Repeat buyers are one of the strongest measures of confidence in any apartment development.

At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/era-newcastle-west-124-126-bull-street-newcastle-west-nsw-2302">ERA</a> in Newcastle West, some purchasers are returning to <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gwh">GWH</a> after living at the developer's One Apartments. Their decision to purchase again was driven by the quality of life they found after moving into their first GWH home.

Keith Wilton had spent years living in a house in East Maitland before deciding it was time for a change. Apartment living had always been on his radar, but he was selective about what he wanted.

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"I had some boxes I wanted to tick," he says.

Keith points to the open-plan design, generous outdoor areas and considered inclusions as key reasons One Apartments worked for him.

“One of those things was a nice indoor open plan area, but also I wanted a nice outdoor open area that I could entertain on in summer or Christmases or birthdays,” he says.

He also found value in the smaller details, from integrated appliances to shared resident spaces including the pool, cinema and rooftop areas.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356818]

After comparing several developments, he chose One Apartments because of GWH's longstanding local reputation and his own experience working with the developer on a commercial project more than a decade earlier.

"I knew that they were local, that the quality of the build was going to be up there. I'd looked at other apartment complexes around and close by, and I just knew that here was a better decision location wise."

Today, Keith says the move has completely changed how he experiences Newcastle.

"I enjoy living in this location because it's more of a lifestyle change. That Newcastle city living where you can walk to restaurants and bars and even beaches and parks and even shopping across the road."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356828]

Beyond the location, he says it's the sense of community that has surprised him most.

"Everyone loves living here because they chose to live here, but everyone looks out for each other. It's a real great community feel here."

For Aimee and Lyle Goodman, the journey started almost by chance.

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The couple happened to be having coffee in Newcastle when they noticed the site where One Apartments was about to begin construction.

"We were aware GWH was planning a development," Aimee says. "We made one phone call and things moved pretty quickly after that."

As busy business owners, they initially thought apartment living would simply reduce the maintenance that came with larger homes. Instead, it fundamentally changed how they spent time together.

"We actually catch up more as a family now," Aimee says.

"We've had homes with big yards and lots of space, but everyone ended up in different rooms. Here we'll have dinner together, the kids can play, and we spend far more quality time together."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356829]

Lyle says their confidence came from GWH's reputation within Newcastle's building industry.

"I know people who've worked across different apartment projects, and whenever GWH came up the feedback was always the same. They're rock solid. They're quality."

That confidence only grew throughout the buying process.

"One of the things that really impressed us with GWH was the whole process, was the communication," Lyle says. "It was consistent, it was regular, there was no problem if we had some weird questions, there was no problems in getting answers."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=351104]

Aimee says one moment stood out.

"The project actually finished on time. We realised we needed to hurry up and sell our house because everything was happening exactly when they said it would."

The positive experience at One Apartments ultimately gave all three buyers the confidence to purchase again with GWH, this time at ERA.

Their confidence reflects what many buyers are seeking in today's apartment market. Location remains important, but so too does certainty around delivery, quality and long-term liveability.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356822]

ERA builds on those foundations with 280 one, two and three-bedroom apartments across two landmark towers in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/newcastle-west-nsw-2302">Newcastle West</a>.&nbsp;

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fk-australia">Fender Katsalidis</a>, the project will include more than 2,000 square metres of resident amenities, including a resort-style pool, gym, sauna, private cinema and rooftop entertaining spaces overlooking the harbour and coastline.&nbsp;

The development is also within walking distance of the Newcastle Interchange, Honeysuckle, Darby Street, the harbour foreshore, restaurants, retail and the city’s beaches, continuing the walkable lifestyle that existing GWH buyers say has transformed how they live.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356826]

For Keith, the appeal remains straightforward.

"You feel at home even before you've moved into your home."

For Aimee, the change is measured in time.

“I just felt like I had more time,” she says.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=351102]

Construction at ERA is now underway, with more than half of the residences already sold and limited two and three-bedroom apartments remaining in the East Tower release. Priced from $980,000 for two-bedroom residences and $1.46 million for three-bedroom residences, buyers can secure an apartment with a 10 per cent deposit, with premium homes offering ocean views from Level 8 and harbour views from Level 10.

ERA is also backed by Resilience Insurance's 10-year Latent Defects Insurance policy, providing protection against structural or waterproofing defects for 10 years after completion. The project is anticipated to be completed in early 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135096]

Joel Robinson

From ONE to ERA: Why buyers are choosing GWH again in Newcastle West

Virgate Property Group is preparing to commence construction of Verdé, its new apartment development in Melbourne's Arts Precinct at Southbank, following a strong run of sales that has seen more than half of the project's 173 apartments secured.

Verdé has attracted a broad mix of first home buyers, owner-occupiers upgrading from nearby inner-city suburbs and investors, with younger owner-occupier couples aged between 28 and 45 accounting for the strongest enquiry. Many are already living in Southbank, South Melbourne, Albert Park, Port Melbourne, South Yarra and the CBD.

"Verdé is located in one of the most desirable pockets of southern Melbourne," Blair Property Group Director Darren Blair, who is managing sales at Verdé, said.

"It's within walking distance of the Arts Centre, Royal Botanic Gardens, Albert Park Lake, and Southbank's restaurants and retail. It's a great lifestyle location with strong amenity and liveability, which made it a very attractive choice for the project."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=372549]

Virgate was already familiar with the precinct, having previously delivered the successful Domain House development in neighbouring South Melbourne. That experience gave the developer confidence to acquire the Coventry Street site and continue expanding its presence in Melbourne's inner south.

"We had been keeping an eye on the site and the broader precinct for a few months before deciding to move forward with the acquisition," Virgate said.

The project was ultimately secured in 2020 following feasibility studies, planning assessments and due diligence, with the brief centred on delivering "a high-quality, considered design that feels both refined and fit for purpose."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=314259]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bruce-henderson-architects">Bruce Henderson Architects</a>, Verdé comprises 173 one, two and three-bedroom apartments priced from $599,000. The architecture is distinguished by a faceted glass façade that responds to both the site's outlook and Melbourne's changing light conditions.

According to Bruce Henderson Architects, the coloured glazing gives the building a distinctive identity while also providing privacy and solar shading, with residences oriented to capture views across the bay, city skyline and surrounding parklands.

Inside, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/designoffice">DesignOffice</a> has created interiors focused on natural light, efficient planning and enduring materials. Apartments feature engineered oak flooring, natural stone benchtops, floor-to-ceiling glazing and SMEG appliances, while a restrained material palette aims to complement the expansive outlooks rather than compete with them.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=372550]

Resident amenity has also been designed around everyday functionality rather than occasional use. Facilities include a concierge-serviced lobby, residents' lounge with fireplace, library and co-working space, gym, terrace garden with barbecue facilities, ground-floor café, and package delivery management.

The project's location continues to be one of its strongest drawcards. Positioned on Coventry Street, Verdé sits within walking distance of the National Gallery of Victoria, Arts Centre Melbourne, Royal Botanic Gardens and Albert Park Lake, while Southbank's dining precinct, Sturt Street trams and the new ANZAC Station are all nearby. The surrounding education catchment also includes Melbourne Grammar, Melbourne Girls Grammar, Mac.Robertson Girls' High School and several major university campuses.

The sales team says buyers have responded particularly well to the combination of location, design quality and long-term liveability.

"They're responding really positively to the quality of the design, premium resident amenities and the uninterrupted views. Many also appreciate the location and how connected it is to everything they need."

The ability to secure stamp duty savings before completion has also been a key factor for purchasers, alongside the opportunity to personalise finishes ahead of settlement.

With construction set to commence soon and more than half the apartments already sold, Verdé enters its next phase as one of the Arts Precinct's more established apartment developments, offering remaining buyers an opportunity to secure a residence before construction advances further. Expected completion is scheduled for late 2027.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=4661]

Virgate's Verdé Southbank moves toward construction as sales fly past halfway stage

Downsizer-focused apartment development Kooyongkoot in Hawthorn has been recognised at the 2026 Better Future Melbourne Design Awards, taking home Gold and Silver awards in two categories.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kooyongkoot-hawthorn-1-kooyongkoot-road-hawthorn-vic-3122">Kooyongkoot</a>, currently being delivered by developer PQD and designed by Cera Stribley, received Gold in the Interior Design – Proposed category and Silver in the Architecture – Proposed category.

The dual recognition reflects the design approach behind the boutique development on prestigious Kooyongkoot Road, where the focus has been on creating homes for downsizers seeking the space, quality and functionality of a detached house within a low-rise apartment building.

Rather than maximising apartment numbers, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/pqd">PQD</a> and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cera-stribley-architects">Cera Stribley</a> limited the development to just 18 residences, allowing for larger floorplans, greater privacy, generous landscaping and expansive communal spaces.&nbsp;The majority of the apartments also benefit from corner aspects, allowing for dual sources of natural light.

Now around 70 per cent complete and on track for completion in November 2026, Kooyongkoot will comprise a mix of garden residences, ter​race apartments, sub-penthouses, and is crowned by two half-floor penthouses with direct lift access and private rooftop terraces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355297]

The Silver Award for Architecture recognised the way the building responds to its prominent corner position at the ent​rance to Hawthorn's Scotch Hill precinct, one of Melbourne's most established residential neighbourhoods.

Rather than competing with the grand homes that line Kooyongkoot Road, the architectural approach focused on restraint and longevity, using curved brickwork, generous landscaping and carefully considered proportions to integrate with the existing streetscape.

"The form feels fluid and timeless, as though shaped by the landscape itself – architecture that belongs, rather than competes," said Chris Stribley, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Cera Stribley.

The judging submission also highlighted practical innovations throughout the building, including lift cores servicing only nine homes each, a central landscaped lightcourt designed to bring daylight and ventilation into the building, and fully enclosed private storage rooms with lighting, power and shelving to better accommodate residents transitioning from larger family homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355293]

The Gold Award for Interior Design recognised the project's focus on long-term liveability rather than display-home aesthetics.

According to the awards submission, the interiors were designed from the inside out, prioritising how homes would function over decades of daily use through generous proportions, practical storage, durable natural materials and flexible layouts.

The specification includes natural stone throughout, upgraded acoustic glazing, V-ZUG appliances and fully enclosed storage rooms, alongside an amenity offering focused on wellness, entertainment and everyday convenience.&nbsp;

Residents will have access to a gym and yoga studio, a wellness centre featuring traditional and infrared saunas, a cold therapy shower and treatment room, as well as a residents' lounge and golf simulator/cinema room for entertainment.&nbsp;Kooyongkoot has also considered the everyday convenience of its residents by offering a private carwash and pet wash facilities on site as well as dedicated parcel lockers and oversized fully enclosed storage rooms.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355303]

The project's attention to detail has already resonated with buyers. Earlier this year, Kooyongkoot recorded one of Boroondara's highest apartment sales when an $8 million penthouse was purchased by a Melbourne CEO downsizing from a nearby family home.

"Every detail feels deliberate, from the overall design down to the smallest touches," the purchaser said.

"The level of quality and refinement is exceptional, but what really sold it was how liveable it felt... It felt like a place where everything had been considered, not just a luxury building."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355304]

Sustainability also formed a key part of both award submissions. Kooyongkoot is targeting a minimum 7.5-star NatHERS rating across all residences, supported by passive design principles, high-performance glazing, EV charging infrastructure, water reuse systems and a wellness model focused on lower-energy dry facilities rather than pools and large wet areas.

Located within walking distance of Scotch College, Methodist Ladies' College, Koo​yong Lawn Tennis Club, Aubur​n Village and Camberwell Junction, Kooyongkoot continues to target owner-occupiers looking to remain in Melbourne's inner east without compromising on space or quality. A limited selection of two, three and four-bedroom residences remains available, with prices starting from $1.9 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=102717]

Kooyongkoot wins Gold and Silver at Better Future Melbourne Design Awards

New apartment supply has become increasingly constrained across <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/parramatta-nsw-2150">Parramatta</a> in recent years, with fewer projects progressing through to completion as development conditions have become more challenging.

It makes <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/novm">NOVM</a>'s 2021-completed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/the-lennox-parramatta-12-phillip-street-parramatta-nsw-2150">The Lennox</a> one of the most recently completed residential towers on the Parramatta River, and among the newest apartment developments in Sydney's second CBD.

With the project largely completed before the sharp escalation in construction costs and inflation following the pandemic, The Lennox is now offering pricing that would be difficult to replicate in a comparable new development in Parramatta today, or across much of Western Sydney.

The majority of the 413 apartments at The Lennox sold before and shortly after completion. A limited release of the remaining apartments has recently been brought to market by capital partner <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/equitifund-group">Equitifund</a>, with entry-level pricing from $700,000 and two-bedroom apartments available from under $1 million.

Rising above the Parramatta River at 12 Phillip Street, The Lennox comprises one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, appealing to first home buyers, young professionals, families, downsizers and interstate investors seeking a completed apartment in one of Australia's fastest-growing economic centres.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=372394]

Rather than positioning Parramatta as an alternative to Sydney's CBD, Equitifund believes the city has reached a point where it stands on its own merits.

"Parramatta is no longer simply an alternative to Sydney CBD, it's becoming a destination in its own right," Equitifund Executive Chairman Greg Huxley said.

"The Lennox captures that evolution with a level of quality and amenity that's difficult to match at its price point."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=953]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/marchese-partners">Marchese Partners</a>, the tower responds directly to its riverfront setting through expansive glazing and open-plan layouts that maximise views across the Parramatta River and city skyline. Interiors feature engineered timber flooring, stone benchtops, stainless steel appliances and floor-to-ceiling glazing, while generous balconies extend the living spaces outdoors.

Marchese Partners says the project was conceived to balance high-quality apartment living with practical, long-term functionality, pairing larger, efficient floorplans with amenities more commonly associated with five-star hotels.

That emphasis continues through the resident facilities, which include a 20-metre rooftop swimming pool, fully equipped gym and wellness spaces, full-time concierge, a residents' lounge, function room, private lifts, secure basement parking and rooftop communal areas overlooking the Parramatta River. Ground-floor boardwalk retail and dining further activate the riverfront and integrate the building into the surrounding public realm.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=925]

Australian housing and finance group Equitifund has secured the remaining apartments, believing there are few completed apartment opportunities in Parramatta that offer the same combination of location, amenity and pricing.

Equitifund National Sales Director Ben Hamblett says buyers are increasingly recognising that premium apartment living no longer needs to come with Sydney CBD pricing.

"The Lennox is where aspirational living becomes attainable," Hamblett said.

"Wake to river and mountain views, step into Sydney's Second CBD, and arrive home to resort-calibre amenities, all without the harbour price tag."

Hamblett says owner-occupiers are also attracted by the convenience of having Westfield Parramatta, Church Street's dining precinct, Parramatta Park, Riverside Theatres, Western Sydney University and major transport connections all within walking distance.

"At The Lennox, lifestyle is not an afterthought, it is the foundation."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=5374]

The Lennox places residents within walking distance of Parramatta Square, Westfield Parramatta, Church Street Eat Street, Parramatta Station, the ferry wharf, Light Rail, the future Sydney Metro West, Parramatta Park and CommBank Stadium, reinforcing Parramatta's position as one of Australia's most connected metropolitan centres outside Sydney's CBD.

Equitifund says buyers visiting the display suite consistently comment on the quality of the finishes, generous floorplans, river and skyline views, and the walkability of the location. The project has attracted a broad mix of local professionals, upsizers, downsizers, buyers relocating from Sydney's inner suburbs and interstate investors seeking long-term growth opportunities.

That demand aligns with Parramatta's continued evolution as an economic powerhouse. Equitifund Research and Market Insights specialist John Bekiaris says sustained population growth, infrastructure investment and expanding employment opportunities continue to support long-term housing demand across the city.

"Parramatta has evolved from a satellite city into one of Australia's most important economic centres. Population growth, infrastructure investment and employment are all supporting sustained long-term housing demand."

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=5743]

The apartment price gap drawing Sydney buyers west

A luxury beachfront apartment at Rainbow Bay has more than doubled in value since it sold off the plan six years ago, setting a new local apartment record in the process.

The three-bedroom apartment in the Flow development on Petrie Street, the first of four new projects locally by Paul Gedoun's S&amp;S Projects, has sold for $7.4 million, after originally selling for $3.27 million when the project launched in 2020.

The seventh-floor apartment, comprising 187 sqm of internal living space and a 54 sqm balcony overlooking Froggies Beach and Snapper Rocks, was purchased by a local family.

The transaction was negotiated by Pezet Matheson director Kerry Pezet and equates to more than $30,000 per sqm.

Pezet said the sale reflected the limited opportunities to buy into the boutique beachfront development.

"The sale highlights the rarity of opportunities within the boutique beachfront development, where residences seldom become available," Pezet said.

"Flow is one of the Gold Coast's most tightly held buildings. Buyers from our database move quickly when residences become available, and achieving an off-market sale at $7.4 million demonstrates the depth of demand for property of this calibre."

<img alt="Flow" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c585b206-2130-4eee-a50c-3f27c51a7c70" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-06%20at%208.33.25%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=m3pHRDV62Y3fvN.XQuQHq.52ilTWpRLf" />

Flow was the first of four luxury apartment developments delivered by Paul Gedoun's S&amp;S Projects at Rainbow Bay and was completed in 2023.

Positioned on the beachfront overlooking Snapper Rocks, the residence includes three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a powder room and views stretching north along the coastline towards Surfers Paradise.

Pezet Matheson Residential principal Mitchell Lambert said buyers continued to prioritise quality beachfront apartments in tightly held locations.

"Flow Residences offers a rare combination of elevated beachfront positioning, architectural excellence, comprehensive resident amenity and premium finishes, which is exactly what discerning purchasers are seeking," Lambert said.

"The transaction further reinforces Rainbow Bay's reputation as one of Australia's premier coastal lifestyle destinations, where limited supply and growing demand continue to support strong market performance."

Pezet Matheson originally marketed and sold out Flow off the plan, making the latest transaction a return to one of the project's original buyers.

Paul Gedoun is selling his third project, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/radia-rainbow-bay-271-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Radia Rainbow Bay</a>, after recently completing, and selling out, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/esprit-217-227-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Esprit</a>. He has plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-s-s-projects-proposes-88-apartment-wellness-tower-at-coolangattas-boundary-street">fourth building</a>, 88 apartments on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/209-213-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Boundary Street</a>.

Rainbow Bay apartment doubles in price since off the plan sale during pandemic

Public Transport

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Lendlease have announced it had been selected as preferred bidder for a major redevelopment of London’s Euston station.
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Subject to the finalisation of contracts, Lendlease will work with the Greater London Authority and London Borough of Camden to develop a masterplan for, and subsequently deliver, a 54-hectare site above and around the new station. 
Currently catering for around 42 million passengers a year, Euston will be redeveloped to house new high-speed rail services (known as HS2) connecting the Midlands and north of the UK to London, and is due to start operating in 2026. 
The project comprises more than 400,000 square meters of commercial, retail, hotel and leisure spaces, and will also deliver a significant number of new homes. 
Lendlease Chief Executive Officer International Operations Dan Labbad says the redevelopment of Euston stands to be a real gamechanger for commuters across London and the UK.
“Euston will be much more than a transport hub – and we’ll work closely with project partners to provide benefits to local people, foster business growth and deliver new homes. 
“Today’s announcement is consistent with our stated strategy to grow our development pipeline in gateway cities and increasingly reallocate capital to our international operations.” 
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

Lendlease preferred bidder for London’s Euston station redevelopment

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<h1>Riding in cars with dogs: millions of trips a week tell us transport policy needs to change</h1>
Having a pet dog turns out to be a highly car-dependent affair. Author provided <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jennifer-kent-13822" target="_blank">Jennifer Kent</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841" target="_blank">University of Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/corinne-mulley-106" target="_blank">Corinne Mulley</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841" target="_blank">University of Sydney</a>
Dog owners depend very heavily on their cars to transport and care for their pets. Our recently published <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856417302161">study</a> estimates that dog owners make about 2.4 million dog-related trips a week in Sydney. We also found pet owners overwhelmingly want to be able to travel on public transport with their pets. So why are they still excluded?
<hr>
Further reading: <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-a-better-understanding-of-how-we-manage-dogs-to-help-them-become-better-urban-citizens-64749" target="_blank">We need a better understanding of how we manage dogs to help them become better urban citizens</a>
<hr>
Our study, involving more than 1,250 Sydney dog owners, looked at popular activities owners do with their dogs and how often these require a trip by car. Typical activities include:
<ul>
<li>walking</li>
<li>visiting the park or other recreational areas</li>
<li>dog training</li>
<li>going to cafés, bars or shops</li>
<li>visiting family, friends or the vet.</li>
</ul>
On average, we found people walk their dog twice or more a week. While this confirms <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743507003775" target="_blank">existing research</a>, we found that one in four dog walks actually began with a drive in a car. Of the more than 75% of dog owners who go to a recreational area twice or more a week, 45% get there by car. And of the two-thirds of people who go to the dog park three times a week, more than half travel by car.
This demonstrates a surprisingly high reliance on private cars for dog ownership. The table below clearly shows this.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194753/original/file-20171115-19841-1c1ibfb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Activities undertaken by dog owners and the number of dog-related car trips each week.
The survey also found that, on average, people visit a vet three times a year. They use a car for 86% of those trips.
However, 14% said lack of transport had prevented them from taking their dog to a vet. People who did not own a car were more likely to fall into this category.
<h2>So, why does this matter?</h2>
Our results indicate that enjoying and caring for a dog in Australian cities – which has <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-pets-strengthen-neighbourhood-ties-79755" target="_blank">proven health and social benefits</a> – is a relatively car-dependent affair. And car dependency is something urban <a href="https://theconversation.com/stuck-in-traffic-we-need-a-smarter-approach-to-congestion-than-building-more-roads-84774" target="_blank">planners want us to leave behind</a> for many reasons, including sustainability, health and <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/healthy-liveable-cities-44685%20in%20our%20cities" target="_blank">liveability</a>.
If we are trying to reduce car use, understanding activities that lead to car dependence is important. We are particularly interested in the unintentional, often negative, consequences for individuals who, by choice or circumstance, do not have access to a car. A compromised ability to enjoy and care for a dog is one such consequence.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197467/original/file-20171203-5392-1lre7jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197467/original/file-20171203-5392-1lre7jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
All European cities allow dogs on public transport but most cities in the US and Australia do not. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/chihuahua-arms-travels-public-transport-615671681?irgwc=1&amp;utm_medium=Affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=TinEye&amp;utm_source=77643&amp;utm_term=" target="_blank">TIF Fotos/Shutterstock</a>
A policy solution would be to allow dogs on public transport in Australian cities. Unsurprisingly, our survey of dog owners found an overwhelming 95% support this.
More than half indicated they would do more activities with their hound if this were allowed. And 20% said they would even consider getting by without one of their cars if they could take their dog on public transport.
<hr>
Further reading: <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-there-a-place-for-dogs-in-public-space-or-must-they-make-do-with-dog-parks-56147" target="_blank">Is there a place for dogs in public space, or must they make do with ‘dog parks’?</a>
<hr>
<h2>What are the rules in other countries?</h2>
With these findings in mind, we investigated public transport policies on pets in 30 cities across Europe, the United States and Australia. We found all European cities allowed dogs on public transport. Most cities in the US and <a href="https://transportnsw.info/travel-info/using-public-transport/travelling-with-animals-pets">Australia</a> did not.
The policies allowing dogs vary. Some apply limits on where on the train, tram or bus a dog may travel, on travel during peak hours, and on the size of dog. In cities such as Paris, dogs must pass a “basket test” for riding in a carrier or small bag.
Most cities charge a fare for dogs at a concession or child price. Zurich has gone a step further by offering an <a href="https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/tickets-for-switzerland/dogs" target="_blank">annual travel card</a> for dogs.
<hr>
Further reading: <a href="https://theconversation.com/johnny-depps-dogs-show-evolving-ideas-of-animal-citizenship-41968" target="_blank">Johnny Depp’s dogs show evolving ideas of animal ‘citizenship’</a>
<hr>
It is interesting that in cultures where private cars are dominant – such as Australia and the US – dogs are restricted from riding on public transport. In Europe, where car ownership and use are less common and public transport use is more the norm, dogs are welcome on trains and buses.
This perhaps says something about how we see public transport in Australia: it is for predictable and “clean” trips, such as the journey to work.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/87094/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">In reality, our lives are made up of messy trips, and to reduce car dependence we need to plan for this mess. This might include measures such as changes to timetables, making the interior of trains and buses more suitable for people carrying groceries, or allowing people to use the train to take their dog on an outing or to the vet. If public transport is for travel for all citizens and dogs are an important part of so many people’s lives, why should dogs be excluded from public transport?
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jennifer-kent-13822" target="_blank">Jennifer Kent</a>, Research Fellow, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841" target="_blank">University of Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/corinne-mulley-106" target="_blank">Corinne Mulley</a>, Professor; Chair in Public Transport, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841" target="_blank">University of Sydney</a>
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/riding-in-cars-with-dogs-millions-of-trips-a-week-tell-us-transport-policy-needs-to-change-87094" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Riding in cars with dogs: Public transport policy needs to change

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GUEST OBSERVER
The announcement by Transport Minister, Andrew Constance, of the preferred route for Parramatta’s light rail must be complemented by increased density along the route.
The two stages for the Parramatta light rail are well located to stimulate significant development along the routes.
The connections to the Westmead Hospital precinct, to Carlingford and the second stage through Melrose Park and across the Parramatta River to Sydney Olympic Park can stimulate significant development particularly on the north side of the river.
The Urban Taskforce believes that when transport infrastructure projects are announced there should be a related announcement about the number of new homes to be developed.
Communities often complain about the lack of infrastructure related to new development so when the government is committing to new infrastructure local communities must understand that increased development density will come with this.
Along with the proposed Metro West rail link between Parramatta and the Sydney CBD the light rail now gives a very significant public transport network for this important part of metropolitan Sydney.
Sydney’s early development linked Parramatta and Sydney Cove closely with the first toll road.
There was a Government House in both cities symbolising their equal importance.
The public transport commitments by the NSW Government two hundred years after the first public transport links between the two cities carries on the importance of this region for development.
The possible alternative through Camellia could be a boost to development in this precinct although this needs to be balanced with the potential for a station on the Metro West line.
With the Parramatta light rail now substantially determined, the NSW Government needs to decide the locations for the Metro West stations so there can be good connections between the two transport modes.
Chris Johnson is CEO of Urban Taskforce.
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Parramatta light rail to stimulate development along the route: Urban Taskforce's Chris Johnson

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GUEST OBSERVER
Large health inequalities exist in Australia. Car ownership and its costs add to the health inequalities between low-income and high-income households. The physical characteristics of neighbourhoods influence our transport use and, in turn, make health inequalities better or worse.
Rising housing prices have forced many low-income families to live on the fringes of Australian capital cities. Residents of these sprawling outer suburbs often have worse access to public transport, employment, shops and services. They need one or more motor vehicles simply to get to work and take children to school.
Buying and maintaining vehicles in Australia is expensive. These costs have a large impact on household budgets. Household finances then affect health in two main ways:
<ul>
<li>
through the ability to access health-related resources, such as healthy foods, health care and high-quality living conditions (like heating and cooling)
</li>
<li>
through stress caused by financial difficulties, insecure incomes and exposure to poorer environments such as crowding, crime and noise pollution.
</li>
</ul>
Living in the car-dependent urban fringes also often dooms residents to long sedentary commutes.
<h2>Four scenarios of transport costs</h2>
The following four hypothetical households demonstrate the costs of varying levels of car ownership and transport behaviours.
Scenario 1: A household with two cars that are 15,000km and 10,000km, respectively, per year. The car that is driven 15,000km is assumed to be less than three years old, bought new and financed with a loan. The other car is assumed to be 10 years old and owned outright. This household aligns with estimates by the Australian Automobile Association.
Scenario 2: Scenario one, minus the used car and substituting five return public transport trips a week to the Melbourne central business district from the outer suburbs.
Scenario 3: No cars, substituting 10 return trips to the CBD from the outer suburbs.
Scenario 4: No cars, substituting three return trips to the CBD (i.e. occasional public transport use), with walking and cycling as the main forms of transport.
Table 1 shows how reducing household car ownership, even after adding the cost of public transport, can improve household finances.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/10/21/4.jpg" alt="">
Moving from a two-car household to a one-car household cuts weekly costs by as much as A$41, even after increased public transport use adds a A$41-a-week cost.
Moving from a two-car household to having no cars can improve weekly finances by as much as A$237, after adding 10 return trips to the CBD.
The fourth scenario, emphasising walking and cycling, shows the greatest improvement in household finances. These families are $294 per week better off.
The impacts on households of each of these car ownership and transport scenarios differ depending on their incomes. To illustrate this, we’ve taken the median disposable household income from the lowest, middle and highest quintiles from the ABS in 2015-16.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190506/original/file-20171016-22304-10xttga.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">Figure 1. Proportion of disposable household income remaining after transport costs for four scenarios of car ownership.
Although becoming car-free will increase disposable household income after paying for transport, the largest proportional differences are for the lowest-income households. This means these households will benefit most from reducing car ownership and switching to more active and affordable forms of transport.
<h2>Urban design can boost household health and wealth</h2>
So how do we help households make the transition from private car ownership? The answer lies in the environments we live in.
The evidence from research suggests several strategies to improve uptake of active and affordable transport, while reducing car dependence and related health inequities. These include local urban design features such as:
<ul>
<li>connected and safe street networks (including pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure) that reduce exposure to traffic</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
residential areas mixed with commercial, public service and recreational opportunities
</li>
<li>
public transport that is convenient, affordable, frequent, safe and comfortable
</li>
<li>
higher residential density with different types of housing (including affordable housing) to support the viability of local businesses and high-frequency public transport services
</li>
<li>
cycling education and promotion
</li>
<li>
car-free pedestrian zones, traffic calming measures, signage and accessibility for all (including wheelchair and pram access).
</li>
</ul>
Australia has yet to fully realise the potential of promoting active transport and reducing car dependency as a way to reduce health inequities.
For example, the Victorian government recently announced 17 new low-density suburbs for Melbourne’s outer fringes (up to 50 kilometres from the CBD). It did so with a goal of creating more affordable housing. But urban planning experts have criticised these plans for increasing car dependence and commute times – due to the lack of nearby destinations and amenities – which have been shown to be bad for health.
In another case, the Planning Institute of Australia described the proposed A$5.5 billion West Gate Tunnel as a “retrograde solution”. The institute expressed concern about “entrenched inequality for those in the outer suburbs”.
Changes to city transport environments can take years or even decades, and funding is often limited. Phased interventions that target lower-income neighbourhoods should be considered first as these are likely to produce the greatest gains in health equity.
This approach does have some caveats. Urban renewal projects carry a risk of gentrification, whereby higher and middle-income households displace those on lower incomes. Place-based government investment, such as improvements to public transport, has been shown to increase local housing prices. That could force lower-income households to relocate, often to car-dependent neighbourhoods on the urban fringes.
In these scenarios, a lack of government policies that safeguard against displacement of low-income residents can make health inequities worse.
Jerome N Rachele, Research Fellow in Social Epidemiology, Institute for Health and Ageing, Australian Catholic University; Aislinn Healy, PhD Candidate, Institute for Health and Ageing, Australian Catholic University; Jim Sallis, Professorial Fellow, Institute for Health and Ageing, Australian Catholic University, and Emeritus Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, and Takemi Sugiyama, Professor of Built Environment, Institute for Health &amp; Ageing, Australian Catholic University.
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/designing-suburbs-to-cut-car-use-closes-gaps-in-health-and-wealth-83961" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Designing suburbs to cut car use

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<h1> </h1>
GUEST OBSERVER
 
Trials of autonomous cars and buses have <a href="https://intellibus.rac.com.au/" target="_blank">begun on the streets of Australian cities</a>. Communications companies are moving to <a href="https://themelbourneengineer.eng.unimelb.edu.au/2017/01/melbourne-launches-world-first-connected-living-transport-lab/" target="_blank">deploy</a> the lasers, cameras and centimetre-perfect GPS that will <a href="https://theconversation.com/city-streets-become-a-living-lab-that-could-transform-your-daily-travel-71272" target="_blank">enable a vehicle to navigate the streets</a> of your town or city without a driver.
Most research and commentary is telling us how the new machines will work, but not how they might shape our cities. The talk is of the <a href="https://2015.internationaltransportforum.org/shared-economy" target="_blank">benefits of new shared transport economies</a>, but these new technologies will shape our built environment in ways that are <a href="https://theconversation.com/smart-cities-does-this-mean-more-transport-disruptions-63638" target="_blank">not yet fully understood</a>. There’s every chance that, if mismanaged, driverless technologies will entrench the ills of car dependency.
As with <a href="https://theconversation.com/taxi-driver-compensation-for-uber-is-unfair-and-poorly-implemented-64354" target="_blank">Uber and the taxi industry</a>, public sector planners and regulators will be forced to respond to the anger of those displaced by the new products the IT and automobile industries will bring to the market. But can we afford to wait?
<h2>Three competing interests</h2>
Three distinct groups are giving form to the idea of driverless vehicles. Each has its own corporate proponents and target markets, and its own, often competing, demands on citizens, regulators and planners. Each will make its own demands on our streets and public spaces.
First, the traditional car makers are adding “driverless” features to their existing products. They have no compelling interest in changing the current individual ownership model. Their target consumer is someone who values private vehicle ownership and enjoys driving.
These carmakers’ challenge is to win over drivers sceptical about “their” car doing things they can’t control, whether that is behaving differently in traffic or performing unescorted journeys. But, if successful, these new cars will make driving easier and so encourage more travel and ever-expanding suburbs.
Second, cashed-up IT disruptors like Google and Uber see new types of vehicles and new patterns of ownership as the basis for new transport economies. They want lightweight, utilitarian “robo-taxis” owned by a corporation and rented by the trip. Travellers will use phone apps or their next-generation successors to do this. This, in the jargon, is “<a href="https://dupress.deloitte.com/dup-us-en/deloitte-review/issue-20/smart-transportation-technology-mobility-as-a-service" target="_blank">mobility as a service</a>”.
These companies’ ambition is to carve out a large niche in competition with private cars, taxis, conventional public transport and even non-motorised transport. Fleets of shared vehicles in constant circulation can reduce the number of individually owned cars and, in particular, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/disruption-ahead-personal-mobility-is-breaking-down-old-transport-divides-70338" target="_blank">need for parking</a>.
In some circumstances, this may support more compact urban forms. But while sustainability or social objectives might be part of the pitch, the profit motive remains dominant.
Third, public transport operators can see opportunities and challenges in driverless technologies. Already, Vancouver reaps the benefits of lower operating costs for its driverless elevated-rail system.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XtCyiSleO1g?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" width="440" height="260"></iframe> In Vancouver, the train pulls into a station with no driver on board.
Savvy operators understand that new vehicle technology is only valuable if it is integrated with traditional public transport services and with cycling and walking. This means central coordination. Vitally, it also requires control of the information platforms needed to provide multimodal mobility.
Such levels of planning and regulation conflict with Google’s “disruptive” free-market ambitions. European operators, who are in a more powerful position in economic and social life than their Australian counterparts, are already <a href="https://www.uitp.org/autonomous-vehicles" target="_blank">mobilising for this contest</a>.
<h2>Whatever the technology, transport needs space</h2>
Many claims for the benefits of driverless technologies rely on the complete transformation of the existing vehicle fleet. But the transition will not be smooth or uniform. Autonomous vehicles will face a significant period of mixed operation with traditional vehicles.
Freeways are likely to be the first roads on which the new vehicles will be able to operate. Promoters of these vehicles might join forces with the conventional car lobby to demand extra lanes. This would dash the hopes of many that driverless cars will <a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/12082-the-future-of-driverless-cars-where-we-re-going-we-ll-need-more-roads" target="_blank">lead to reduced space</a> for mass movement of cars.
After the freeways, the next objective will be to bring driverless cars, trucks and buses onto city streets. This will require complex systems of sensors and cameras.
The ambition is to allow all users to share road space much more safely than they do today. But, if a driverless vehicle will never hit a jaywalker, what will stop every pedestrian and cyclist from simply using the street as they please? Some analysts <a href="https://news.ucsc.edu/2016/10/pedestrians-self-driving-cars" target="_blank">are predicting</a> that the new vehicles will be slower than conventional driving, partly because the current balance of fear will be upset.
Already active travellers are struggling to assert their <a href="https://theconversation.com/contested-spaces-virtuous-drivers-malicious-cyclists-mindset-gets-us-nowhere-73371" target="_blank">right to the streets</a> of Australian cities. Just imagine how much worse it would be if a dominant autonomous-vehicle fleet operator demanded widespread fencing of roadways to keep bikes and pedestrians out of the way.
The presence of driverless cars cannot alter the fact that space for urban transport is severely constrained. For travel within and between compact urban centres, we will need more and better high-capacity mass transit as well as first-class conditions for walking and cycling.
The integration of conventional public transport networks with shared autonomous vehicles, large and small, offers many opportunities for a much improved service. But that will happen only if this objective is the major focus of investment, innovation, planning and regulation.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/75531/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">Researchers and policymakers need to move rapidly to gain a holistic and systematic understanding of the multiplicity of driverless-vehicle scenarios and the potential harm that some might contain. The technologies are not an unalloyed good, and governments will need to do more than just be “<a href="https://www.premier.sa.gov.au/stephen-mullighan-news-releases/337-sa-becomes-first-australian-jurisdiction-to-allow-on-road-driverless-car-trials" target="_blank">open for business</a>”.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-stone-226753" target="_blank">John Stone</a>, Senior Lecturer in Transport Planning, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-melbourne-722" target="_blank">University of Melbourne</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/carey-curtis-96861" target="_blank">Carey Curtis</a>, Professor of City Planning and Transport, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873" target="_blank">Curtin University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/crystal-legacy-18412" target="_blank">Crystal Legacy</a>, Australian Research Council (DECRA) Fellow and Vice Chancellor's Research Fellow, Centre for Urban Research, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063" target="_blank">RMIT University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jan-scheurer-342188" target="_blank">Jan Scheurer</a>, Senior Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873" target="_blank">Curtin University</a>
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-must-plan-the-driverless-city-to-avoid-being-hostage-to-the-technology-revolution-75531" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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rt-jypKJrGt6b

Planning the driverless city to avoid being hostage to the technology revolution

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/78527/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
A new report from Infrastructure Australia, Improving Public Transport: Customer Focused Franchising, and its associated technical report from Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), will have state and federal treasurers salivating. The accompanying press release is clearly intended to set their fiscal juices flowing. It suggests that:
"… subjecting the operation of Australia’s government-operated bus and rail services to competitive tender processes could save Australian taxpayers up to $15.5 billion by 2040…"
This A$15.5 billion is the estimated high operational cost savings scenario, in present value terms (2016 prices; 7% real discount rate). Infrastructure Australia/PwC’s conservative savings estimate is still a very substantial A$11.6 billion.
The magic pudding is competitive tendering of a range of government-operated rail and bus public transport services, as well as Melbourne’s privately run bus services, which are not currently awarded by competitive tendering.
Just how realistic are these savings?
Rail services
Ownership and contracting of public transport services has been a major transport policy focus for 30 years. This issue has had its own two-yearly conference, the Thredbo International Conference Series, for most of that time.
The Thredbo series (named after the location of the first conference) provides a vast array of international material that sheds light on ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public transport under different operating regimes. Australian federal and state government officials rarely attend.
The PwC report presents Australian and international examples of competitive tendering of rail and bus services. It concludes that first-round rail tenders will deliver operational cost savings of 15-20 percent (conservative and high estimates respectively) by the end of the first tender and 25-32 percent by the end of the second. For bus services, the report estimates savings of 15-20 percent from the first tender and 30-35 percent by the end of the third round.
International experience on rail privatisation is sparse, with the sources that PwC cites among the more well known. We are concerned, however, that contrary evidence is given no attention. This raises questions about the objectivity of the analysis.
Andrew Smith and colleagues, in a paper to the Thredbo 6 Conference, reviewed the UK rail experience. They found costs rose after privatisation.
Total passenger train operating costs (excluding infrastructure) per train-kilometre were 14 percent higher in 2006 than at privatisation ten years earlier. Between privatisation and 2008-09, real average salary costs rose much faster than in the economy as a whole.
Pedro Cantos and colleagues reviewed the European experience across 16 countries. Their study concluded that tendering regional passenger services did not have a significant effect on efficiency and productivity.
Melbourne’s early rail franchising experience also left a lot to be desired. One operator handed back its contracts – train, tram and bus – before completion.
As Public Transport Users Association president Tony Morton wrote in May 2017 to The Age:
"Victoria’s train/tram privatisation hasn’t saved taxpayers one cent. A former minister, the late Lynne Kosky, admitted as much ten years ago. We do save money relative to Sydney by not having train guards, a decision that predates privatisation."
Those labour savings were part of large reductions in Melbourne rail staff, from 18,000 to 8,400, during the 1990s. This was done in a corporatisation process that preceded privatisation.
Taking account of the sources cited above and Melbourne’s experience, as well as the sources PwC cites, an assumption that rail privatisation will deliver cost savings of 25-32% by the end of Term 2 tenders is, to say the least, heroic.
We would see even the “conservative” figure of 25% as a high estimate. Melbourne’s experience suggests many of the mooted savings might also be achievable by a thorough corporatisation process. Infrastructure Australia, by simply taking the competitive tendering pathway, does not do justice to the choices available.
Bus services
In a 2007 review of bus privatisation, one of us reported cost reductions from the first round of tenders as follows:
Great Britain 50-55%
Scandinavia most in the range 20-30% but with a range of 5-34%
USA 30-46%
Australia: Perth 22%; Adelaide 38%
New Zealand: 40% ex-public operators; about 5% private operators
Norway 10%. 
The savings for Norway are lower than elsewhere because the local bus industry had been improving its efficiency over some time, mirroring NZ experience. The Norwegian study suggested the threat of competitive tendering was important in driving savings.
One of us recently analysed the tendering of private bus services in Sydney, where private operators run some existing services. The analysis found savings of under 4% on a like-for-like basis.
These various bus findings suggest the cost savings range of 30-35% selected by PwC and reported by Infrastructure Australia might be possible, if an efficient private operator replaces an inefficient public operator. We make no comment on the efficiency of the public bus operators reviewed by PwC.
But such savings will not be achievable in Melbourne, where private operators already provide service. Cost savings of less than 5% are more realistic there.
As we argue below, achieving the latter savings does not rely on competitive tendering. Importantly, all such savings, in rail and bus, are a one-off windfall gain. Our research commonly shows evidence of significant real cost increases after the initial tender round.
What about the alternatives?
Wallis, Bray and Webster, pioneers of the Adelaide privatisation experience, recognised the tendency for costs to increase in subsequent tendering rounds. They proposed that performance-based contracts negotiated with incumbent operators should replace the city’s fourth round of bus tenders.
It is surprising that neither the Infrastructure Australia report nor PwC technical paper mention such contracts as an alternative to competitive tendering.
Our research suggests that negotiated performance-based contracts with efficient operators deliver cost outcomes in line with competitive tendering. And this approach provides two other benefits. Transaction costs are lower and it provides opportunities for closer partnering between purchaser and provider on service planning.
Importantly, given competition law in Australia, if it can be shown that the benefits of a particular contracting regime, such as competitive tendering or negotiated performance-based contracts, outweigh the costs, then the compliance case is strong.
It is surprising that Infrastructure Australia is either not aware of, or more likely has chosen for some reason to ignore, the opportunities afforded by negotiated performance-based contracts, particularly for bus services. This narrowing of the policy options put forward for public consideration risks loss of benefits from important transport reforms.
In short, we believe that Infrastructure Australia, and its advisers PwC, have overestimated the achievable cost savings from competitive tendering of publicly provided rail services. They have also ignored the potential for savings within existing publicly provided public transport services. Competitive tendering of such services will deliver cost savings, but it would be surprising if they were as big as suggested.
For Melbourne bus services, any operating cost savings from competitive tendering are likely to be much less than forecast, most likely under 5%. Such savings will be equally achievable under negotiated performance-based contracts.
Although we recognise that the first round of any competitive tendering will produce a windfall gain, this will be partly at the risk of service quality. Once we consider this, the one-off financial benefits are diluted.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-stanley-115" target="_blank"></a>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-stanley-115" target="_blank">John Stanley </a>is Adjunct Professor, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, The Business School, University of Sydney.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-stanley-115" target="_blank"></a>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-hensher-11295" target="_blank">David Hensher </a>is Director, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, University of Sydney.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-stanley-115" target="_blank"></a>
Both are authors for <a href="https://theconversation.com/au" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-stanley-115" target="_blank"> </a>
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Why touted public transport savings from competitive tendering are too high

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/78190/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">GUEST OBSERVER
The light rail project pushed up property values within 800 metres of the stations by over 30 percent from 1996 to 2016. Gains on this scale offer a potential source of finance for public transport.
Gold Coast’s light rail scheme has attracted great interest since the streets of Surfers Paradise were torn up and stations and track were built. Was it worth spending A$1.5 billion on 13km of light rail and more than $40 million a year in subsidies?
Are we right to be spending another $420 million on an extension to Helensvale in time for the Commonwealth Games? Should we be taking it all the way down to Gold Coast Airport?
Another question is whether gains in property values served by the project could be “captured” to fund such infrastructure.
Previous studies of property values in areas serviced by the light rail showed only modest gains after it opened. Our research cast a wider net back to when we first started planning the system in 1996 through to the latest data we could get in 2016.
The results were intriguing. We found that prices in the catchment areas started to increase in the earliest planning phases. The effects of the light rail were to push up property values within 800 metres of the stations by more than 30% in total from 1996 to 2016.
This is well above most previous estimates of a light rail system’s effects. This is mainly because we looked earlier for the property value gains and used a carefully designed control to make the comparison.
<h2>Impact after opening seemed modest</h2>
These findings cast a different light on the apparently modest impact of the light rail after it opened.
When the first stage from Broadbeach to our university at Parkwood opened it was well received. But the behaviour change we all hoped for was rather modest at first. After opening in 2014, patronage did not surge compared to bus ridership on the route in earlier years.
New passengers got on board, but it was an uphill climb for the new system. Fare increases of almost 50% from 2010 to 2014 pushed passengers off public transport across southeast Queensland, especially on rail.
Not all passengers enjoyed improved service for their particular journeys either. Those who used to travel through the corridor in a bus now had to break their journey at the light rail terminus and transfer, adding travel time and annoyance.
In the second year of operation, however, patronage jumped 16% and our contacts suggest third-year patronage is tracking well. Subsidies per passenger are falling. The decision to add the connection to Helensvale looks a sound one.
But, seemingly, other changes everyone expected weren’t there. The Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics analysed property values in the corridor from 2000 to 2013 using a coarse geography and didn’t find much evidence of any uplift. This gave many cause for concern.
Reassuringly, Cameron Murray used valuation data for a similar period using a different geographical scale and found a 10% increase for properties within 400 metres of the new stations. But there was still uncertainty.
Our new research backs up and expands on Murray’s findings, suggesting there was substantial positive impact.
<h2>What did our research look at?</h2>
Our research team in the Funding on the Line Australian Research Council Linkage Project took a different approach.
In a peer-reviewed paper, which will shortly be presented at the World Symposium on Transport and Land Use Research, led by Barbara Yen, we used sales data for residential properties along the corridor. Our study compared areas within 800 metres of the stations with a control area containing locations a little further away but still in the same vicinity.
We used a longitudinal methodology to see when the value uplift occurred from back in 1996, when planning of the system first started, through to the latest 2016 data. Property prices in the catchment areas started to increase very early in the planning phase. The property value uplift was highest in the locations between 100 and 400 metres from the stations.
Values went up 11.9% in these locations compared to our control areas between 1996 and the feasibility study’s announcement in 2002. They increased a further 26.3% from 2002 to 2006 over the control areas when the feasibility study was completed. Prices rose only 2.3% from 2006 to 2011 when the formal funding commitment was made and construction began, and then by another 5.4% after the line opened to the end of the study period in 2016.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/05/29/file-20170524-5749-1f04vgx.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/05/29/file-20170524-5749-1f04vgx.png" width="700" height="263">
The areas less than 100 metres from the stations, and between 400 and 800 metres also recorded strong increases compared to the control areas, though not quite as much.
This is to be expected. Sites closest to the stations received some nuisance from the light rail and road corridor; sites further away obtain fewer advantages in travel time savings for passengers.
<h2>What are the funding implications?</h2>
The property value gains attributable to the project from 1996 to 2016 of more than 30% are very significant. Yet it’s pretty much only the landowners who benefit.
The City of Gold Coast recoups some of its $120 million investment in the light rail through its rates and its public transport levy on urban residents. The Queensland government may end up getting a little slice via stamp duty as properties are sold. The few pieces of government-owned land likely rose in value.
But the state and federal governments generally have no other mechanisms to take a small sliver of the increased property value their investment generated to help pay for the light rail system or reinvest in public transport elsewhere. We’ve written about this previously in The Conversation and suggested ways we could change the system.
A recent federal parliamentary inquiry and moves to set up “value sharing” units in the Queensland and New South Wales governments suggest we are now getting serious about generating alternative funding for public transport.
Our study’s results only add more support to these initiatives. Get it right and we should be able to deliver more metros, busways and light rail to serve our growing population and its increasingly urban way of life.
 Matthew Burke is an Associate Professor, Cities Research Institute, Griffith University and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-burke-1677" target="_blank">here</a>.
 
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Why Gold Coast light rail was worth it: Matthew Burke

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GUEST OBSERVER
Planning approval of the Sydney Metro from Chatswood to Sydenham is great news, however there is a lack of certainty for development around the stations and areas around the rail corridor.
The planning approval of the Sydney Metro including tunnels under the harbour demonstrates the commitment of the Baird Government to an extensive metro network across metropolitan Sydney.
Along with the Metro West line between Sydney and Parramatta the Metro network sets the framework for extensive areas of urban renewal around the new stations, which will help boost must-needed housing supply.
The Urban Taskforce is concerned, however, that planning for the urban renewal of areas around the rail corridor is taking far too long. Developers have no certainty and cannot proceed with housing projects as strategic land use planning around the metro is lagging far behind.
An example is the Sydenham – Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy. The draft Strategy was exhibited by the Department of Planning in October 2015, however rezoning proposals for areas along the Corridor are on hold until local councils prepare detailed planning controls. 
This could take an additional 2 years, even more if the council is subjected to an amalgamation, before the local environmental plan is complete. Developers simply cannot sit on land for that long with no outcome.
Until planning around these corridors comes up to speed, the NSW Government must fast track plans around metro stations, or develop a process where land owners and developers can obtain a development approval or rezoning in significantly less than 3 years.
The Department of Planning’s Guide to Preparing Planning Proposals issued in August 2016 states that the rezoning proposals have merit ‘if they are consistent with relevant district, corridor or precinct plans applying to the site, including any draft regional, district or corridor plans released for public comment.’ It seems that the Greater Sydney Commission Planning Panels are not following this guide.
Boosting Sydney’s housing supply is absolutely critical if we are to alleviate the housing affordability crisis. It is an excellent time to fast-track planning proposals for new housing around proposed metro rail stations.
Chris Johnson is chief executive officer of property development industry group Urban Taskforce and can be contacted <a href="https://www.urbantaskforce.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=97&amp;Itemid=126#.Vdaart55dFI" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Sydney Metro forging ahead but urban renewal lags behind: Chris Johnson

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GUEST OBSERVER
Large transport infrastructure projects, which can cost billions of dollars, are major drivers of the economy, and political flagships.
They have significant impacts on health and wellbeing. Yet our research finds these impacts are not as well considered in the project assessment phase as they should be.
A recent Lancet series is the culmination of knowledge linking transport and health. For example, it recommends reducing reliance on private cars and enhancing opportunities for walking, cycling and public transport use. It argues this will improve health both by reducing air and noise pollution, and by promoting physical activity, community connectedness and better access to goods and services, particularly for the socio-economically disadvantaged.
Each transport project’s environmental assessment thus presents a crucial opportunity within the mandated planning process to consider health. This is also when the wider community can engage with the design of projects. The main output of this process, the environmental impact statement (EIS), is available for public scrutiny and comment prior to final project approval. 
<h2>A health check on assessments</h2>
We recently compared the inclusion of health issues in four major transport project assessments. Three involved motorways (WestConnex M4 East and NorthConnex in New South Wales and the 2010 Darlington Upgrade in South Australia) and the fourth the Sydney CBD and South East Light Rail. We did this by first applying a “health audit” to each EIS, then interviewing a range of stakeholders. 
The road assessments emphasised risks from air quality and noise, concluding these were minimal. Indeed, each project was predicted to improve air quality and, by extension, health. 
When health was assessed, human health risk assessment was the method used, which we judged to be of good quality. The 2010 Darlington upgrade was the only road project not to include health data explicitly in its calculations. 
The light rail EIS referred mainly to the connection of the project to health facilities, with some reference to noise and dust in construction. This statement’s chapter on social impacts, in which health featured strongly, reflects the tone of the recent Lancet report, albeit with less detail. It considered wider health benefits of the project, including better access to health facilities and employment opportunities, improved road safety, opportunities for walking and cycling, better air quality and enhanced social interaction. 
Of the four environmental impact statements, WestConnex M4 East had the most detailed coverage of mental health issues, mostly related to property acquisition. Despite this, there was limited detail in the health chapter when compared to other issues like air and noise risks. Mitigation measures were limited to the provision of phone counselling services. 
The EIS for each of the other projects lacked assessment of mental health impacts due to construction and operation. 
As outlined above, evidence that links transport and health advocates for access to a mix of transport options, giving people opportunities to walk, cycle and use public transport. The importance of this mix was excluded from the project and parameters set for the two NSW motorway projects. 
While the EIS for each of NorthConnex and WestConnex acknowledged the need for multi-modal transport options, their provision was described as being outside the project’s parameters. It wasn’t clear how or when this was being done elsewhere, only that it was not the proponent’s responsibility and not within the scope of the EIS.
This mix of options was minimal in the 2010 Darlington report we analysed. However, the most recent 2016 iteration of this project design appears to emphasise walking and cycling facilities, with a recent announcement of a rail link adjacent to the motorway.
<h2>Why were health impacts neglected?</h2>
Stakeholder interviews were held with project co-ordinators, consultants, the health department and affected community members for the NSW-based projects. We were unable to conduct interviews for the Darlington case due to changing and uncertain project parameters at the time of the research. 
Informants stressed the importance of the requirements issued to proponents by the state Department of Planning and Infrastructure. Health featured in these requirements, largely on the advice of the state Ministry of Health. 
These requirements focused on environmental health risks, particularly concerning air quality. This corresponded to historical community concerns about motorway impacts. 
Despite an overall consensus that health was an important issue, there was little appetite for comprehensive consideration of broader health impacts, such as those advocated by evidence-based research. Crucially, as reported in the environmental impact statements and confirmed through stakeholder interviews, the design of each project reflects prior financial and strategic decisions. The purpose of the EIS is focused on minimising these risks within those existing design parameters. 
Supporting the considerations behind the light rail, there was reference to the cost savings from the health benefits associated with public transport use. This suggests that health was part of that project’s preceding business case. For the motorway projects, however, our research suggests these early decision points failed to comprehensively consider health impacts. 
If health is to be comprehensively included in the environmental impact statement, it is clear that it needs to be considered much earlier on when the decisions are made on the parameters of the project. Our findings suggest the design of these projects – from business case to assessment – lags well behind the evidence surrounding transport and health. 
The community can be confident that these assessment processes were conducted thoroughly within their set purpose. But the bar for considering the full range of health impacts needs to be raised. This will ensure communities are aware of the long-term impacts of infrastructure provision, and that opportunities to promote and protect health through transport are maximised.
Patrick Harris is senior research fellow, University of Sydney and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/patrick-harris-102775" target="_blank">here</a>.
Emily Riley is research assistant , University of Sydney and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emily-riley-315794" target="_blank">here</a>.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jennifer-kent-13822" rel="author">Jennifer Kent</a> is research fellow, University of Sydney and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jennifer-kent-13822" target="_blank">here</a>.
All are authors for The Conversation.
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Why transport projects aren’t as good for your health as they could be

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GUEST OBSERVER
Last week Fairfax Media reported that the Parramatta Light Rail is set to cost the NSW government not A$1 billion (together with part of the proceeds of a levy on new residential developments), as budgeted, but a whopping A$3.5 billion.
People could be forgiven for thinking that the revelation of a A$3.5 billion price tag is surprising, and much higher than expected from what’s been budgeted. But as a new Grattan Institute report shows, cost overruns in public transport infrastructure are far too common.
The report is the first comprehensive Australian study of all 836 transport infrastructure projects valued at A$20 million or more and planned or built since 2001. It reveals that over the past 15 years, Australian governments have spent A$28 billion more on transport infrastructure than they told taxpayers they would spend. Much of this overspending should never have happened. 
The A$28 billion over the originally promised costs does not stem from the accumulation of small cost overruns on most projects. Rather, most projects come in reasonably close to their original announced cost, as the figure below shows. The problem is that when projects do run over, it can be spectacular: 90 percent of the cost overrun problem is explained by the 17 percent of projects that overran their cost promise by more than 50 percent.
<a href="/images/2016/10/26/image-20161023-15963-pm2um9.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
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The main culprit for this startling finding is premature announcements. Ministers and shadow ministers frequently promise to build a road, bridge or rail line for a particular cost, especially in the lead-up to an election. 
History shows that projects with costs announced before a formal budget commitment are at much more risk of a large cost overrun than those announced when they are better developed. Over the past 15 years, 74% of the total value of cost overruns is explained by the 32% of projects announced early.
The poor performance of projects with early announcements is not just a warning to mistrust politicians’ promises. Premature cost announcements continue to haunt projects throughout their lives, as the figure below shows.
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It is not common practice to analyse projects from as far back as when they are first announced, but it should be. Once politicians have announced a project, they and the public treat that announcement as a commitment. They are right to do so: two-thirds of these projects end up being built. 
In fact, it is not common practice to analyse the cost outcomes of infrastructure projects in any systematic way. Analysts are hindered by the absence of meaningful reporting on the outcomes of these projects – by the lack of information on how well they performed against the costs and benefits, such as travel time savings, that were used to make the original investment decision.
Failing to collect and aggregate information about past projects also hampers those trying to estimate what today’s projects will cost. Without actual Australian data on past projects, cost estimators may be able to factor in the prices of equipment, material and the workforce, but they can’t factor in how to protect against unusual and unforeseeable events that can have a big impact – “unknown unknowns”.
Today’s projects suggest we are not learning from history. For every project, cost estimators forecast what they expect the project will probably cost (known as a “median” or “P50” cost estimate), and also what it could cost for the one in ten times that a project will probably go over budget – a “worst case” cost estimate (known as a “P90”). 
The experience of the past 15 years shows that the difference between the median cost estimate and the “worst case” cost estimate is 21% on average for transport infrastructure projects valued at A$20 million or more. 
But cost estimates for current projects do not reflect this experience. Instead, the difference between the median and “worst case” estimates is generally about a third to a half this size. Judging by recent history, this suggests that either the median cost estimate is too high or – more likely – the “worst case” cost estimate is too low. 
What’s wrong with this approach is that it probably won’t be one in ten projects that governments are expecting, but actually more likely one in three, that go over the “worst case” estimate. 
Our research also shows that, if history is any guide, these overruns will be bigger than expected. Some of today’s big-budget projects that have these surprisingly low “worst case” cost estimates are the Inland Rail between Brisbane and Melbourne, Sydney’s WestConnex and Melbourne’s Western Distributor.
This is not to slight the motives or the abilities of cost estimators, who deal with intrinsically uncertain costs. But without historical information to draw on, these estimates are inherently limited. The evidence is clear: over the past 15 years, cost estimators expected between 10% and 25% of projects to exceed their budget. In fact, 34% did so.
<h2>Policy changes required</h2>
The solutions are within reach. Governments should not commit to building transport infrastructure before tabling a proper evaluation and the underlying business case in parliament. And once a project is completed, governments should report to the public on how it performed against the costs and benefits behind the original decision to invest. 
Governments can also improve project assessment methodologies, collect and publish data that would enable cost estimators to learn from experience, and manage contingency funds with more discipline. 
We must start to learn from history. Our infrastructure systems should promise what is worth having, and then deliver what is promised.
Marion Terrill is transport program director, Grattan Institute and author for The Conversation. She can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/marion-terrill-169480" target="_blank">here</a>.
 
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