WHAT DO YOU THINK? POST A COMMENT BELOWIT'S official: Rowville rail is off the State Government's agenda.
Despite years of lobbying from transport groups and Knox Council, and a promise more than 10 years ago that the State Government would conduct a feasibility study, Premier John Brumby this week said there were no plans for a rail line to Rowville.
Speaking in Box Hill on Monday, Mr Brumby said the SmartBus network was the "most cost-effective way of providing improved transport services to people in that area".
"It [Rowville rail] is certainly not on the agenda in the short term. We really need to bed down the SmartBus.
"In some ways it's more flexible than a fixed rail line. And then I think it'd be appropriate after that's run three or four years to have a look at whether there are further transport needs."
Mr Brumby said there had been a "huge investment in improved buses".
Eastern Transport Coalition chairwoman Samantha Dunn said that while the introduction of SmartBuses was welcome, they were already "bursting at the seams".
The Route 900 SmartBus from Rowville to Caulfield has been running since October 2006.
According to the Government, the route has experienced a 131.8 per cent rise in patronage since the service began - the biggest rise in patronage of its five SmartBus routes.
Ms Dunn said heavy rail was the answer to moving large volumes of people.
"While they [buses] are a solution short term, they are certainly not a solution in the long term."
She said the coalition would like a Rowville rail feasibility study conducted now. "We will be working to have it put back on the agenda."
RMIT public transport expert Paul Mees said Mr Brumby's comments were "almost as if he's daring the electorate to take him to task" in an election year.
He said it had become obvious that a rail line to Rowville was off the Government's agenda since it did not include it in its 2008 transport plan.
Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said Mr Brumby's comments were disappointing as buses had limited capacity and got stuck in traffic.
He said getting a rail line to Rowville had been an "incredibly slow process".
"You have to say their heart's not really in it. They're not that interested in providing the rail line despite the promises in the past.
"Perhaps it is a reality check. We shouldn't be expecting any miracles on the Rowville rail line from the Labor Government."
Knox mayor Joe Cossari said the council would continue to advocate for Rowville rail and a Knox tram.
"It's on our agenda, and we will continue to represent our residents who are demanding heavy and light rail."
Scoresby Liberal MP Kim Wells said Mr Brumby's comments were a "disgrace".
"If he does not deliver on this election promise, all of us will come to the conclusion that whatever promises his party makes in the 2010 election should not be believed."
COMMENT: Residents left out of the loop
FOR a State Government that claims to be "taking action", Premier John Brumby's comments that a rail line to Rowville is off the agenda, at least for the next four-year term, are nothing short of disappointing.
For too long, residents in Rowville and surrounding suburbs have been confined to the car and having to endure poor public transport options.
The SmartBus has been an important initiative but it is no substitute for the increased patronage a rail line would bring.
It would not just be Rowville residents who would benefit. It would also be residents living in Mulgrave and Waverley Park, and Monash University students. There are also environmental benefits to consider.
Traffic snarls are likely to decrease in places such as Wellington Road, and the number of commuters driving to Glen Waverley railway station simply because there aren't rail options in their suburb would also be reduced.
Residents in Melbourne's east can feel justified in feeling left out. While the Government's transport plan trumpets projects such as a new rail line from the west of Werribee to Deer Park, Mr Brumby's comments appear to indicate that residents in Melbourne's east should be content with buses.
As public transport advocates have said, buses do have their place, but they are slow, get stuck in traffic and are already "bursting at the seams".
At the very least, the Government should conduct a feasibility study within its next term, if re-elected in November, as they first promised in 1999.
The State Opposition has previously said it would conduct a rail feasibility study, but as RMIT transport expert Paul Mees points out, the link has been discussed by various parties for 40 years.
Voters are entitled to be cautious on who wins their vote when it comes to Rowville rail, and hope they aren't left waiting at the station again.
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