Turning Japanese: Victoria's public transport

Some academics and anti-development commentators have repeatedly claimed there is no need for new rail infrastructure in Melbourne. According to this theory, the secret to improving transport is not to build new rail lines, but to sack the Department of Transport and replace it with a group of 30 Swiss transport planners.

Thankfully, the argument about transport infrastructure appears to be over, and the anti-development crowd has lost. The Brumby Government has declared that it will invest heavily in public transport infrastructure - new train lines, a CBD rail tunnel, new trains and new trams.

The much-awaited South Morang extension will finally go ahead, and new development opportunities will be unlocked along the “Tarneit Link” corridor. The State Government will also step up its investment in feeder bus networks, including the orbital SmartBus network.

These projects will take time to deliver, and construction of the new lines and tunnels will cause temporary disruptions.

Questions remain about how these projects will be funded. Government surpluses are rapidly disappearing, and private investors cannot access cash. Even State Governments are now finding it hard to borrow money.

The media will be watching the Brumby Government like a hawk to make sure it delivers these projects on time and on budget.

In the long-term, these projects will prove vital to the city’s future. They will ensure the city can continue to grow and prosper.

There will be many more debates to come and many more battles to fight as Melbourne comes to grips with the challenges of being a global city in the 21st century. It will need to find ways of dealing with growth, and addressing issues like greenhouse gas emissions, without sacrificing those things that make Melbourne such a wonderful place to live.

Melbourne does not need to become Tokyo. But it does need to live within itself, and it does need to adapt to the changing world around it. Continuing to invest in public transport infrastructure will help Melbourne to achieve both of those goals.

And in doing so, Melbourne can show the way for other Australian cities as they face the challenges of climate change, transport congestion and oil reliance.