Commuters in Melbourne’s outer west are being urged to make their transport priorities known ahead of next year’s state election.
The Metropolitan Transport Forum (MTF), representing 23 councils across Melbourne, is asking residents to complete its ‘State of public transport’ survey before December 20.
Survey results, to be presented to the Labor and Liberal parties and their candidates, will inform MTF campaigns in the lead-up to the election.
MTF executive member and Wyndham councillor Glenn Goodfellow said it was important that residents in the outer west made their voices heard.
In August, Auditor-General John Doyle found that public transport in growth areas, including Wyndham and Melton, had been inadequately funded by successive state governments, and that $10 billion was needed to address the infrastructure backlog. Despite Melton not being part of the MTF, residents are still being encouraged to fill out the survey.
“We have seen some improvements in local transport in the past three years, but we need to take a holistic approach to the transport problem,” Cr Goodfellow said.
“We need to look at improving bus routes. At the moment, if I don’t have a car, how do I get from Wyndham to Melton?”
The survey follows a recent MTF forum that highlighted transport shortfalls in growth areas.
MTF chairman Cr Tom Melican said the state government needed to invest in road and rail infrastructure to change the way people moved around Melbourne.
“It’s not a road versus trains issue,’’ he said. “A lot of growth has occurred and there is no choice in growth areas. We build suburbs then argue about transport options that are often too late and too expensive.”
As reported by the Weekly, Melton council has met with MTF representatives to discuss joining the forum. Councillors will consider the matter at a future council meeting.
