Posts tagged ‘Upfield Bike Path’
Submission: Retaining trees as heritage and to moderate heat in Gandolfo Gardens with Skyrail construction
Urban forest canopy in a highly urbanised area such as around Moreland Station provides vital environmental services. These include habitat for urban wildlife, particularly birds, air filtering pollutants, absorbing excesses rain runoff reducing urban flooding, and providing shade under the established tree canopy which reduces localised temperatures during extreme heat events.
The urban heat island effect is very prominent along the Upfield Corridor and tree canopy provides one of the best methods for local reduction in temperatures during extreme heat events. The trees in Gandolfo Gardens, part of the larger Moreland Reserves either side of the station, contribute substantially to community well being. While most of the present trees were planted during the 1970s and 1980s, there are several trees likely to be well over a hundred years old and part of the original community tree planting in 1911. The local community, lead by the Coburg Progress Association faought hard for the establishment of these reserves and the gardens and trees therein.
Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) will remove 4 sequential level crossings to build an elevated rail line starting from Tinning street and ending before O’Hea street in a $460 million construction project. At Moreland Road the proposal is to build a new elevated station north of the present heritage listed station.
This will entail the destruction of 113 trees within the Moreland Station Reserves, with inadequate reasons given for why the new station could not be built south of Moreland Road, over the road, or on the north side next to Moreland Road. LXRP fail to provide possible alternative construction methodologies to minimise the number of trees to be removed.
(more…)
All new infrastructure needs to be green – Merlynston Station carpark upgrade
The Merlynston station car park was promised to be upgraded last year as part of the state election campaign. Climate Action Moreland is following up with local Labor MP Lizzie Blandthorn to ensure the upgrade is done as green infrastructure.
Lizzie Blandthorn signed the Climate Emergency Declaration during the election campaign, so her support for the upgrade to be green should go without saying. We wrote a submission to her on 19 February 2019. Her office has forwarded the submission to the Minister for Transport for a response which, as of 9 April, we are still waiting for.
Update 28 May, 2019: A very lacklustre Ministerial response on Merlynston station upgrade (PDF), giving no timelines nor commitments over green design.
(more…)
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.
(more…)
Carbon emissions and footprint of different transport types
Comparison of carbon emissions, and footprint, by transport type. Chart by @ElliotFishman via @PTUA
While transition to Electric Vehicles is perhaps a part of the solution, the real need is to increase public transport quality, service and frequency, and increase cycling and walking infrastructure, to create environmentally friendly social urban environments where people want to work, live, and visit and live their lives.
Transition to Electric Vehicles is only a small part of the solution, even when these vehicles are 100% renewables recharged (ie not dependant on a largely coal based grid). Electric Vehicles still contain a substantial space footprint use in our urban environment.
We already have so many parking issues around the Moreland municipality that just changing to electric vehicles isn’t going to solve the many space and parking problems in an urban environment, whether it be in Brunswick, Coburg, Glenroy or Fawkner. We clearly need to think laterally to find solutions.
(more…)
Climate Action Merribek: people in Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner and Glenroy wanting action on climate change 