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| Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc. |
| P O Box K606 |
| Haymarket NSW 1240 |
| 28 February 2025 |
Action for Public Transport (NSW) Inc. is a transport advocacy group which has been active in Sydney since 1974. We promote the interests of beneficiaries of public transport - passengers and the wider community alike.
Discussion
Boundaries of the region:
This document is nominally about transport. However, it focuses on a region with boundaries that seem contrived insofar as they exclude Wollongong, Nowra, Canberra and Sydney. Obviously, many trips cross the boundaries. Figure 7 top right (page 23) shows that most trips leaving the area were to Canberra, supporting the point.
Transport Vision: That is the heading of section 3.1 (page 25). However, it does not convey much about future actions. Note the Main South rail line is referred to as a corridor without mentioning the former Queanbeyan-Cooma-Bombala railway which could be revived. We recognise that in a largely rural population like this, the car and truck play a dominant role and this is unlikely to change without a huge change in land-use patterns (Plan states this p.53). However reducing car dependence / expanding public transport is a stated aim (eg p.36).
Freight: Note that rail freight volume is forecast (p.43) to exceed road by 2041. Do these figures apply to highways and main lines as well as trips starting / finishing in the region?
Projects: Amongst many road projects (p.54) there is only Moss Vale station as a rail one. This region includes some inefficient sections of the Sydney-Melbourne main line. There would be huge economic benefit from rebuilding, straightening and shortening those sections of the line.
Bulk freight: P.63 states "Increasing the use of rail for bulk transport can reduce road congestion and emissions" but there are no practical suggestions for achieving that. There is a focus on limits to truck size / length and easing those limits is seen as an improvement to freight transport, without considering impacts on other road users.
Initiatives: The 51 initiatives on pp.87-95 do not include either improvements to the main South railway line (see above) or the implications of a Sydney-Canberra high speed railway (there is a case that this should be routed via Wollongong, not the Southern Highlands). A more adventurous strategy might also examine costs and benefits of reopening the Queanbeyan-Cooma railway. Could it be connected to the port of Eden?