Upfield Line No Way for Freight

The news that the Linking Melbourne Authority is considering doubling the number of tracks on the Upfield Line to run freight trains has caused shock waves in my municipality of Moreland. The Upfield line passes through Brunswick, Coburg, Pascoe Vale and Fawkner. Moreland like many other municipalities is currently struggling with issues of development. The State Government is rightly positioning Melbourne to accommodate significant population growth and is asking local government, and by extension the community to decide where those additional people will live. The strategy was set out in The Plan Melbourne document released in 2013. One guiding principle that we at Moreland City Council thought we understood with certainty from the Plan Melbourne was that medium and high density development, particularly in the older and inner city suburbs was best placed along existing transport routes, be they major roads or rail lines. The rail reservation owned by Victrack along the Upfield line has long been viewed as appropriate for medium density development and indeed some work has already commenced at places like the Jewel Station area in Brunswick. Moreland Council saw the rail reservation as an opportunity to regenerate and revitalise those parts of the municipality which, to put in bluntly, had been left almost derelict in the years after the decline of manufacturing in Moreland. Anyone who has ever ridden the bike path that follows the rail line is all too aware of the many areas of vacant land which could be used productively to create safe, attractive residential, commercial and public spaces for the community to live, work and play. In other words, the Upfield Rail reservation land was an extremely important part of Morelands overall plan for urban renewal. Can it still play that role with freight trains rattling through the northern suburbs, Coburg, Brunswick, Royal Park and past the Zoo? A big freight train can haul dozens of wagons and can take many thunderous minutes to pass. Future housing development along the Upfield line is only one of the issues that this proposal could impact on. Moreland already has more level crossing per kilometre of rail line than any other municipality in Melbourne. Already there is significant traffic congestion at the level crossings at Brunswick Rd, Moreland Rd and Bell Street every day of the week. These major linking roads dont work as they should and the current commuter timetable on the Upfield line is limited to try and alleviate this problem. Neither road nor rail commuters are happy. Imagine adding many major freight trains a day to that mix! Moreland has been working to find solutions like separating road and rail at places like the Bell Street level crossing which is a metropolitan arterial road and the responsibility of the State Government.

Where do these plans sit now? Will the Linking Melbourne Authoritys plan come with the money to provide grade separation for every level crossing on the Upfield line? Better still will the State Government commit to undergrounding the line to remove the problem entirely? An underground rail line would improve the amenity for thousands of residents living along the railway line and make available valuable land for urban regeneration and development. It would be consistent with the objectives of Plan Melbourne, absorb development pressure and allow for many of the heritage areas of our suburbs to retain their character. Even former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett who drove a radical plan of public authority privatisation and privately constructed public infrastructure in the 1990s has changed his view. Late last year he said that now was the time for the State to build an underground metro rail network while interest rates were cheap. He was right. The State Government had two opportunities to flag its thinking on this issue last year with the release of both Plan Melbourne and the state freight plan. It is poor planning when the first time you hear about such significant proposal is a thought bubble from a Government trying to address the shortcomings another poorly planned project the East-West Tunnel. This issue is much bigger than Moreland saying Not in my backyard thanks. The State Government needs bold, integrated policies that deliver for the people of Melbourne. Allowing the Linking Melbourne Authority to drive through such a significant decision which would impact on so many people would truly be putting the cart before the horse

Cr. Lambros Tapinos Mayor of Moreland 26 February 2014