some see this as a work creation program equivalent to the Commonwealth "suso" (sustenance) employment programs involved in building infrastructure projects in the Depression.

PPL VIC intends to make a submission calling on the Federal Government not to fund road tunnels but to subsidise rail for commuters and freight.

We urge groups to make submissions also.

Regards

Julianne Bell

Secretary

Protectors of Public Lands

We would encourage everyone to email yoursay@dot.vic.gov.au and Linsday Tanner with your thoughts.