Victorian Premier John Brumby will convene the Victorian Transport Summit this Friday, bringing together experts in urban planning, transport and the environment to further investigate the state’s transport needs.
The summit forms part of a consultation program to shape the Victorian Transport Plan, to be released by the end of the year.
Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas said the transport plan aims to tackle urban congestion and put in place a longer-term freight strategy.
“Big decisions need to be made to ensure we deliver the right short, medium and long-term actions and, in turn, build the best transport system for Victoria,” Mr Pallas said.
“Many thousands of Victorians have had their say on transport through submissions and local transport forums…We want to make sure as many Victorians as possible have their say before these decisions are taken.”
The Victorian Government has completed a 15-week submissions process in July, receiving over 2,300 comments from the public and industry. Eight local transport forums with local councils and community groups also followed.
“The next step is to talk to leaders of industry and peak bodies, which we will at the Victorian Transport Summit,” Mr Pallas said.
The summit will be based on a discussion paper titled ‘Your Say’ to provide an outline for the challenges the state currently faces in transport planning.
Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky said: “The paper provides some examples of what Victorian’s have been telling us about road and public transport congestion, the environment, freight and regional challenges.
“The submissions process and local transport forums have shown how passionately our communities feel about transport and the wide range of views that are held. I’m sure the Victorian Transport Summit will also generate robust discussion.”
The results of the summit will be incorporated into the establishment of the transport plan in the next few months.
The ‘Your Say’ paper can be viewed at www.transport.vic.gov.au.