Comments for Maribyrnong Truck Action Group

Comment on Background by Ted bails out on inner-city residents | Independent Australia

Ted bails out on inner-city residents | Independent Australia — Fri, 04 May 2012 04:23:30 +0000

[...] years ago, concerned residents set up the Maribyrnong Truck Action Group (MTAG). Now a powerful lobby group, Wurt, its Secretary, was invited to speak at an international [...]

Comment on Locals make noise over buck-passing on trucks by Peter

Peter — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 08:21:05 +0000

Fraser can you email me on info@mtag.org.au about joining. Thanks for your interest

Comment on Locals make noise over buck-passing on trucks by Simon

Simon — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 06:58:49 +0000

Good point Rico – revenue is the only language they speak.

MTAG – you are crazy to believe building ramps through your parkland will improve amenity! The lesson the world over is that more roads = more traffic.

Think how many people would love a short cut from the Westgate through Yarraville to Footscray and Nth Melbourne… Build it and they will come. Sure it will take them off Francis St – but they will bottleneck on Whitehall.

I would be channelling efforts to direct trucks to the Bolte as was originally planned. Widening you local roads, through your houses and parks is a diabolical outcome and will only make Whitehall and Hyde Streets hideous.

Comment on Locals make noise over buck-passing on trucks by Fraser

Fraser — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:13:23 +0000

Just moved into Francis st and god help us. The noise is epic. We saw the night curfew sign and thought it would be quiet at night. How wrong we were. I find it’s because the truck company’s want to avoid tolls! I find this sickening but not surprising.
We wish to join this group.

Comment on 5 point Truck Action Plan: An alternative to Westlink Tunnel by preceptor

preceptor — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:56:23 +0000

A year ago I said that you guys were showing signs of burnout as a result of pursuing these issues over many year.
The authorities have successfully worn you down and as a result won’t do anything to change the situation.
I say again that the only thing that will change the situation is direct action by a large number of people (residents or special interest groups).
Unless this happens I’ll be writing the same message next year.
We need to inlist the active support of student groups and social justice political groups.
We need to take steps to disrupt commercial traffic flows.
I am 64 years old and don’t have enough energy to lead the charge.
However, there must be many younger people capable of taking on this role.
Martin is a good guy who has put in a lot of work but he is not a political firebrand.
And it is a political firebrand that is needed to get the people to rise up and take action to bring this matter to a head.
It serves no purpose just writing reams and reams about your concerns.
The authorities don’t care what you say or think.
They will continue to ignore us until we become a nuisance that they can’t ignore.
There needs to be a public outcry and calls of injustice.
Yarraville must stop voting like donkeys and make this issue the deciding factor in who gets to represent us at all levels.
Behaving like gentlemen doesn’t work unless you are dealing with gentlemen.
The way I see it is that there are only two choices become activists or continue complaining among yourselves.
If you don’t agree with me then tell me of a better strategy but don’t try and convince that the existing strategy has or will produce any meaningful change.
Because it won’t, it is defeatist strategy to make you feel that you have at least tried to do something.
The current approach has not produced any tangible benefits, so it is the wrong strategy today and will still be the wrong strategy in five years time.
If you don’t agree with me, don’t waste your energy trying to prove me wrong.
Channel your energy into direct action against the authorities.

Comment on Francis Street Protest 20/2 PHOTOS UP by Simon Gardle

Simon Gardle — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 04:37:28 +0000

I agree with Chris about that last comment.

Comment on Locals make noise over buck-passing on trucks by Rico

Rico — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:25:00 +0000

We are going about this arse-about.

The focus of this continued effort should not be about “getting trucks off our streets”

20 years has shown that no one in Government will ever care about nuiscance value inner-west communities who complain, campaign and occasionally rally on issues like this.

No, the strategy should be to “stop trucks avoinding tolls”. This spins the money situation on its head for any Government. Instead of wanting them to spend money, we are asking them to take action and save money.

Its the only way to get a Government to act. Cars pat tolls, why can’t trucks pay tolls too?

Comment on Diesel poison leaves inner west fuming by Mike

Mike — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:11:04 +0000

The bottom line is that to become a politician, you have to be power hungry and self-serving.
They are not there to ensure good governance, they are there because I are driven by a need for power.
Its dog eat dog.

Unfortunately, none of the dogs see any merit in barking for us.
Our cause wont give them more power and it wont lose them there power.
There is nothing in it for them.

We have two choices:

1) Turn this into a marginal seat.
This wont happen because too many people still believe in the myth that the labor party is the party of the working class.
And, the liberal party is not going to pour resources into a strong labor seat.
Independents cant change anything unless they hold the balance of power in a hung parliament.
And after the federal debacle, it is highly unlikely that it will happen in Victoria.

2) The other option is people power.
Undertaking civil disobedience on an ongoing basis.
Taking action by disrupting the traffic on an ongoing basis.
Boycotting businesses who use trucking companies that foul up our streets.
Picketing trucking company premises.
Doing newsworthy things on a weekly basis.
Take a leaf out of the Marfia’s book, put a severed horses head in Lindsay Fox’s bed.
I don’t know, I’m just trying to stir people up to think outside of the square.
We have to do something to make people sit up and take notice.
We live in a democracy so the government is there to serve the people.
As we have seen in the former USSR, East Germany and the middle east, it is up to the people to take control if the government no longer serves the best interests of the people.

Comment on Diesel poison leaves inner west fuming by Aaron

Aaron — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:16:28 +0000

One of the biggest problems I see with all this, is that everybody keeps voting Labor in yarraville!!

Labor are clearly not helping, nor Liberal for that matter either. Labor don’t need to do anything because it is a safe seat, and Liberal won’t do anything because nobody votes for them in Yarraville.

The only way out of this is to get rid of the safe Labor seat, and create a marginal seat, or at least an upset.

Maybe have a good Independent to stand to voice our views. Start the campaign trail now and build a higher profile. If everyone knows who the Local Independents are and what they are standing for, we all might be more inclined to vote for them, Currently I couldn’t tell you who any of them are or what they stand for. I only find out at election time when the flyers come out.

If the Social Alliance, Greens etc Mercanaries are bought on board, then I like a lot of other people will lose respect for MTAG as I don’t think we need riots and baseball bats in our streets, just good governance by our local MP’s.

Comment on Diesel poison leaves inner west fuming by colleen hartland

colleen hartland — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 01:10:55 +0000

Hello Mike, the Greens are were we have always been on the issue of trucks on our residental roads, standing with MTAG and the local community, asking questions in parliament, turning up at rallies and photocoping flyers etc. Now that we have a Greens Senator for Victoria, I will ask MTAG to brief Richard Di Natali on the issue.

Mike I am happy for you to ring me on 96896373 to discuss these issues.

Colleen Hartland Greens MLC Western Metropolition Region