Thriving Communities Presentation 14-12-12
This paper by Professor Allan Rodger, Chairman of the Habitat Trust, describes the opportunity to repair past damage to the natural eco-systems across many scales – from local urban to continental.
Ecosystem Corridors and Nodes is an international project promoting the benefit of linking up habitat corridors join urban environments. This presentation was made to the by Habitat Chairman Allan Rodger on behalf of made to the Eco City World Summit held in Melbourne in July 2017 by Allan Rodger, Chair of the Habitat Melbourne Trust and Co-Convener, International Union of Architects and the International Federation of Landscape Architects joint project on Indigenous Ecosystem Corridors and Nodes.Habitat EcoCIty Presentation
Habitat Freight Proposition 25-04-2017
Habitat continues to promote the concept of “primary freight” as one part of an integrated approach to sustainability. The attached presentation explores the importance of primary freight to Melbourne and the opportunity that already exists now to begin to put primary freight out of the port on to rail. Key benefits would include less trucks in the inner city and the ability to begin to screen most of the containers coming through the port, compared to the tiny percentage presently scanned.
The Habitat Trust has noted the recent decision of the State Government not to expedite implementation of a Rail Shuttle between the Swanson and Appleton Docks and Inland Ports. Further, it notes that such a system is not being actively supported. The scenario of up to eight years for creating some rail system for the Port of Melbourne is inadequate in its objectives and unacceptable in its time-frame.
Habitat holds the view that all this is counter-productive to advancement of the public good. It deplores the lack of action by State and Commonwealth Governments on a matter of strategic significance. The community should, and no doubt will, hold responsible for serious dereliction of their duty of care all those at State and Commonwealth Government level who have advocated, or acquiesced in, the enactment of these decisions.
Despite this situation the Habitat Trust remains committed to advancing the public good. It will therefore continue its advocacy for implementation, and indeed development and extension, of a rail-based Primary Freight system linking the docks of the Port of Melbourne directly to Inland Ports.
In support of this approach the Habitat Trust identifies the following challenges and opportunities:
Allan Rodger
Chairman, The Habitat Melbourne Trust, 11th March 2016
On Friday February 5 the Habitat Board made a presentation to Ross and Anna in recognition of their many years of service to the Trust, with Ross having been the principal organiser from the start, with Anna managing the office and handling most of the paperwork. Ross and Anna retired from their formal roles in late 2015 but remain actively connected to Habitat and have been appointed as patrons to the trust alongside Sir Ninian Stephen. The image shows Habitat Chairman Professor Allan Rodger presenting a Georg Jensen vase to Ross and Anna as a small symbol of their dedication to sustainable good design and major strategic issues over many decades.
Habitat recently wrote to the Prime Minister urging Federal Government to progress the Freight on Rail proposals for the Port of Melbourne with the Victorian State Government. The Port Shuttle project would take many big trucks off the road system improving both safety and the environment; with funds already allocated from the Federal Government it seems very strange that the Victorian State Government has not yet acted on it, seemingly focussed on the sale of the ports. And yet if the Port of Melbourne is forced to rely on road transport for its primary links to inland ports, it is likely to lose out badly to the fast developing rail supported Ports of Sydney and Brisbane. You can read Habitat’s letter to the the Prime Minister, the response, and a follow up letter to the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development in the attached files.Habitat Letter to PM, response, and follow up to Minister Truss
Habitat has recently written to the Premier of Victoria urging the Victorian Government to facilitate the implementation of the SALTA/AUSTRAK proposal to move containers on existing rail lines between the Port of Melbourne and inland ports. Habitat has also provided an independent evaluation comparing this option with current plans to invest billions on road infrastructure. You can download this evaluation as attached to the letter to the Premier. See below. Our conclusion is that getting a significant proportion of primary freight on to rail will take many trucks off our roads, and delay the need for expensive road investments.
Habitat has previously developed a proposal for a smart, stand-alone Primary Freight system connecting the docks to Inland Ports. Recognising that the development and implementation of such a system would inevitably take ten years or more the Trust turned its attention to identifying what might serve in the short and medium term. As a result it recommends that the system being advanced by Salta and Austrak would serve this purpose well, and importantly, keep Melbourne’s Ports competitive with Sydney’s. We conclude that “there is an incontrovertible case for the Victorian Government to act now to authorise, and facilitate the relevant implementation processes for, the Salta/Austrak proposal so as to have it operating before the end of 2016.”
A copy of the letter and the comparison document can be read below.
The proposal by Salta Properties and Austrak to connect the docks alongside Footscray Road to three inland ports using the existing rail network fits well with the previous proposal of the Habitat Trust of 8th January. It provides a valuable short to medium term solution. By removing port to dock traffic from the road system it would have beneficial congestion, health and environmental effects across the whole road system but particularly in the Western Suburbs while imposing no additional cost to the Commonwealth or State budgets.
The letter can be read below.
A proposal to apply advanced rail technologies to link the Port of Melbourne to a system of inland ports.
Such a system would allow Melbourne to retain its advantage as the major freight hub for the region while reducing environmental impacts.
The letter can be read below.
