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Freight myopia in Sydney's strategic economic future

By Robert Gibbons - posted Wednesday, 6 February 2013


RDA/Sydney's 2012 edition omitted the following words from the earlier edition without counterbalancing the loss:

· "expanding rail in Western Sydney is a high priority"

· "despite the substantial increase in freight movements, Sydney still lacks a freight strategy" (while acknowledging TfNSW's moves in that direction)

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· congestion and transport bottlenecks affecting investment and livelihood (a challenge)

· text on freight and priorities for a Regional Plan.

To summarise, an alternative vision that would re-balance logistics and employment and promote sustainable economic and infrastructure development through improved strategic plans and budgets would include:

· Re-engineering the legacy radial rail system within the metropolitan area through an extension from Hurstville to Strathfield/Parramatta, together with duplication of the Port Botany freight routes within 5 years (with connections to Enfield and Moorebank), and high-voltage AC power systems replacing diesel locomotives within 10 years

· The Maldon-Dombarton line – to be completed within 5 years, the expense is minor and all regional submissions to IA, iNSW and TfNSW supported it

· Western Sydney employment lands' potential in all land use, logistics, employment and related aspects

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· Replacement of existing governmental and related consultative mechanisms with more effective ones in line with the Premier's election commitments.

The final pattern might look like this:

It is suggested that a "regional assembly" or like exercise reviews the robustness of current proposals against the matters not considered and/or concluded. This would review policy, planning and implementation processes and structures so as to achieve economic, community and political credibility and reverse Sydney's slide into economic oblivion.

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About the Author

Robert Gibbons started urban studies at Sydney University in 1971 and has done major studies of Sydney, Chicago, world cities' performance indicators, regional infrastructure financing, and urban history. He has published major pieces on the failure of trams in Sydney, on the "improvement generation" in Sydney, and has two books in readiness for publication, Thank God for the Plague, Sydney 1900 to 1912 and Sydney's Stumbles. He has been Exec Director Planning in NSW DOT, General Manager of Newcastle City, director of AIUS NSW and advisor to several premiers and senior ministers.

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