Posts filed under ‘transport’
Coffee and climate action: Lobbying Wills MP Peter Khalil in Pascoe Vale
Peter Khalil MP receives a copy of IPCC 1.5C report
Saturday morning in Pascoe Vale and Wills MP Peter Khalil caught up to discuss issues with several constituents at the George Jones Eatery (named after Pascoe Vale’s first shopkeeper in 1841)
Climate action was a top priority for the citizens that had come along, although the ALP’s refugee policy was also mentioned.
Jane presented a copy of the IPCC 1.5C report to Peter Khalil, and Climate Action Moreland Convebnor John Englart also presented a copy of The Elephant in the Sky report (PDF) to him on aviation emissions.
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High Speed Rail advocacy from Moreland Council over aviation emissions growth
High speed rail in Taiwan Via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
High speed rail is being placed back on the political agenda by Moreland Council arising from the problem of growth in aviation emissions as embedded within Melbourne Airport expansion plans, and the necessity to find alternatives to aviation emissions.
Moreland Council passed a resolution at the October Council meeting to advocate “to State and Federal Governments by writing to the Ministers for Planning, Transport and Environment as well as local Members of State and Federal parliament, that investment should be focused on the establishment of a Very Fast Train to connect Australia’s cities instead of expanding the privately-owned airports.”
The Melbourne-Sydney flight route is the second busiest domestic flight route globally.(Note 1) A high speed train service could provide a 3 hour Melbourne CBD to Sydney CBD service as a cost effective and low emissions alternative to flying.
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Submission: Melbourne Airport flying blind on aviation emissions danger
Stop Melbourne Airport Expansion
Melbourne Airport is planning massive expansion of infrastructure, including new terminals and new and upgraded runways, additional flightpaths, which will induce greater travel demand, increasing the number of flights, and a huge increase in the aviation emissions. But the Masterplan fails to talk about the increase in aviation emissions that expansion will bring about.
Climate Action Moreland has done a hasty, but fairly detailed commentary, on the Melbourne Airport Masterplan. This also justifies our call for a moratorium on Melbourne airport expansion, and the growth mantra that is embedded in the Masterplan document that is at odds with climate science, and the Paris Agreement targets of needing to rapidly reduce emissions.
Call for Moratorium on Melbourne Airport expansion
Australia’s increasing aviation emissions – Source: The Elephant in the Sky
In September 2018 Climate Action Moreland joined the global Stay Grounded Network in working to limit aviation emissions, as authorised by our monthly meeting.
“We are strongly advocating for a moratorium on expansion of Melbourne airport infrastructure”, said John Englart, Convenor of local climate group Climate Action Moreland.
Melbourne Airport is the main domestic and international airport for the city and is located just to the north of Moreland municipality. The northern suburbs of Moreland are likely to be directly affected by the flight path of a proposed third runway.
“We are very concerned that the growth dynamic embedded within the airline industry and the private Melbourne Airport Corporation, supported by both the Victorian and Federal Governments, will lead directly to a massive increase in flights and an increase in aviation carbon emissions and climate impact.” said John Englart.
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Transport Policy in Moreland for the Climate Emergency
Upfield path at Brunswick station
Climate Emergency
The Paris Climate Agreement aspirational target limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees is starting to look unachievable. Even meeting the hard target of 2 degrees, which will still result in huge damage (e.g. probable loss of the Great Barrier Reef), will require governments everywhere to lift their game.
We are pleased to hear that Moreland Council acknowledged we are in a state of climate emergency at the Council meeting on 12 September 2018.
We note Moreland Council’s community emissions reduction policies and targets for 2020 and 2040. Transport is one of the largest sources of greenhouse emissions, amounting to 25.8 per cent of emissions in Moreland in 2013-14. Governments at all levels need to lift their game.
Greenhouse Emissions from Transport
Transport is one of the largest sources of greenhouse emissions, amounting to 19 per cent Australia wide, and 25.8 per cent of emissions in Moreland in 2013-14. Here too, governments at all levels need to lift their game.
Major Change in Priorities for Transport Infrastructure
At the state level we think a major shift is needed in Transport infrastructure funding. In 2018 Roads funding was 69.1 per cent, Public Transport 30.5 per cent and Active Transport just 0.36 per cent. There needs to be a major priority change in this area to meet climate targets.
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Submission: Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy
MITS – capacity of a transport corridor at peak time of different transport modes
Transport is an important sector for emissions reduction both in Australia and locally in Moreland. Moreland Council have prepared a draft Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy to ‘drive’ the reduction in transport emissions through increased use of public transport, cycling and walkable neighborhoods and commercial centres. We commend Moreland Council for the policy goals in this strategy of reducing transport emissions.
Transport is a more complex area than energy to get emissions reduction at the local level as many of the important policy levers are driven by State politics and infrastructure investment.
Some of us in Climate Action Moreland attended and participated in the Brunswick Residents Network forums on the Draft Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy. The Brunswick Residents Network have done a considerably detailed submission which we broadly endorse for consideration of incorporation in the Council’s final strategy document.
There were a number of issues which we think weren’t covered by the Brunswick Residents Network submission.
Of particular note is the importance for continued advocacy for improvements to the quality, service frequency and extension of public transport services in and through our municipality.
A second consideration is co-ordinating and co-operating with adjacent Municipal Councils to improve public transport and cycling links. Both points address social equity both within Moreland and within the northern Melbourne region. Advocating for extension of the Upfield line to Wallan can improve equity issues for Melbourne’s northern urban fringe and also address one of the drivers for congestion in Moreland.
Improving arterial cycling connections to neighboring areas will encourage more residents to cycle and more people visiting Moreland by bicycle to see friends, to shop and use services in our municipality.
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Submission: Assessing Level Crossing Removals in Coburg through a climate change prism
Green light for cars at Bell st level crossing. Level Crossing removal will mostly advantage vehicles and increase transport emissions and eventually more congestion.
We have been working on a submission to the Level Crossing Removal Authority for the proposed removal of the Moreland Road and Bell Street level crossings. This is a complex issue already, just on social factors, and it also needs to be viewed through a prism of new infrastructure for adaptation to the impacts of long term climate change and reducing transport greenhouse gas emissions.
We are also keenly aware that little time was given for public discussion and engagement. Not all options were presented to the public and reasons given why they were neglected to be included from public consideration. So the public engagement and feedback will be essentially flawed.
We are aware that decisions will also likely be taken on cost factors which will reduce the long term climate adaptation or resilience of the infrastructure. Unfortunately the best solutions usually don’t come cheap.
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