Deafening silence is government's shameful habit when it comes to taxpayers' money
Memo premier and ministers, photo ops in high vis at construction sites don't cut it. The latest example of Victorians being left in the dark is the Outer Metropolitan Ring.
The Age revealed this week that the OMR, one of the largest transport projects in the state's history, is slowly grinding its way into reality. The plan is for a 100-kilometre rail and road corridor to be carved out in Melbourne's outer north and west. A public acquisition overlay was placed on the corridor 15 years ago. Some might argue this was later than it should have been, but still this was an act of thinking about the future.
The state has spent $350 million compensating landowners along the route for taking their property. This is a logical progression from the land reservation if the government plans to proceed with the project. But does it? We know that in 2021-22, the state and federal governments jointly put together $20 million in a preliminary business case.
We don't know what it found. A freedom-of-information request by The Age was rejected on the grounds of cabinet confidentiality. This is unacceptable. We can accept confidentiality is necessary on matters such as security. The Outer Metropolitan Ring is a transport project. Victorians should know what is being discussed concerning their money, especially as now at least $350 million has been spent.
Acting Premier Jaclyn Symes said this week that the project was 'not a proposal that we're actively considering' but 'preserving land for a future decision is an appropriate course of action'.
This walks past The Age 's revelation that the government's own planners warned that the first component of the OMR was needed by 2031 to help address stifling congestion and the growing population in Melbourne's north and west.
Then there is the associated freight rail line. This is a crucial part of the project, giving freight trains exclusive use of a 73-kilometre link from Werribee to Beveridge, thus removing them from the suburban rail network.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
7 hours ago
- The Age
The Liberals are down and opportunity is knocking
To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@ Please include your home address and telephone number below your letter. No attachments. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published. FEDERAL POLITICS The headline reads ' Voters desert Coalition as Labor builds on win ' (The Age, 21/7). While I see this as good news, I would implore the government to develop some courage and take advantage of this situation where it can get something done. Cases in point: banning TV gambling ads, providing a more socially equitable tax system, and taking global warming seriously. There are many other issues. Now is the time for the Labor government to grasp their collective courage and act on some of those issues. Louis Roller, Carlton Who are the Liberals? On the international stage our prime minister appears a bit daggy. But at least he's our dag. And somehow he's been able to pull together a team who can effectively communicate that they have the best interests of ordinary Australians at heart. Meanwhile, the Liberal Party is no longer the liberal party. Who are they? The Conservatives? Reform? One Nation? As Shane Wright points out, opposing everything all the time is not going to work. Can they demonstrate some constructiveness during the upcoming parliamentary session and productivity summit? A big test awaits. Allan Dowsett, Preston Voters look to female leadership We always knew Susan Ley would have a difficult time as federal opposition leader due to the vast loss of Liberal seats. We need to ask why support for the PM has not increased much and the Coalition's has dropped. Voters were looking for decisive action and a leader with a vision for the country. Ley has gone some way in this, speaking of consensus, remaining calm in difficult times thereby increasing her likeability. Most female independent MPs kept their seats at the last election or lost narrowly. Clearly we need more women in parliament and in leadership with their tendency to moderate, to bring together differing opinions and usually not to play power games. Yet the Liberals are still in the dark ages by opposing quotas. Jan Marshall, Brighton The problem with the Nationals With the 48th parliament about to commence, it would be a welcome event if the Nationals do finally break away from their Coalition partner after decades of holding the whole country back on environmental progress. Based on very narrow and generally undeclared interests, their drive to do away with a net zero policy of any kind is anathema for the 21st century and an insult to the youth of this country and the world generally. Having the Nationals fully exposed and undiluted by partnership with the Liberal Party will allow the broader voting public to see the self-interest and lack of public interest that their policy entails. Thinking outside of the square is fundamental to solving a problem but of course it is first necessary to acknowledge that there is a problem. Robert Brown, Camberwell A new path Does Barnaby Joyce (' Joyce urges Coalition to ditch net zero ', 21/7) not understand what happened at the federal election just those few months ago? He wants the Coalition to dump net zero when the majority of Australians who voted for Labor, teals, Greens (and for almost anyone other than the Coalition) obviously want net zero pursued as a policy objective. Further he wants the Coalition to find points of division ignoring another clear learning from the election. The majority of Australians want politicians of all persuasions to work collegiately seeking outcomes that improve the lot of ordinary Australians. Partisan politics of the ilk we're witnessing in the US isn't what Australians want and won't improve the Coalition's chances of recovering the political capital they have squandered over the past decade. David Brophy, Beaumaris THE FORUM No more regrets Your correspondent's regret about their solar panel installation and declining feed-in tariffs ('Solar panel regret', Letters, 20/7) is a valid concern. As someone who has studied electricity, its industry and associated engineering and economics for 57 years, I can assure them that even though it feels like theft, it is true that solar energy during daytime in much of Australia is at best worthless and sometimes costly to export due to the shortage of energy storage in the power system. The feed-in tariff will only be restored when sufficient battery capacity has been installed in homes and the grid to fully absorb the surplus daytime energy. That's why governments are subsidising battery storage. Your insulting 1.5¢ feed-in tariff is better than most offers. You could get more value from your solar by installing a battery, moving what consumption you can to daylight hours and by changing retailer to access wholesale electricity pricing. Ross Gawler, Malvern
The Age
2 days ago
- The Age
The reach of climate change encircles the world
To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@ Please include your home address and telephone number. No attachments, please include your letter in the body of the email. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published. Reach of climate change Having grown up in London, I read with interest David Crowe's description of life there under climate change (' The heat is on in London and it's turned deadly ', 19/7). They have many problems with out-of-date infrastructure like buses and housing. It is encouraging that much is being done overthere, like conserving water and using more appropriate species of plants. My former home city is a case study in climate action and inaction. More could have been done sooner, but short-term political and financial interests often got priority. Now London has sweaty buses and hundreds of extra deaths in worsening heatwaves. There is also inadequate action in Australia and elsewhere. The Age on Saturday carries other relevant stories, including of Victorian farmers helping each other after a severe drought, withextra farm costs pushing up prices of lamb and beef in our supermarkets. Another article describes how the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu is threatened by rising seas and coastal erosion. Many Tuvaluans want to migrate to Australia. Impacts of the climate crisis will be relevant more and more in our news, and in our lives. John Hughes, Mentone Out-of-touch Liberals The charmless and contrarian attitude of the Liberal Party is on full display with its claim that Anthony Albanese's trip to China is 'indulgent' (at least they didn't go so far as to call it a junket). It must really gall them that in a little over three years the relationship with China – our biggest trading partner by far and one with which we have a significant trade surplus – has so dramatically improved. But then it was Peter Dutton who said we must prepare for war, and although he didn't say it out loud, it seemed pretty obvious which country he was referring to. So I guess for them nothing has really changed, except that they have proven to be even more out of touch with what Australians want from their government. Brandon Mack, Deepdene Left behind Columnist Jake Niall has only scratched the surface (″ A fix to AFL's flawed fixture ″, 18/7). For a ″fair″ competition to exist there is only one way this can happen. Like virtually all other national team sport competitions, each team plays each other team twice, once at home and once away. In this respect the AFL is a national disaster, and the AFL should have been working towards something like this when it first formed decades ago. Increasingly it is moving further and further away. This dimension of unfairness within the competition (there are many others eg, variations in the interpretation of rules between and within umpires) is why I have no interest in the game now. It is so unfair. Ian Anderson, Maldon Not wild about this AFL Wildcard rounds exist in US professional sports as part of, or entry to, the competition's final series. Many of these competitions are split into conferences, and then divisions, with division winners typically gaining automatic entry to the finals. However, you can have the situation where the runner-up in one division has a superior record to the winner of another division. Wildcard games give well-performed teams who did not win their division a chance to play in the finals. The AFL sports media has been constantly raising a proposed extension of the current finals system by a week, with 7th playing 10th, and 8th playing 9th, prior to the regular finals and persist in calling this a ″wildcard″ round. There is nothing wild about it, it's just another week of finals in a competition without conferences. Pedantry aside, extending the AFL finals series to 10th would reward inferior teams. In the past 10 years, only two teams finishing 10th have won more than 50 per cent of their games – Fremantle last year (12 wins and a draw) and Geelong in 2015 (12 wins). In the same period, four teams finished 10th winning fewer than half of their games. Do we really want teams with a losing record to be playing finals? Mark Southby, Oakleigh
The Age
3 days ago
- The Age
Albanese is in China and Morrison is in his head
A city in decay My partner and I recently travelled by train from Geelong to Melbourne to enjoy a lunch at Southbank with family. As we walked down Spencer Street to Flinders Street we commented on the state of the footpaths, buildings, overflowing rubbish bins and general filth. More was to come. Alighting from the tram at Flinders Street station we were disgusted with the exterior condition of the station, the footpath and a toilet facility that was flooded and filthy. More was to come. After our lunch, we opted to walk along the Yarra and onto Southern Cross station. Empty wine bottles, discarded clothing, and general rubbish lined the walkway. On a trip to India, we were astounded at the amount of discarded rubbish we observed – Melbourne's CBD appears to running a close second. Perhaps we need Donald to ″make Melbourne Great again″. Heather Rees, Geelong Youth vote Changing the voting age so younger members of the population can vote is such a good idea. Let's follow Britain's excellent example, but make it optional for 16 and 17-year-olds whilst maintaining compulsory voting for everyone aged 18 and over. Denying the vote to enthusiastic young people who follow current affairs and politics and have opinions is wrong when apathetic older people who may have little interest are required to vote. Compulsory voting is what makes our democracy, so let's open it up to eager younger people on an optional basis. Robyn Westwood, Heidelberg Heights The way it was Regarding your correspondent's suggestion that we need a government-owned bank (Letters, 17/7). We had one. It was called the State Savings Bank. My account began at age six when the nice bank people visited schools and we lined up proudly with our coins and bank books to make our deposits. When I married 20 years later and went in with name change details, the teller said I needed my husband's written permission to have the account. Outraged, I changed banks and became active in the fight for women's rights. Jane Ross, San Remo Victoria's unknown costs Everyday Victorians know that we have to budget carefully to cover our food, clothing and other necessities. Yet, as The Age editorial (16/7) stated, the state government is 'pouring every available dollar of capital expenditure into the Suburban Rail Loop″, even while we feel the cutbacks in health, education and other essential services. At the same time, secrecy surrounds the planning, funding and lack of development of urgently needed projects. The SRL bores ahead while there are still no Doncaster, airport or Melton rail lines; and now we suddenly hear of the Outer Melbourne Ring Road, which is needed to take thousands of trucks off the local roads. It is our taxpayer money which is needed for these projects, and as The Age said earlier in the year, secrecy around planning is 'eroding the public's right to know and the fabric of our democracy'. So, what are our government's plans and how do we, the taxpayers, find that money? Elizabeth Meredith, Surrey Hills Animal cruelty Re the ducks of Banyule Creek swimming in a blue soup (″ Workers clean up Banyule Creek after chemical from North East Link works turns it bright blue ″, 17/7), and the alleged poisoning of hundreds of corellas in Springvale South. This suffering is not what most people want to see happen to our native birdlife. We must do better. Debbie Lustig, Elsternwick Changing gears Your correspondent (Letters, 'Slap happy feet', 18/7) correctly points out the safety aspect on choosing one foot for the brake and the other for the accelerator. As a confirmed manual driver, I use the left foot for the clutch and right foot for brake or accelerator. If I were to press the accelerator accidentally instead of the brake, the most likely consequence would be that the car would stall rather than be involved in a collision. So my manual gear stick is both a safety feature and an anti-theft device. Rod Watson, East Brighton Left or right Your correspondent (18/7) suggests the left foot for the brake, and says it is an old maxim. Any suggestion to improve road safety should be considered, but is it an old maxim? My recollection of driver training in the 1970s was that it was left foot for the clutch and right foot for the brake and accelerator. The NRMA website unambiguously recommends the right foot for braking and accelerating. Stephen Minns, South Yarra Take it from Jodie I understand our PM wanting to imitate Gough Whitlam on his Great Wall walk (albeit in an unflattering figure-hugging polo shirt), but why on earth was he advertising Hawthorn FC and iiNet on the obligatory panda sanctuary tour? He needs fashion tips from stylish Jodie. Caroline Leslie, Hawthorn Fashion statements Fashion editor Damien Woolnough's scrutiny of Jodie Haydon's clothing (″ Perfect $599 fashion diplomacy from Jodie Haydon ″, 17/7) perpetuates the inherent sexism surrounding women in the public eye. Though favourably examined, the absence of any mention of who dressed the prime minister suggests Haydon's role is one of an accessory and not a human being. Anders Ross, Heidelberg AND ANOTHER THING Politics It would appear the Coalition hasn't learnt anything. All it does is find fault with everything Labor does, instead of working together in this time of world chaos to make Australia an example to the world. Perry Becker, Bairnsdale Albanese may be ″following in his footsteps″, but there's no way he could fill Whitlam's boots. Bryan Lewis, St Helena Furthermore It's time for an investigation into the use of chemicals in our environment. The creek in Rosanna turning bright blue must be a wake-up call for all. Mary Fenelon, Doncaster East Paul O'Halloran's ″ ' My job is to root out dodgy workers. These are the warning signs to look for in childcare ‴, (17/7) is an essential piece in the puzzle of providing safe, high-quality childcare. Trevor Kerr, Blackburn A few letters to the editor recently have extolled the virtues of national service, all written with the enthusiasm and fervour only the (seemingly) ineligible possess. Angus McLeod, Cremorne If businesses really think that it costs them less to accept cash than cards, why not offer a discount for paying cash instead of imposing a surcharge for cards? James Proctor, Maiden Gully With the latest employment figures published, maybe the RBA could convene a special meeting prior to August to reconsider its July rate decision. Arthur Pritchard, Ascot Vale Driving positions Perhaps your correspondent (Letters, 'Slap happy feet', 18/7) can explain which foot is on the clutch pedal if my left foot is on the brake pedal as I try to change down gears in my car? Maybe that is why it is an untaught maxim. Joanne Wilson, South Melbourne When I learnt to drive a manual car I used my left foot for the clutch while my right alternated between brake and accelerator. When I graduated to an automatic car my right foot continued to perform the same actions; my left sits idly on the little footrest thoughtfully provided for the purpose. David Johnston, Healesville
