Daniel Andrews knew about Sky Rail before last September

Shadow Minister for Planning, David Davis

The timing of the commissioning of Ian Woodcock’s Sky Rail report which cost taxpayers $125,900 shows that Daniel Andrews had decided on Sky Rail before September 2015 making a further mockery of his claim that his government has been consulting the local community.

Ian Woodcock’s views on Sky Rails have been well-known for a long time and it is clear he was commissioned last September because the government knew it was going to adopt Sky Rail and wanted some so-called independent support.

But not only is this report compromised it is also flawed.

The report, which Daniel Andrews paid for, uses the example of Glenferrie, on the Belgrave and Lilydale lines to compare with Labor’s proposed up to 12 metre high elevated rail for the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines between Caulfield and Dandenong.  This is a flawed comparison.

Glenferrie has no regular diesel-hauled freight or V/Line trains – locomotive hauled or railcars. These are both far noisier than suburban electric trains, especially as they power up gradients.

In comparison, the Dandenong line will have, once V/Line’s current cancelled trains return, at least 38 V/Line trains a day passing through – a mix of types varying from locomotive hauled to railcars – and a return freight train on most days, plus the potential to become a major freight mover taking B Doubles off the Monash Freeway should port container shuttle trains commence to Lyndhurst or Dandenong South.

The line through Glenferrie is on a soil embankment rather than on pylons as the proposed Dandenong elevated railway will be.
Media contact: James Duncan   0457 758 018     james.duncan@opposition.vic.gov.au