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.

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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

Urban Affairs

<html><body>
By <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/soufiane-boufous-135956">Soufiane Boufous</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-australia">UNSW Australia</a>.

Despite the health, environmental and social benefits of cycling, efforts to boost the number of people travelling by bike have hit a plateau. <a href="https://www.onlinepublications.austroads.com.au/items/AP-C91-15">Recent data</a> show no significant change in cycling participation across Australia between 2011 and 2015, and it now seems clear that the <a href="http://www.bicyclecouncil.com.au/files/publication/National-Cycling-Strategy-2011-2016.pdf">National Cycling Strategy</a> goal of doubling cycling between 2010 and 2016 will fall short.

Cycling accounts for 1% of daily trips in Australia, and the main barrier to greater uptake seems to be the <a href="http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/Cycling-Survey-2011-Riding-a-Bike-for-Transport.pdf">widespread concern</a> about safety, particularly fears of sharing the road with motor vehicles and a lack of appropriate infrastructure.

To an extent, the numbers bear this out. Although my research shows that <a href="http://www.tars.unsw.edu.au/news/2015/Bycicle_Statististical_Study">cyclist deaths</a> have decreased steadily over the past two decades, <a href="http://bitre.gov.au/publications/2015/files/is_071_ph.pdf">cyclist hospitalisations</a> rose from 3,676 in 2005 to 5,527 in 2013, while bicycle riders as a proportion of all road hospitalisations rose from 13% to 16%.

In the Sydney metropolitan area, <a href="http://www.georgeinstitute.org.au/publications/use-of-a-syndromic-surveillance-system-to-describe-the-trend-in-cycling-related">30% of road trauma presentations to emergency departments</a> are due to cycling injuries.

It seems, then, that a good way to make cycling more popular is to make it safer.

<h2>Rights on the road</h2>

A crucial first step is to recognise bicycle riders as legitimate road users, with an accompanying right to ride safely on roads. While very important, better cycling infrastructure cannot on its own improve safety, because many bicycle riders will still have to share the road with motorists.

Australian Road Rules recognise the bicycle as a vehicle and bicycle riders as legitimate road users with the same rights and responsibilities as others. However, cyclists often feel harassed, intimidated and left fearing for their life simply for riding on roads.

A case in point is the right of cyclists to “take the lane” instead of keeping all the way to the left, where they are often at the mercy of close-range overtaking, debris and drains, or at risk of being “doored” by a stationary vehicle. Yet when bicycle riders take the lane to improve their safety, they are often accused of being selfish or arrogant, or of putting themselves in harm’s way. When I was asked by a passenger in a passing car if I had a “death wish” for taking up the left lane I felt like screaming out “I don’t have a death wish; what I have is an equal right to reach my destination safely”.

Many motorists are simply not aware of the rights of bicycle riders and the challenges they face in navigating a road system designed primarily for motor vehicles. This underpins the widespread belief that bicycle riders are “rogue” road users who continually break road rules.

Of course, this is not to say that bike riders never break the rules. On the contrary, a <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/cyclists-break-the-law-due-to-safety-concerns-study-says-20141008-1138cn">UNSW study</a> reported a high number of bicycle riders flouting road laws, with pushing out in front of red lights and riding on the footpath topping the list of infringements. However, most of the cyclists in the survey cited safety as their main reason for breaking the law. As one respondent put it:

<blockquote>
If drivers are aggressive I am more likely to try and get out of their way (to the footpath) or try to get ahead of them at lights so I am not under pressure and they don’t try to pass me dangerously.
</blockquote>

And let’s not forget that motorists and other road users also break the law – in fact, motorists are more likely to do so when it comes to conflict with cyclists. A <a href="https://theconversation.com/helmet-cam-captures-bike-accidents-and-could-make-cycling-safer-3540">Victorian study</a> that examined camera footage of incidents involving cyclists and other road users found that the driver was responsible for the action that preceded the event in 87% of cases. In 74% of those events, the driver cut the cyclist off without providing enough space, indicating effectively, or performing a shoulder check.

A <a href="http://eprints.qut.edu.au/29579/">Queensland survey</a> found that 88% of cyclists – and, perhaps surprisingly, 60% of drivers – agreed that “drivers do not look for cyclists”.

<figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/98030/area14mp/image-20151012-23302-1b3han9.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/98030/width668/image-20151012-23302-1b3han9.jpg"></a>

<figcaption>Sharing is nice. Soufiane Boufous, Author provided</figcaption></figure><h2>The mental roadblock</h2>

Tackling ignorance and confusion about cycling will be crucial to improving the situation. As part of this year’s <a href="https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safety-and-road-rules/cyclist-safety/cycling-road-rules-review">review of bicycle laws in Victoria</a>, a survey of 10,444 Victorian residents revealed misunderstanding around many of these laws. The review identified the need to improve awareness of 20 separate rules, and recommended that seven of them should be amended to make them clearer.

Here are some of my recommendations to improve acceptance of bicycle riders as legitimate road users:

<ul>
<li>Put more emphasis on driver-cyclist interactions as part of the training to obtain a driver’s licence.</li>
	<li>Use new evidence on cycling safety to inform a review, with a view to updating cycling laws nationally, not just state-by-state.</li>
	<li>Run national public information campaigns, similar to Lake Macquarie City Council’s <a href="http://www.newcastlestar.com.au/story/2886783/campaign-helps-motorists-see-cyclists-as-legitimate-road-users-video/">Life Cycle</a> strategy, to promote the rights of bicycle riders as “one of us” and cycling as a legitimate form of transport.</li>
	<li>Introduce presumed liability legislation, similar to that <a href="http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2176&amp;context=ealr">implemented in Europe and proposed in the US and the UK</a>, which puts the onus on drivers to prove that a collision with a cyclist or pedestrian was not their fault.</li>
</ul>
Standing up for your rights as a cyclist riding on roads dominated by motor vehicles can be daunting and dangerous. There is a need to change the culture, through legislation, education and training, so that all users can safely and responsibly share the road.

<a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/soufiane-boufous-135956">Soufiane Boufous</a> is a Research Fellow for Road Safety and Injury Prevention at <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-australia">UNSW Australia</a>. This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-people-will-cycle-when-everyone-accepts-cyclists-right-to-be-on-the-road-48185">original article</a>.

Lead image credit: Wikipedia.
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theconversation

More people will cycle when everyone accepts cyclists' right to be on the road

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On September 22, the Victorian Government announced a period of consultation on the impacts of the Melbourne Metro project had begun.

21,000 letters were reportedly sent to residents and businesses along the alignment of the proposed new rail tunnel. The letters invited locals to go to an information session and find out where the tunnel will go, how it will be built and the planning process that will be undertaken.

The Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, stated at the time "this consultation process is about starting open, honest and respect conversations with people who may be affected by this critical project" and now the authority has quietly added new maps to its website.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/mm-generic-map-sept-2015-02.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Subtle changes to the main graphics. Source www.mmrailproject.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="410" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/mm-generic-map-sept-2015-02.jpg?itok=cI5jgSOb" title="Subtle changes to the main graphics. Source www.mmrailproject.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Subtle changes to the main graphics. Source www.mmrailproject.vic.gov.au</figcaption></figure>The primary graphic used on the site (pictured above) has had some subtle changes, however it is the addition of a <a href="http://mmrailproject.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/28604/MM-Map-Indicative-Alignment-20150926.pdf">new satellite map</a> of the indicative alignment which has since been added to the <a href="http://mmrailproject.vic.gov.au/planning">project's site</a>.

While the map is clearly marked "indicative alignment only", the file is date-stamped September 26 and is high resolution with a large amount of detail, largely answering questions about the "where".

Marcus Wong has a <a href="http://wongm.com/2015/05/melbourne-metro-details-finally-revealed/">great post on his blog</a> looking over all the documents which had made their way into the public domain up until May of this year.

The new map does not show station entrances, but it does make the positioning of stations quite clear, albeit with the "indicative" caveat.

When you compare some of the old renders available on <a href="http://wongm.com/2015/05/melbourne-metro-details-finally-revealed/">Marcus Wong's blog</a> with the new map, the two most significant things that appear to have changed are the position of Arden and Parkville stations.

The 2012 concept renders (which Marcus originally obtained from the Public Transport Victoria site) appears to center the Parkville Station directly underneath the Royal Parade and Grattan Street intersection. The new map shows the station to be located east of Royal Parade, in front of the University of Melbourne's medicine building and the relatively new Doherty Institute building.

My initial thought on Parkville's position was hoping the final design for Parkville Station's surface buildings include an entrance on the western side of Royal Parade, to allow people using/connecting with Flemington Road trams a more convenient access option to the station (without having to use the pedestrian crossings on Royal Parade).

There were no concept renders depicting what Arden Station would look like underground (and therefore allow you to make a safe assumption about where the station would be located underground, like you can with the old Parkville concept drawings), however the <a href="http://raildocs.wongm.com/melbourne-metro-rail-tunnel/arden-overview-DOC-11-332332-.jpg">old Arden concept renders</a> did depict the station's surface buildings to be located where what looks to be at the end of Queensberry Street in North Melbourne.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sau!4v1444660254078!6m8!1m7!1stWNofTc5Pp52D_u2zHfCVA!2m2!1d-37.80065308511496!2d144.9400899910399!3f133.32224978314775!4f-6.720242966694059!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border:0" width="100%"></iframe>

The new map shows the station located a touch further north of the existing end of Queensberry Street and now the station will sit underground, offset from the grid of streets, with the eastern end of the station right near Barwise Street as show above in Google Street view.

The guesswork for Arden's location is now largely solved. One bonus of this location for Arden Station: concrete to build the station will not have to travel very far; one of the city's major concrete factories is located <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/ssnBM1cGBSG2">right next door</a>.

<a href="http://mmrailproject.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/28604/MM-Map-Indicative-Alignment-20150926.pdf">View the new map</a> on the Melbourne Metro Rail project website.

Thanks to Ian Woodcock for the prompt!
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Alastair Taylor

Melbourne Metro: new indicative alignment maps published

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The appointment of a <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/minister/briggs/index">federal minister for cities and the built environment</a> is a signal moment in urban policy in Australia. It is a much-needed portfolio for an overwhelmingly urban nation but will need new policy capacity if the government’s urban goals are to be realised.

Australian cities are among the fastest-growing in the developed world. They face problems of poor housing affordability, growing inequality, inadequate and inefficient infrastructure, unsustainable environmental demand and uneven employment distribution and productivity.

Long neglected federally, urban affairs is the gaping void in 21st-century public policy. Not since 1972 has Australia seen both the Labor and the Liberal parties commit to a cities portfolio within the Commonwealth ministry. That this has now occurred under a Coalition government is especially unusual.

Labor governments have been most engaged with urban questions. Curtin initiated a federal housing program and spurred states to better urban planning. Whitlam sewered neglected suburbs and stabilised fringe land markets, while Keating stimulated inner-city urban renewal. The Rudd-Gillard government boosted infrastructure and set national principles for metropolitan planning.

The short-lived McMahon government’s 1972 <a href="https://www.comlaw.gov.au/Series/C1972L00183">National Urban and Regional Development Authority</a> is the only previous Coalition urban foray of note.

<h2>Creating the capacity to do urban policy</h2>

As the new minister, Jamie Briggs’s agenda is not yet detailed, although it looks set to focus on <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/malcolm-turnbull-sends-gang-of-three-to-unclog-cities/story-fn59niix-1227542862627?sv=9d68d99a6c06e535533c7f2c184e8e8e">integration, infrastructure and greening</a>. What could a new urban program look like, and what are the urban reform imperatives facing the Turnbull government?

The first task must surely be to develop permanent urban analytical and policy capacity in the federal public service. The Department of Environment, where the cities minister will be hosted, has almost no urban policy capability. The strongest federal urban capacity is in the <a href="https://infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure/pab/">Planning Analysis Branch</a> of the Department of Infrastructure. The Turnbull government must build rapidly off this small but competent base.

A second task is to create federal capacity for cross-portfolio policy coordination. A cities agenda requires federal arrangements that can link across transport, infrastructure, environment, housing, finance, education, health and social services to build a multi-dimensional policy perspective on cities.

The third capacity-building task is to re-establish national coordination arrangements for urban policy. The federation gives almost all hands-on urban responsibility to the states but the Commonwealth has the revenue. The previous Labor government worked through the <a href="https://www.coag.gov.au/">Council of Australian Governments</a> (COAG) to establish consensus principles for major city planning and investment in a largely bipartisan way. That process could be revived and improved with relative ease.

A robust evidence base exists on which to ground policy directions but it is not well linked with policy. Capability development should thus also extend to Australia’s high-quality but under-resourced university research sector. The extensive network of scholars within the <a href="https://www.be.unsw.edu.au/centres/city-futures/state-australian-cities-research-network">State of Australian Cities Research Network</a> could assist with this task, as could the <a href="http://www.ahuri.edu.au/">Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute</a>.

The final capacity need is for federal policy to establish its own analytical framework. The urban sector abounds with rent-seekers. A federal urban perspective must stand above such rent-seeking to develop a sophisticated conceptual stance on how our cities work and the levers of policy.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/eastern_freeway_belford_st.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rail over road? Where urban policy is concerned, decisions about transport options are never far away. Image Wikipedia"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="287" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/eastern_freeway_belford_st.jpg?itok=Ks-ZdibW" title="Rail over road? Where urban policy is concerned, decisions about transport options are never far away. Image Wikipedia" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rail over road? Where urban policy is concerned, decisions about transport options are never far away. Image Wikipedia</figcaption></figure><h2>Directions for policy</h2>

The overturning of Tony Abbott’s aversion to public transport funding is a welcome sign of progress. Public transport is vital for future urban productivity and sustainability.

New arrangements are needed to make transparent the external urban costs of private car use, whether through road and parking user pricing or via enhanced environmental emissions charging. Such measures need to be progressive, however, so the burden does not fall unfairly on low-income, car-dependent households with the fewest alternatives.

Building infrastructure alone is unlikely to improve how our cities function. We need to make better use of existing assets. This includes dedicated multi-modal network coordination in public transport, as the 2009 <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Rural_and_Regional_Affairs_and_Transport/Completed%20inquiries/2008-10/public_transport/index">Senate inquiry into public transport</a> advocated, accompanied by optimisation of existing road space via conversion to high-frequency transit routes.

Further areas in urgent need of intervention are Australia’s inflated and exclusionary urban housing markets. <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/negative-gearing">Negative gearing</a> should be reformed as a tax credit scheme with transparency to ensure the value of the concession is targeted to the most needy urban renters.

We need an urban taxation regime that captures the value gains from federal investment. Land value uplift from infrastructure investment should not accrue to private interests but be recycled into the federal funding pool.

A national approach to replace stamp duty with broad-based land taxes is also needed. This would improve the flexibility and efficiency of urban housing markets while retaining a financing stream for urban investment. Land tax should be progressive, so it targets land value and housing wealth, not housing consumption.

A progressive capital gains tax on owner-occupied housing could also be applied to dampen price inflation and raise new public revenue. Similarly, a national approach to inclusionary zoning mechanisms for affordable housing would also help to ensure urban redevelopment creates new social housing supply.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/narre_warren_wikipedia.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Fixing the housing bubble is a key urban challenge. Image Wikipedia"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/narre_warren_wikipedia.jpg?itok=9jbMZ0-N" title="Fixing the housing bubble is a key urban challenge. Image Wikipedia" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Fixing the housing bubble is a key urban challenge. Image Wikipedia</figcaption></figure>As a suburban nation Australia faces serious gaps in how it plans new suburbs and renews existing areas. A national suburban policy is needed to improve the quality of fringe development and facilitate the renewal of ageing middle suburbs for new housing.

Employment distribution in Australian cities is highly uneven. Ready access to high-quality jobs is increasingly the preserve of inner-urban households. Federal support for expansion of suburban employment nodes linked to public transport could ensure more higher-quality jobs are closer to the places households live. Ensuring land-use zoning does not exclude workers from job-rich middle suburbs is a further task.

Reform of the planning arrangements for our cities is desperately needed. National principles for metropolitan planning, as COAG established in 2009, are not unhelpful. But we need governing entities that can plan and manage cities at the metropolitan level while providing a democratic accompaniment to the current dominance of state planning ministers.

Prime Minister Turnbull has <a href="http://www.govnews.com.au/turnbull-could-drive-a-new-focus-on-cities/">previously argued</a> that density is the solution to our urban woes but that poorly done density reduces amenity. High-amenity densification is possible but <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-carbon-devil-in-the-detail-on-urban-density-4226">the urban science on very-high-density development</a> shows its environmental performance is often poor.

Density can help to improve our cities but only as part of carefully crafted wider changes to spatial structure via infrastructure, housing and governance reform. Density is a means, not an end in itself. Plans to expand green space and provide for biodiversity in cities must be part of any densification strategy.

<h2>Putting policy to work</h2>

A sense of urgency is needed. The urban sphere is dominated by what Nicole Gurran and Peter Phibbs have called <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02673037.2015.1044948?journalCode=chos20#.VgS8RWSqqko">busy work</a> in which policy discussion and review defer substantial change.

Moreover urban policy is often captive to property, infrastructure and financial interests that put their private gain over the public interest. The Turnbull urban agenda needs to be more than a talking point or vehicle for shoddy deals.

Urban policy is the key policy discipline of the 21st century. It needs to be placed at the core of Australia’s federal policy arrangements.<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/47858/count.gif" width="1">

<a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/jago-dodson-2359">Jago Dodson</a> is Professor of Urban Policy and Director at the Centre for Urban Research, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university">RMIT University</a>. This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/urban-policy-could-the-federal-government-finally-get-cities-47858">original article</a>.

Lead image credit: <a href="http://ohyesmelbourne.com/">ohyesmelbourne.com</a>
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Urban policy: could the Federal Government finally ‘get’ cities?

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By <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/alexa-delbosc-147245">Alexa Delbosc</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university">Monash University</a>.

Australians have very high expectations of their public transport systems. They consistently <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/national/make-room-transport-survey-20120925-26jgm">prefer</a> investment in public transport over investment in roads. State elections have been <a href="http://insidestory.org.au/how-labor-lost-new-south-wales">lost</a> when politicians don’t meet those expectations.

As a researcher in public transport, I am frustrated by a narrative I see time and again. It comes up in comments in focus groups and pops up at the bottom of news articles. It goes something like this:

<blockquote>
I’ve been to London / New York / Tokyo and their public transport system is better / cheaper / more reliable than ours! Why can’t our public transport be that good?
</blockquote>

Australia’s public transport systems seem shoddy compared to other countries for a number of reasons. These reasons make me question whether those comparisons are valid.

<h2>When on holiday, don’t do as commuters do</h2>

The first reason this comparison is flawed is because when we’re on holiday, we don’t use public transport the same way we do in our mundane commute back home.

When you’re on holiday your concept of time and money is different. A few extra dollars for a tourist pass, a few extra minutes on the platform, it all becomes part of the adventure of travel. A few extra dollars or minutes back home is another inconvenience in your daily grind.

Chances are when you visited London, Tokyo or New York you visited the exciting tourist centres of these cities – places where public transport is at its best.

You probably didn’t visit Woldingham, Tachikawa or Port Washington – outlying suburbs beyond the reach of metro systems. Places where the trains only run every 20 minutes or, heaven forbid, you may have to use a bus. Places a lot more like the suburbs back home.

<h2>Australia’s super cities</h2>

The other reason this comparison is flawed is due to the super-size of Australia’s cities. How that came about is an accident of history as much as anything. Many of the overseas cities Australians idolise did most of their growing before the private car became embedded into the transport system. This resulted in compact urban forms served by narrow, winding streets.

That urban form was designed to suit the needs of pedestrians, horse carts and trams. By the time the car came along it had to be retrofitted into the city.

In contrast, Australian cities – along with many American cities – did most of their growing in parallel with the explosion of motor vehicle ownership. Highways and cars facilitated the post-war suburban explosion, allowing millions to live the dream of quarter-acre blocks far from the city centre.

Because of this legacy, Australian cities are enormously far-reaching. In most capitals you can drive for 100km and still be within the same city limits. <a href="http://mapfrappe.com/?show=31990">Melbourne’s</a> footprint is six times the size of London with half its population; <a href="http://mapfrappe.com/?show=31995">Brisbane</a> is 20 times the footprint of New York City with one-quarter of its population.

<figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/89420/area14mp/image-20150723-22849-1ao8g4e.png"><img alt="" src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/89420/width668/image-20150723-22849-1ao8g4e.png"></a>

<figcaption>London (1,572 sq km, 8.3 million people) vs Melbourne (9,990 sq km, 4.3 million). http://mapfrappe.com</figcaption></figure><figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/89421/area14mp/image-20150723-22816-afd8si.png"><img alt="" src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/89421/width668/image-20150723-22816-afd8si.png"></a>

<figcaption>New York City (790 sq km, 8.4 million people) vs Brisbane (15,826 sq km, 2.2 million). http://mapfrappe.com</figcaption></figure>In Australia, public transport has to play catch-up constrained by an urban form designed by and for the car. This isn’t an impossible task, by any means, but it suggests that perhaps we’re comparing ourselves to the wrong cities.

What if we made more realistic comparisons? For example Portland, Oregon, is around the same size and has about the same population of Brisbane. It is <a href="http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2011/02/08/10-best-cities-for-public-transportation">held up</a> as one of the “best transit cities” in the United States. Yet Brisbane has more public transport trips per capita – around 70 <a href="https://bitre.gov.au/publications/2014/files/is_060.pdf">per year</a> – than Portland, which has 58 <a href="http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/how-your-citys-public-transit-stacks-up/">per year</a>.

If <a href="https://bitre.gov.au/publications/2014/files/is_060.pdf">Australia’s cities</a> were ranked alongside <a href="http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/how-your-citys-public-transit-stacks-up/">American cities</a> in public transport trips per year, Sydney and Melbourne would both rank third behind New York and San Francisco, Perth would rank ninth (above Chicago) and Brisbane would rank tenth (above Philadelphia).

<h2>A call to (realistic) action</h2>

I am glad that Australians have high expectations of their public transport systems, and I will continue to advocate for improving public transport as an integral part of efficient, sustainable cities. But Sydney will never be Tokyo and Adelaide will never be London – nor should they be.

We already have strong, uniquely Australian legacies to build on. Adelaide and Brisbane were some of the first cities in the world to <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0739885914000535">invest</a> in bus rapid transit. Melbourne has the <a href="http://atrf.info/papers/2013/2013_currie_burke.pdf">largest</a> streetcar (tram) network in the world.

Rather than lamenting what we are not, let us focus on making Australian public transport systems the very best they can be.<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/44307/count.gif" width="1">

<a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/alexa-delbosc-147245">Alexa Delbosc</a> is Lecturer in Transport at <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university">Monash University</a>. This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/public-transport-is-always-greener-on-the-other-side-44307">original article</a>.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.flickr.com/photos/-marlith-/2634898429">flickr</a>
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Public transport is always greener on the other side

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Judging by reports observed on various media platforms over the past 24 hours, it seems there are a lot of people and lobbyist groups waiting to tap the new Prime Minister on the shoulder and talk about their cause.

From people hoping for change on issues such as marriage equality and climate change - which Malcolm Turnbull is well known for having a different view from his party - to more traditional lobbyists such as the Australian Chamber of Commerce: <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/sep/15/queues-begin-outside-malcolm-turnbulls-door-to-push-policies">they're everywhere</a>.

It looks like many will be disappointed, at least in the short term. <a href="http://www.malcolmturnbull.com.au/media/transcript-vote-on-the-liberal-party-leadership">In his own words</a>, at a media conference shortly after the leadership ballot result was announced:

<blockquote>
The Prime Minister of Australia is not a president; the Prime Minister is the first among equals. And you can see that the partnership between me and Julie, the partnership with our colleagues will be a very clear cultural demonstration that we are operating in a traditional cabinet manner. And that means Lenore [Guardian Political Editor] that I’m not going to make policy pronouncements from this podium tonight. Of course policies change, they change all the time, but they will be when people should have the confidence that we will be making decisions in a thoughtful and considered manner, recognising the significance of the work we have to do as the Government of Australia.
<cite><a href="http://www.malcolmturnbull.com.au/media/transcript-vote-on-the-liberal-party-leadership">Malcolm Turnbull, September 14, 2015</a></cite>
</blockquote>

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews was quick off the mark, exclaiming on Twitter that he is keen to talk shop with the new Prime Minister. Presumably the 'PT' reference relates to undoing the damage the outgoing Prime Minister caused by his dogmatic approach to funding rail projects in cities.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
Congratulations <a href="https://twitter.com/TurnbullMalcolm">@TurnbullMalcolm</a>. Keen to discuss partnering on PT, roads, health, education and jobs for Victoria. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/auspol?src=hash">#auspol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/springst?src=hash">#springst</a>
— Daniel Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/643397001732747265">September 14, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>It is worth pointing out Malcolm Turnbull's fervent use of public transport will have been saving taxpayers money, that is at least up until today, assuming the Australian Federal Police put the kibosh on him continuing to commute on public transport from this point on. Imagine how much the following trips would have cost had a Government car (or taxi) been used.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-partner="tweetdeck">
<a href="https://twitter.com/Billandbecks">@Billandbecks</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WickBurner">@WickBurner</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/tweetsyjoy">@tweetsyjoy</a> not so. Two trams yesterday but Monday in sydney was a record - 7 trains <a href="http://t.co/Op1A66r1NK">pic.twitter.com/Op1A66r1NK</a>
— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/TurnbullMalcolm/status/626254767317127168">July 29, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div>
</div> <a href="https://instagram.com/p/7dn7ERMqPL/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Flinders Street station magnificent in the dawn.</a> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by turnbullmalcolm (@turnbullmalcolm) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-09-10T20:06:06+00:00">Sep 10, 2015 at 1:06pm PDT</time>
</div></blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
And here comes today's tram - the number 70 to take us to Hawthorn and a morning with <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshFrydenberg">@JoshFrydenberg</a> <a href="http://t.co/zeGCmct6nj">pic.twitter.com/zeGCmct6nj</a>
— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/TurnbullMalcolm/status/642070078083608576">September 10, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Regular users of Twitter, Facebook or Instagram may have stumbled on Malcolm Turnbull's posts, where the new Prime Minister is frequently pictured on public transport or snapping away in our cities.

In the newest mass online media outlet, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2015/08/24/malcolm-turnbull-train_n_8035068">The Huffington Post Australia</a>, an article published in August has an interesting take on the new Prime Minister's tendency to immerse himself in our cities; "for a guy with a personal wealth estimated in the tens of millions, it's admirable to see him slogging it out on the train with the rest of us".

Attempting to heap praise on Turnbull because he is wealthy but mingles with "the rest of us" on public transport is infantile, and unfortunately is another example where public transport systems are popularly perceived as systems for charity when that proposition <a href="http://www.ptua.org.au/myths/rich.shtml">could not be further from the truth.</a>

Centralised city planning from Canberra is not going to happen with a Liberal/National Government in power, however it is a welcome change that the new Prime Minister is an urbanist and has a deep interest in public transport and our cities more generally, unlike his predecessor.

After the dust has settled, the challenge for Malcolm Turnbull will be to make his penchant for urbanism somehow channel into a cities narrative - and have it rub off on federal Liberals - so as we are never confronted with a right-wing anti-city Prime Minister like Tony Abbott ever again.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/TurnbullMalcolm/status/563147272515358720">Malcolm Turnbull on Twitter</a>.
</body></html>

Australia now has an urbanist Prime Minister

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Premier Daniel Andrews and Treasurer Tim Pallas have earlier this morning announced that work is set to start on two level crossing removal projects which were previously foreshadowed in June.

The alliance comprising Leighton Contractors, Aurecon and Hyder Consulting have been formally awarded the contract for level crossing removals at Blackburn Road in Blackburn, Heatherdale Road in Mitcham and Furlong and Main roads in St. Albans.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sau!4v1441667331524!6m8!1m7!1s_3C5TgPAvVL8T53uZ-1Dxw!2m2!1d-37.7441826!2d144.7995151!3f155.31287563945853!4f-1.5376843491907266!5f1.4340163937942116" style="border:0" width="100%"></iframe>

A media release distributed by the Victorian Government states that works at Main Road and Furlong Road are expected to begin by October and will be completed in 2017. The removal of Blackburn Road and Heatherdale Road level crossings is set to start later this year and will take 12-18 months to complete.

The Main Road project will see a new St. Albans station built and the Furlong Road project will see a new Ginifier station rebuilt and moved closer to Furlong Road.

The media release provides a more precise cost figure for the total value of construction of the 4 project sites, $481.2 million, and reiterates the Victorian Government has fully funded the Blackburn Road, Heatherdale Road and Furlong Road projects and the Main Road removal project is jointly funded by the State and Federal Governments.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sau!4v1441675782747!6m8!1m7!1sVj49hBlFAcI3CEsS1fWY6A!2m2!1d-37.7603226!2d144.8117166!3f333.9703258662817!4f-5.2706638250402875!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border:0" width="100%"></iframe>

<h2>Level crossing removals announced to date</h2>

The Dandenong corridor:

<ul>
<li>Grange Road, Carnegie.</li>
	<li>Koornang Road, Carnegie - includes rebuilding Carnegie station.</li>
	<li>Murrumbeena Road, Murrumbeena - includes rebuilding Murrumbeena station.</li>
	<li>Poath Road, Murrumbeena - includes rebuilding Hughesdale station.</li>
	<li>Clayton Road, Clayton - includes rebuilding Clayton station.</li>
	<li>Centre Road, Clayton.</li>
	<li>Corrigan Road, Noble Park.</li>
	<li>Heatherton Road, Noble Park.</li>
	<li>Chandler Road, Noble Park.</li>
</ul>
Expressions of interest were being sought in June, total value, designs and contractors not yet announced.

The Frankston Line:

<ul>
<li>North Road, Ormond - includes rebuilding Ormond station.</li>
	<li>McKinnon Road, McKinnon - includes rebuilding McKinnon station.</li>
	<li>Centre Road, Bentleigh - includes rebuilding Bentleight station.</li>
</ul>
The Glen Waverley Line:

<ul>
<li>Burke Road, Glen Iris - includes rebuilding Gardiner station.</li>
</ul>
Contracts for these four level crossing removals were awarded to a consortium which comprises John Holland and KBR. $524 million and complete by 2018.

The Ringwood corridor:

<ul>
<li>Blackburn Road, Blackburn.</li>
	<li>Heatherdale Road, Mitcham - includes rebuilding Heatherdale station.</li>
</ul>
The Sunbury Line

<ul>
<li>Furlong Road, St. Albans - includes rebuilding Ginifer station.</li>
	<li>Main Road, St. Albans - includes rebuilding St. Albans station.</li>
</ul>
Contracts awarded to an alliance of Leighton Contractors, Aurecon and Hayder Consulting. $481.2 million. St. Albans projects starting in October, Blackburn and Mitcham projects starting later this year.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/planning-and-projects/melbourne-road-projects/main-road-st-albans-level-crossing-removal">Vicroads</a>
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Work to start on level crossing removals in St. Albans

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The Legislative Assembly yesterday agreed to the amendments proposed by the Legislative Council after the third reading of the <a href="http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubPDocs.nsf/ee665e366dcb6cb0ca256da400837f6b/bd7ef38ce1a4b425ca257e6d00170ff2!OpenDocument">Infrastructure Victoria Bill 2015</a>. Once the Governor has lent her signature to the bill, the way will be paved for the creation of Infrastructure Victoria.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
The Parliament passed 5 bills today <a href="http://t.co/V75wHdEdsq">http://t.co/V75wHdEdsq</a> Next they go to the Governor for royal assent <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/springst?src=hash">#springst</a>
— Victorian Parliament (@VicParliament) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/VicParliament/status/639371853727862784">September 3, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Much of the rhetoric to date has centred around Infrastructure Victoria needing to be independent of Government and while the legislation sets out the boundaries of its independence, the seven member board will have a minority of three Department heads as ex officio directors and a majority of four independent directors. The <a href="http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubPDocs.nsf/ee665e366dcb6cb0ca256da400837f6b/BD7EF38CE1A4B425CA257E6D00170FF2/%24FILE/581105exi1.pdf">explanatory memorandum</a> for the bill explains this as follows:

<blockquote>
The inclusion of Department Heads on the board ensures Infrastructure Victoria is able to receive input from the public sector. However, the composition of the board safeguards Infrastructure Victoria's independence by ensuring these Department Heads are a minority of board members
</blockquote>

Infrastructure Victoria will be required to create a 30-year infrastructure strategy which assesses the current state of infrastructure in the state and identifies Victoria's infrastructure needs and priorities over the 30 year period. Furthermore the legislation requires the Government to provide a formal response to the 30-year strategy by creating and then publishing a five-year infrastructure plan within 12 months of Infrastructure Victoria releasing its 30-year strategy.

The Government's response and five-year plan must also identify the priority projects "including an explanation of how the priority projects will achieve the social, economic and environmental objectives stated in the 30-year infrastructure strategy".

Public consultation on the 30-year strategy is enshrined in law requiring Infrastructure Victoria to run a public consultation process when the initial 30-year strategy is drafted and if Infrastructure Victoria subsequently updates the plan in future. Infrastructure Victoria will furthermore be keeping tabs on the Government as the body will be required to publish a report measuring progress against the Government's five-year infrastructure plan in its Annual Report.

In commentary in the Assembly on Thursday, the Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, gave a run down on the amendments the Government was agreeing to.

First amongst the amendments, according to the Minister, was to include clarifying statements in the legislation relation to Infrastructure Victoria needing to research the benefits and costs of infrastructure, not just the benefits.

Secondly the Minister said an amendment moved by the Greens that "requires Infrastructure Victoria to research the impact of climate change on infrastructure, including the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions" had been agreed to. The Minister furthermore said "this research area is indicative rather than prescriptive but it obviously includes the addition of the opportunity to look at the impact of climate change on infrastructure that is being considered".

Other amendments mentioned by the Minister in <a href="http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/daily-hansard/Assembly_2015/Assembly_Aug-Dec_2015_Daily_3_September_2015.pdf">hansard</a> relate to the requirement that directors sitting on Infrastructure Victoria's board have private sector experience and that Infrastructure Victoria's first 30-year infrastructure must be released by the 31st of December 2016.

<figure><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/ivbroc2.jpg" title="A comparison of similar bodies from the Victorian Government's Infrastructure Victoria brochure" class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" rel="gallery-all"><img src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/ivbroc2.jpg?itok=BWAlltAB" width="580" height="547" alt="" title="A comparison of similar bodies from the Victorian Government's Infrastructure Victoria brochure" class="image-article-full-width-580px"></a>
<figcaption>A comparison of similar bodies from the <a href="http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au/images/documents/Infrastructure_Victoria/Infrastructure_Victoria_brochure_June_2015.pdf">Victorian Government's Infrastructure Victoria brochure</a></figcaption></figure>
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And on the third day... Infrastructure Victoria was born

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Melbourne's tram network is the largest in the world measured by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tram#Largest_tram_systems">track length</a>.

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%;">
<thead><tr>
<th scope="col">City</th>
			<th scope="col">Network Size (track length)</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Melbourne">Melbourne</a></td>
			<td>250km</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kharkiv_tram">Kharkiv</a></td>
			<td>232km</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Saint_Petersburg">St. Petersburg</a></td>
			<td>220km</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Berlin">Berlin</a></td>
			<td>190km</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Moscow">Moscow</a></td>
			<td>181km</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Vienna">Vienna</a></td>
			<td>172km</td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Despite Melbourne's tram network being larger, Berlin's Straßenbahn network had roughly the same amount of passengers trips as Melbourne and Vienna's network was well ahead of both Melbourne &amp; Berlin in the 2013-2014 period.

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%;">
<thead><tr>
<th scope="col">Melbourne</th>
			<th scope="col">Berlin</th>
			<th scope="col">Vienna</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>173,400,000 passenger trips</td>
			<td>174,700,000 passenger trips</td>
			<td>293,600,000 passenger trips</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Melbourne">Source</a></td>
			<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Berlin#cite_note-ZP2014-5">Source</a></td>
			<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Vienna">Source</a></td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Six of Melbourne's 23 routes have more than 10,000,000 passenger trips per annum:

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%;">
<thead><tr>
<th scope="col">Route</th>
			<th scope="col">Annual Passenger Trips</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>#109 - Box Hill to Port Melbourne</td>
			<td>15,600,000</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>#86 - Bundoora RMIT to Waterfront City Docklands</td>
			<td>15,500,000</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>#96 - St Kilda Beach to East Brunswick</td>
			<td>15,400,000</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>#112 - West Preston to St Kilda*</td>
			<td>12,300,000</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>#19 - North Coburg to City</td>
			<td>11,400,000</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>#59 - Airport West to City</td>
			<td>10,200,000</td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
* I assume the data available on Yarra Tram's <a href="http://www.yarratrams.com.au/about-us/who-we-are/facts-figures/">website</a> reflects statistics before the recent route split.

<h2>Did you also know…</h2>

…finding passenger trip statistics for an 'average weekday' on trams, trains and buses in Melbourne is a convoluted and inaccurate process?

Today's strike has taken place during the middle of the day, between the peaks and it is therefore safe to say that we have avoided a proper #trampocalypse - as many on social media are calling and hashtagging it.

However, without access to readily available data on daily passenger trips on trams for more accurate predictions to be made about the effect the strike has had, reports will be vague on the subject.

Prime example: Yarra Tram's paints woefully inadequate picture of patronage numbers on its <a href="http://www.yarratrams.com.au/about-us/who-we-are/facts-figures/">website</a>. "There are approximately 3.5 million passenger trips taken on the Yarra Trams network every week - including more than 500,000 on weekends".

And even then things don't add up.

If we manually total the numbers in the per-route breakdown (the top six are in the table above) we're left with 179,000,000 passenger trips. And yet their statement, located just above the per-route breakdown, on "3.5 million passenger trips per week" would total 182,000,000 if we attempted to arrive at an annual figure (multiply 3.5 million by 52).

PTV's annual report from 2013-2014 states there were 176.9 million passenger trips taken on trams - there's quite a variety of numbers floating about, but no central "single source of truth" that is regularly updated to get a better picture on the state of patronage.

<h2>Editor's pick of today's social media posts</h2>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
Looking north and south from Fed Square <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tramstrike?src=hash">#Tramstrike</a> (ping <a href="https://twitter.com/774melbourne">@774melbourne</a>) <a href="http://t.co/mhLibTtMJW">pic.twitter.com/mhLibTtMJW</a>
— Courtney Carthy (@ccarthy) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/ccarthy/status/636716463475154945">August 27, 2015</a>
</blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
What's wrong with this picture? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tramstrike?src=hash">#tramstrike</a> <a href="http://t.co/zMyjNImvwY">http://t.co/zMyjNImvwY</a> <a href="http://t.co/1s7GAFK5Wo">pic.twitter.com/1s7GAFK5Wo</a>
— The Age (@theage) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/theage/status/636693598520524803">August 27, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/top10?src=hash">#top10</a> ways to get to work during <a href="https://twitter.com/fakeyarratrams">@fakeyarratrams</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TramStrike?src=hash">#TramStrike</a> no 1. Horse and Cart <a href="http://t.co/qTepFZDFzg">pic.twitter.com/qTepFZDFzg</a>
— Hipstergeddon (@hipstergeddon) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/hipstergeddon/status/636658396465205248">August 26, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hipstergeddon">@hipstergeddon</a> No.4. Street Slide. <a href="http://t.co/EJhWnz2vUu">pic.twitter.com/EJhWnz2vUu</a>
— Fake Yarra Trams (@fakeyarratrams) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/fakeyarratrams/status/636663506025099266">August 26, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Lead image credit: Wikipedia.
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Melbourne's tram network: did you know?

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This morning marks a new beginning for Tullamarine with the phased opening of the new Terminal 4 starting today.

According to a <a href="http://www.t4you.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/FINAL-Mel-Air-Fact-Sh-T4-low-res.pdf">fact sheet</a> posted on T4's dedicated website - www.t4you.com.au - the terminal is "the first terminal in the Asia Pacific region to open as a complete self-service operation", referring to the self-service check-in kiosks and automated bag-drop facilities.

There has also been a departure from the norm in terms of accessing the terminals as well: check-in / bag-drop and arrivals baggage claim are all on the ground floor rather than being split between ground and upper floors as is common in the three other terminals at Tullamarine and other airports around Australia. As shown in the video below, after check-in passengers are required to head to the upper floor for the security check and departure lounges.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ubM-uU44lhc" width="100%"></iframe>

According to a Melbourne Airport spokesperson, the existing Tiger terminal check in and baggage claim (the infamous tin shed) areas are now being refurbished and Tiger Airways will be moved back into its original home after the refurbishment has been completed. This new work on the existing Tiger terminals will see the original facilities seamlessly connected to the new T4 building.

Jetstar and Rex will be operating from T4 in the "coming months" according to the fact sheet.

The terminal has a capacity for 10,000,000 passengers per year (or roughly one third of the passengers that currently fly in and out of Tullamarine annually at present) and over 30 retail and dining outlets will be located in the terminal when it's fully occupied. The new car parking facility that was under construction at the same time as T4 will open in coming months as well.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/150817-terminal-4_mprebeg_low-res_10-1500x1000.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The check-in area of T4, image from www.t4you.com.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/150817-terminal-4_mprebeg_low-res_10-1500x1000.jpg?itok=IAVhpqfW" title="The check-in area of T4, image from www.t4you.com.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The check-in area of T4, image from www.t4you.com.au</figcaption></figure>It's not hard to see why Tullamarine Airport has felt like a perpetual construction site for the past decade - with T2 (International) expansion and now the brand new T4 low-cost terminal - one need only look at the data available for passengers movements at the airport.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/mel_air_1985_2014.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport passenger movements 1985-2014"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="299" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/mel_air_1985_2014.jpg?itok=tWD1AhDe" title="Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport passenger movements 1985-2014" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport passenger movements 1985-2014</figcaption></figure>In 1985 when the data series available on <a href="https://bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/airport_traffic_data.aspx">BITRE's website</a> begins, there were 5.1 million domestic passengers, 1.2 million international passengers rounding up to a total of 6.3 million passengers. Interestingly international passengers at Tullamarine in 1985 represented 23% of all passengers passing through the airport.

Fast forward to 2014 and there were 23.3 million domestic passengers and 8 million international passengers totalling 31.4 million. In 2014 international passengers represented 34% of all passengers flying in and out of Tullamarine.

It took Tullamarine 12 years to move from 10 million passengers to the 20 million mark and it took nine years for Tullamarine to go from 20 million passengers to 30 million.
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The new T4 at Tullamarine opens

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By <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/nicole-badstuber-173721">Nicole Badstuber</a>.

Complaining about public transport might seem as English as moaning about the weather. And it isn’t very British to shout about success. So what follows might seem odd, but here goes: Transport for London leads the way as an effective transport authority. There, said it. And it does so by building popular and political consensus around the importance and urgency of transport investment. Step by step, the city reliant on Victorian suburban railways and a Georgian underground railway increases its fitness to cater to the demands of a <a href="http://londondatastore-upload.s3.amazonaws.com/dataset/2014-round-population-projections/update-03-2015-2014rnd-trend-proj-results.pdf">growing 21st-century city</a>.

Transport for London has succeeded by creating an integrated transport authority from the fragmented patchwork of services it has inherited piece by piece since 2000. Today, <a href="https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/aac-20150616-part-1-item05-annual-report.pdf">30m journeys</a> are completed on TfL’s network every day. A testament to the TfL model is that both Sydney and <a href="http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2009/0032/latest/DLM2044909">Auckland</a> adopted many aspects of it. Here are six lessons from its success that other cities can follow.

<h2>1. An integrated network</h2>

Under the iconic TfL brand, different public transport modes were integrated to provide end-to-end services. Unlike other transport authorities, TfL also manages the main roads and streets in London, as part of which it is in charge of cycling, taxi and mini cab regulation, traffic signalling and congestion charging.

A testament to the successful integration of the different types of transport on offer is the significant growth in public transport usage, in particular bus services. Since 2003, the percentage of car users has dropped by <a href="https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/travel-in-london-report-7.pdf">ten points</a>. And the success of cycling policies and campaigners' efforts is reflected in the rapid increase in cycling uptake.

<figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/84896/area14mp/image-20150612-1456-sxr4gz.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/84896/width668/image-20150612-1456-sxr4gz.jpg"></a>

<figcaption>Cycling’s on the up. <a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/londonmatt/16673560307/in/photolist-rpomzH-agi5sG-iFYfSM-omTwqx-9tKnhQ-dsn4kg-ndmAUA-bBFyjq-bdy3UM-egi9L9-ktDCb4-vZ2dU-vZtDq-8ANugY-e7LyaF-o7WqjH-ekQoB6-8AKpU6-nVEjBo-bh4oqV-8YfhpF-ee79Cg-ktDVa3-fipVEP-bWdJwN-9aHjdr-nY7TJR-9fmbJ3-7ENrhV-iYqVQQ-nEcyQr-8nmNox-8rLcQp-ijkPem-e9J5x6-dYBGCu-8RFQMC-dyZw1k-dhdNrN-nBQ1tm-fgLCDq-ee77sg-bovwFU-dbezkg-i9377Y-csud9o-dvCiXH-oF8mMd-ofohHa-g4ivP2">Matt Brown</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></figcaption></figure><h2>2. Easy to use</h2>

The transport system has become easy to use with the introduction of smart ticketing in the shape of the Oyster card in 2007 and cashless payment cards in 2014, allowing people to use their debit and credit cards.

By making data on their services openly available to app developers, many transport apps for London have been created which make the use of the network easy and accessible. <a href="http://www.tfl.gov.uk/maps/track/tube">Clear network maps at stations</a> and <a href="https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/ll-yellow-book.pdf">street maps across the city</a> make getting around easier and more hassle-free.

Since TfL was created in 2000, investment in the system has created a more reliable and safe system. For example, on London Underground reliability has improved significantly, with the excess journey time due to delays reduced by <a href="https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/travel-in-london-report-7.pdf">40% since 2000</a>. Clean and staffed stations create a safer and more welcoming environment for passengers to use.

<h2>3. Strong leadership</h2>

Key to TfL’s success is having a vocal and charismatic mayor to champion the transport agenda and secure political and financial support for it. The Mayor of London chairs the TfL board and currently spends <a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/City%20Hall%20leaflet_2015.pdf">£11bn</a> – two-thirds of his annual budget – on transport via TfL. This is three times more than on policing <a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/City%20Hall%20leaflet_2015.pdf">and 21 times more than on the fire brigade</a>. TfL’s revenues from fare and advertising cover only half its costs. To bridge the shortfall TfL relies on grants and borrowing. For these it is vital for TfL to drum up support across the political spectrum. Cross-party support ensures long-term funding security. It allows the transport authority to plan into the future and reduces the risk of projects being stopped midway through.

As a directly elected, executive mayor, London’s incumbent holds significant power. He has both the mandate and authority to realise his vision for the city’s transport. Without it, policies such as the congestion charging scheme in central London may not have been implemented. The potential downside, however, is that more contentious projects (the Emirates-sponsored cable car and the garden bridge spring to mind), both celebrated by the incumbent mayor, Boris Johnson, and supported by TfL funds can also gain traction.

<figure class="align-center"><img alt="" src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/84901/width668/image-20150612-1486-mt5x.jpg"><figcaption>The congestion charge was helped along by strong leadership. EPA/Andy Rain</figcaption></figure><h2>4. Unlocking potential</h2>

Transport is key to realising the mayor’s vision for London as a whole. With statutory responsibility for transport, land use and economic development, the three are seen as interdependent. Transport is therefore developed in a way that unlocks new development sites and facilitates the continued growth of the city’s industries.

The Olympics marked a shift in this thinking. TfL was no longer in the business of just transport service provision – instead, its role evolved to be part of wider mayoral objectives, whether to promote London as an attractive business centre, a liveable green city – or to tackle the housing crisis. By promoting its supportive role in the delivery of wider objectives, TfL becomes a key player in shaping London and strengthens its position for funding and involvement.

<figure class="align-center"><img alt="" src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/84877/width668/image-20150612-1456-q536vb.jpg"><figcaption>Charismatic, to say the least. EPA/Facundo Arrizabalaga</figcaption></figure><h2>5. Thinking strategically</h2>

Transport for London’s role is a strategic planner rather than an operator. With the exception of London Underground, which is wholly owned and run by TfL, the network is run on a concession system: TfL plans and manages the network, while private companies run the service.

For example, Transport for London will stipulate a bus services’ route, frequency and service hours. The private company will run the buses, employ the bus drivers and supervise the depot for a fee. London will carry the revenue risk, the risk that fare income will not cover the cost of the service provision. By taking on that risk TfL reduces the cost of the service provision. All buses, the Docklands Light Railway and the London Overground are provided in this way.

Even though TfL does not run the service, TfL branding is used on all concessions and worn by staff to present a integrated and recognisable network to the passenger.

<h2>6. Building on its successes</h2>

Transport for London seeks to take over more of the transport network within the Greater London boundary. Building on the success of the Olympics and London Overground, TfL is campaigning to take over more of the rail network in Greater London. A <a href="http://www.londonreconnections.com/assets/PUB_TfL_London_Rail_0311.pdf">recent report</a> indicates how much of the Greater London rail network TfL may take over:

<figure class="align-center"><img alt="" src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/84903/width668/image-20150612-1461-ub05sn.png"><figcaption>Possible TfL controlled services. <a class="source" href="http://www.londonreconnections.com/assets/PUB_TfL_London_Rail_0311.pdf">NERA consulting</a></figcaption></figure>In the immediate future TfL has set its sights on routes terminating outside the authority boundary in neighbouring counties of Kent and Surrey, southeast of London.

TfL’s London Overground provides a good model for further suburban rail takeovers. For just over £1 billion, a neglected urban railway infrastructure was combined to create an orbital network. The route boasts <a href="http://www.transportfocus.org.uk/research/publications/national-rail-passenger-survey-nrps-autumn-2014-train-operating-company-toc-best-in-class-report">high passenger satisfaction levels</a>, which reflect the investment in clean, well-staffed and safe stations that are fully integrated into the TfL transport network. Since TfL took over in 2007, passenger numbers have <a href="http://www.lorol.co.uk/go/about-us/improving-our-service">increased five fold</a> – <a href="https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/Item08-020212-Board-London-Overground-Impact-Study.pdf">from 2.5 million</a> to <a href="http://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/public-transport-journeys-type-transport">13.5 million</a>.

There’s clearly a lot to learn from TfL’s success.<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/42901/count.gif" width="1">

<a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/nicole-badstuber-173721">Nicole Badstuber</a> is PhD Researcher and Research Assistant in Transport Policy and Governance at University College London at <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/ucl">UCL</a>. This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="http://theconversation.com/six-things-other-cities-can-learn-from-transport-for-londons-success-42901">original article</a>.
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