[Greens-Media] Growing demand for public transport must fuel real budget reform - Greens

[Torre, Giovanni (Sen S. Ludlam)]

Growing demand for public transport must fuel real budget reform

Media release: Senator Scott Ludlam, Thursday October 20th, 2011

 

The Australian Greens today welcomed the announcement of the Liveable
Cities Program, designed to encourage sustainable urban development and
called for further funding reforms to meet Australia's booming demand
for public and active transport.

 

"This is a tiny, $20 million down-payment on more liveable, prosperous
and sustainable cities. It will offer grants of up to $500,000 for
innovative planning and design initiatives and up to four million
dollars for demonstration projects. It is a good initiative, but we are
long past time for prototypes and pilot projects," said Greens
sustainable cities and transport spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam.

 

"Affordable housing is in crisis, with a shortfall in supply of almost
half a million affordable dwellings, but more urban sprawl is not the
answer. We need solutions to tackle both the lack of affordability and
the growth of sprawl, as well as to reduce congestion and cut pollution.
Energy efficient housing and zoning reform, as well as public transport,
are vital to these efforts. This program is a small but important step
forward."

 

Senator Ludlam also welcomed the release of the State of Australian
Cities Report today, pointing out that the growth in public transport
demand must be met by an ongoing increase in funding.

 

"Public transport use in the eight capital cities boomed by 14.7 per
cent from 2004 to 2008, with the mode share now well above ten per cent.
However, in Western Australia - for example - the public transport
system is bursting at the seams - with Perth commuters often forced to
wait for the second or third train before being able to get on during
peak hours."

 

"The 2011-2012 Federal Budget's failure to address years of
under-investment in public transport infrastructure was a huge let-down
in terms of the sustainability of our cities. It committed five times as
much funding to roads than to rail and virtually nothing to cycling
infrastructure. That needs to change for a number of reasons - including
the inevitable rise of the price of oil. So we welcome Liveable Cities
Program, but we call for it to be just the beginning of a new approach
to sustainable planning."

 

Media Contact : Giovanni Torre - 0417 174 302