The Maribyrnong Truck Action Group has learnt that VicRoads truck count figures soon to be released will reveal dramatic increases in truck numbers in the inner west especially in Footscray.

The biggest increases have been recorded on Moore St Footscray, which has seen a staggering 46% increase in nighttime truck traffic and an overall increase of 24.6% taking its total count to nearly 2500 trucks per day.

Truck traffic on Buckley St has also increased, and alarmingly for residents has jumped during nighttime hours by more than 30%. Buckley St now carries nearly 3000 trucks each day.

MTAG is demanding immediate nighttime curfews on both Buckley St and Moore St to put a stop to a problem that is worsening dramatically.

“People can’t sleep because of all these trucks and that’s incredibly frustrating,” said MTAG spokesperson Peter Knight. “But that’s not the worst of it, we know that diesel pollution is incredibly dangerous especially for children, and we know that these streets have some of the highest levels of diesel pollution recorded by the EPA.”

MTAG insists that something needs to be done immediately to bring these trucks under control and in addition to curfew restrictions has suggested the immediate implementation of freight efficiency measures to ensure that trucks don’t travel one way empty.

“Nearly half of truck trips in our streets are made by empty trucks. This could be changed very quickly and take lots of trucks off the streets, all it needs is political will. These kinds of measures are used widely in many large cities; it’s pretty standard. We’re way behind on this, we need to catch up.” said Peter Knight.

Currently the government is proposing the Westlink Tunnel as a solution to truck problems in Footscray, “We have real reservations about the tunnel but even if it does represent a solution it is at least ten years off. What do people do until then?”

MTAG is calling for Nicola Roxon to step in and play a prominent role in solving this problem.

“Ms Roxon is the Health Minister and this is her electorate. Trucks represent the most serious health risk to her constituents and yet she is missing in action on this issue. It would be great to hear from her in this election campaign on this issue.”
UPDATE:
The Leader runs this article.

The Mail also runs an article.

TRUCK ACTION PLAN

The Maribyrnong Truck Action Group welcomes the announcement of the route for the Truck Action Plan but is asking that the Brumby Government funds the project rather than relying on the Federal Government.

The project will take up to 10,000 trucks a day off Somerville Rd and Francis St via ramps from the Westgate Freeway then an upgraded route to the port.

“This project is urgently needed in the inner west. The government’s preferred route is one that is be supported by the community at large and is the option which will have the least impact on Stony Creek. Importantly, this infrastructure will bring relief to many thousands of residents as well as improve freight efficiency.”

“The only issue is funding. Infrastructure Australia did not include the project in its recommendations and it’s time that the Brumby government just gets on with it and funds it from the state budget. We’ve been waiting for action for 11 years now.”

WESTLINK TUNNEL

Of the three options presented in the Victorian Transport Plan, two are completely unviable and will simply shift traffic problems from Central Footscray to West Footscray. These are the options with the shorter tunnels.

The third option with a tunnel portal further west near Paramount Rd would solve truck traffic problems in Footscray and have minimal impact on other residents.

“This third option with a longer tunnel makes sense as a long term option if the government is committed to building a tunnel, and would not be opposed by MTAG. However, we question the economics of this measure.”

“The tunnel will cost billions. This money would be better spent putting freight onto rail, building inland freight ports, improving freight efficiencies through the use of latest technology and global industry best practice, and taking cars off the streets by upgrading public transport.”

More information and interactive maps…

Anger is again rising in the inner west after the state government failed to fund the ‘Truck Action Plan’ to take trucks off residential streets in the inner west.

The project is budgeted at $380 million in the Victorian Transport Plan and building was supposed to begin this year. Instead there is just $21 million for planning and early works on the Truck Action Plan and the WestLink tunnel including a $6.2 million Commonwealth contribution.

“It’s a bit of a letdown. Effectively there is nothing in the budget for the Westgate ramps given the government announced $11 million of this some months ago,” said MTAG spokesman Peter Knight.

The ramps were slated as a ‘priority’ in the Victorian Transport Plan and through 2009 MTAG had meetings with Marsha Thomson, Wade Noonan and Tim Pallas and were assured that this project would go ahead.

This latest development comes after 10 years of fighting by community groups to have something done about the 20,000 trucks a day that use residential streets in the inner west.

“In 2007 MTAG commissioned a company to conduct a health survey and it revealed asthma levels three times higher than those of other Melbournians, “ said Peter Knight. “These trucks do not constitute an inconvenience, they represent a health emergency.”

“Something needs to be done urgently about this problem. We’ve been saying it for years now, Sir Rod Eddington said it, Minister Pallas admitted it, and these ramps have been on VicRoads’ drawing board for more than a decade, we hope we’re not going to be waiting for too much longer.”

MTAG is still very hopeful of good news when Infrastructure Australia announces its funding round in a month or so but whatever happens has reiterated its commitment to fight to ensure that something is done about this intolerable situation.

“We’ll do whatever we need to and hope that the progress that has been made in the last 12 months will continue,” said Peter Knight.

Click here to download pdf

MTAG has long argued that Chalmers should not be included in the ‘local trucks’ exemption given their depot is only meters from Millers Rd and a convenient entry to the Westgate Freeway. MTAG’s view is in line with the Victorian Transport Association, which recommends that trucks use the Westgate Freeway and Bolte Bridge calling it ‘The Easy Way’ Freeway Benefits Program download pdf

Recently, Chalmers moved its operations west of Cemetery Rd (which intersects Francis St) taking them outside the curfew boundary. Chalmers has, however, kept using Francis St and ignored our calls to respect residential health, safety, and amenity. Instead, amazingly, Chalmers’ general manager Craig Webster called for B Triples to be allowed to use Francis St in this local news piece.

Provocatively he also states that his trucks will continue to use Francis St after the on/off ramps linking the Westgate to the port are built.

This spurred MTAG into action and, with the help of local member Wade Noonan we sought a ruling from the Minister, which unequivocally states that Chalmers’ operations are now outside the local truck zone and its trucks are not allowed to use Francis St in curfew hours. Vic Roads has acknowledged this ruling and has had meetings with Mr Webster to inform him that Chalmers trucks must now use the route to the port via the Westgate during curfew hours. Vic Roads has backed this action with policing and some fines but it is not enough and Chalmers trucks continue to break the law.

It seems that Chalmers’ main issue is the fact that currently, if it uses the Westgate route its trucks have to pay a small toll on the Bolte Bridge. MTAG has therefore sought a meeting with Chalmers to try to find ways we can lobby together to hurry the completion of the Westgate on/off ramp project, which would mean that Chalmers trucks could access the port without using Francis St and without paying tolls. Mr Webster has ignored our emails and messages.

Chalmers has also belligerently continued to ignore the curfews obviously making some kind of calculation that the savings made on tolls by using Francis St outweigh the amount it will have to pay in fines given the limited resources Vic Roads allocates to policing the curfews.

We need action from MTAG members on this. We need you to write to local member, Wade Noonan, wade.noonan@parliament.vic.gov.au and to Minister Tim Pallas requesting greater resources for policing curfews. We also call for citizens to report curfew breakers, here’s how:

Any truck exiting from Chalmers’ depot west of Cemetery Rd in Francis St and heading east is breaking the curfew between the hours of 8pm and 6am Monday to Friday and between 2pm Saturday and 6am Monday. Any truck heading west along Francis St and crossing Cemetery Rd is also a curfew breaker. If you can get details (time, direction, licence plate, description) and use the form below to upload to us. We will forward to Vic Roads and have them prosecute the breach. A photograph is also good if you have your mobile phone handy.

It is time we demanded corporate responsibility from companies like Chalmers, which has ignored community health, safety, and amenity for too long.

Members of the Maribyrnong Truck Action Group have met with Minister for Roads and Ports, Tim Pallas, and have been given an assurance that despite no commitment of federal funds in this year’s budget that truck ramps (which form part of the Victorian Transport Plan) will be built. The creation of this truck route away from the residential areas of Francis Street and Somerville Road will bring relief to thousands of residents.”

This is great news for the inner west, a lot of people have been very concerned, since the release of the federal budget, that the project might not go ahead, but Minister Pallas told us that the Brumby Government is 100% committed to the project.

This is such an important project for residents in the inner west who have been suffering the effects of 20,000 trucks a day using residential streets to get to and from the port. The corner of Francis St and Williamstown Rd in Yarraville has the highest levels of diesel pollution yet recorded by the EPA and residents suffer from significantly higher asthma rates and other health issues. These ramps will go a long way to solving this problem… the Brumby Government has recognised the urgency of the situation and is taking responsibility for fixing it. It’s great news.

Planning for the project is moving forward and VicRoads will be holding community consultation forums shortly as it canvasses options for the alignment of the ramps.

MTAG urges the community to get involved in this stage of the project by attending the forums and contributing ideas.

Construction of a new truck link to be built from the Westgate Freeway providing direct access to Hyde Street and onto the Port of Melbourne. The link would consist of two dual lane ramps for traffic travelling in both an easterly and westerly direction.

Why are the ramps needed?

Currently the only routes for trucks exiting the Westgate Freeway in Yarraville, travelling to the port of Melbourne, are through residential streets. Francis St, Somerville Rd and Williamstown Rd experience over 10,000 truck movements per day. These roads are residential with hundreds of houses, schools, childcare facilities and aged care homes along them. The ramps would also mean that Buckley Street in Footscray would no longer be needed as a truck route. *see Community Activity map Eddington Truck Action Plan Westgate Freeway on/off ramps

What benefits will the ramps bring?

The ramps would provide a dedicated route for trucks exiting the Westgate Freeway travelling to the Port of Melbourne and the Whitehall Street industrial zone. These ramps would remove thousands of trucks every day from residential communities. Importantly the ramps would provide a quicker and safer route for port related trucks away from contentious residential communities.

What impact do trucks have on residential areas?

Diesel powered trucks are responsible for a cocktail of pollutants. The EPA tested the air on Francis Street and found the levels of particle pollution to be above the Victorian Government intervention levels.1 The EPA says “there is no known safe level of exposure to diesel emissions”.2 Every day the trucks are passing right by schools, childcare centres, ages care facilities and thousands of homes. As well as the pollution threats the trucks affect the amenity of residential areas causing noise, a safety risk to pedestrians, cyclists and other road users.

Will the new ramps just move the problem elsewhere?

No, the ramps will provide a new route through existing industrial areas. No route is totally away from residential areas but the proposed route will greatly improve the amenity for thousands of residents and school children. *see Existing and Proposed Freight Routes map.

What benefits will the new ramps offer the freight industry?

The new ramps will provide a quicker and safer route for truck drivers with less car traffic and less traffic lights leading to savings in fuel and time. The new ramps will provide a route that will benefit the growing Port while appeasing community unrest that has been growing for years.

Will trucks just continue to use the existing routes?

The Eddington Truck Action Plan calls for truck bans on local streets to ensure that trucks use the new routes ensuring that freight bypasses residential areas. The benefits of the new ramps and truck route will more than compensate for the loss of access to the current routes.

1. Victorian EPA Publication #896 2. Victorian EPA Publication #849

Where can I get more information on the proposal?

Download our printable pdf of our proposal

Eddington’s East West Link Needs Assessment final report can be found online at the
Department of Transports web site:
transport.vic.gov.au/eastwest

MARIBYRNONG TRUCK ACTION GROUP

Maribyrnong Truck Action Group Response to Leaked B Triple Plan

The Maribyrnong Truck Action Group (MTAG) has called leaked plans to allow B Triple trucks to use suburban routes “scary” but expects Tim Pallas will not approve them.

“Anyone with a modicum of common sense will see immediately that B Triples using suburban routes is not safe,” said MTAG spokesperson Peter Knight.

“We expect that Tim Pallas will take a look at these plans and put a huge cross through them.”

However, the plans leaked to the Liberal Party, do clearly show that Geelong Rd, is one of several suburban roads included in the proposal.

“It doesn’t make sense in terms of urban amenity and it doesn’t make sense in terms of freight efficiency either,” said Mr Knight.

“The only thing B Triples will achieve is to attract freight away from rail and put it onto the road system. We will end up with the same number of trucks but they will be bigger trucks.”

MTAG’s assertion is backed up by recent studies including one by Queensland Rail which states: “The widespread introduction of B-triple trucks on Queensland roads would result in the loss of most of QR’s contestable freight to road and a 160% increase in truck traffic all of which would be B-triples carrying freight previously transported by rail.”

“Tim Pallas knows about these studies, and he has stated that it is the government’s aim to get more freight onto rail so it’s hard to imagine why he would let this through, it just wouldn’t make sense.”

Contact Peter Knight

Ph 0409 797 852