Sky Rail spruiker Ian Woodcock at it again

Shadow Minister for Planning, David Davis

Daniel Andrews hand-picked Sky Rail spruiker Ian Woodcock is at it again, out with further dubious reports saying massive and widespread long distance elevated rail – Sky Rail – is good for Melbourne.  Of course, no-one believes this nonsense.  These ugly, visually intrusive and inevitably noisy Sky Rails will destroy communities and ruin Melbourne’s famed liveability.
Mr Woodcock, through his university, has been paid by Daniel Andrews to spruik Sky Rail.  Daniel Andrews appears to have forked out $125,950 of taxpayers’ money for a report to support his friendless position.
Ian Woodcock is named on a contract from the Level Crossing Removal Authority for the “Engagement of Melbourne University for the provision of design research and community engagement”. The contract period is from 17 September 2015 to 29 February 2016.
Mr Woodcock has spruiked Skyrail high and low for Daniel Andrews and his Level Crossing Removal Authority.  First, in the report released today (The benefits of elevated rail).  Secondly, through the government-funded spruiking paper and thirdly in his first document (Intensifying Melbourne released in 2014).  Intensifying Melbourne contained chilling paragraphs where the whole Skyrail plan was laid out prior to Daniel Andrews’ election:
“… it is clear that many stretches of railway line will need to be elevated or trenched in order to achieve the ground level connectivity necessary for the intensive networks of a resilient city. It is also becoming clear that the difference in cost and disruption to existing rail services is far less for elevated rail than with trenched or buried railways. While elevated rail delivers less development capacity than a tunnel it can be designed and integrated in a highly effective manner at about a third of the cost. Until recently elevated rail options have been relatively unthinkable for Melbourne and it is a key challenge to re-think such attitudes.”
The cat is now truly out of the bag.  The Frankston line is the next target for Daniel Andrews and his ugly Skyrail.  Forget all the bogus consultation, he always planned to do this, but like on the Dandenong line, he hid it from voters before the state election.

Quotes attributable to the Shadow Minister for Planning, David Davis MP:

Nobody voted for Sky Rail on the Cranbourne line and nobody voted for or wants Sky Rail on the Frankston line.  Nobody voted for it because Daniel Andrews hid his dirty elevated rail from the voters.

Media contact:  David Davis 0419 000 212  david.davis@parliament.vic.gov.au