Action for Public Transport (NSW) Inc.

Like everyone else, APTNSW was forced to hunker down in the last year due to COVID restrictions. Nonetheless, we continued to take every opportunity to bring attention to the benefits of better public transport for the residents of NSW. Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/aptnsw for updates.

Campaigning

Ferries

Our campaign to retain the Freshwater, Queenscliff, Narrabeen and Collaroy ferries continued this year. These iconic ferries capably cross Sydney Heads, and suit the Manly service well. The government agreed to retain one, then two, of these iconic ferries (Collaroy and Freshwater).

We noted last year that smaller Emerald class ferries intended to "replace" the Freshwater class of vessels had begun to arrive in Australia. Suffice it to say that quality testing of the new arrivals did not allay our concern about the wisdom of the direction being pursued by the government.

Our spokesman on ferry transport, Graeme Taylor, has made regular appearances in the media, ably arguing the case for retention of the other two Freshwaters. The Queenscliff and Narrabeen have been taken out of service, but fortunately they have not been sunk, and nor has the campaign to get them back on the water where they belong. The possibility of converting one or both to run on electric power is a live one, which we would support.

Masks on public transport

APTNSW has supported mask wearing on public transport and continues to do so. The COVID pandemic is not yet over. Annoying they may be, but masks are a simple and effective way to reduce the spread of infection and increase people's confidence in the safety of public transport.

Submissions

During the year we continued to respond to calls for submissions on a variety of transport and transport-related issues:

• Central Station area rezoning
  Substantial developments are planned for the area around Central railway station. We are concerned that pedestrian movement to and from rail services has not been adequately catered for.

  Our submissions on the proposed re-zoning of the former Railway Square post office building (now the Adina Hotel), and on the Atlassian proposal are online http://www.aptnsw.org.au/documents/cen_ssi_w_gw_block_c_rezoning.html and http://www.aptnsw.org.au/documents/atlassian_submission.html. See also http://www.aptnsw.org.au/cgi-bin/item.cgi?20191206Fri143646.txt and http://www.aptnsw.org.au/documents/central_precinct_submission.html.
  
  

• Draft Illawarra-Shoalhaven regional transport plan
  We argued that the draft plan should do more to promote public transport in the region. We also expressed our concern about the impact of heavy trucks carrying large loads that should properly be on rail. Accordingly, we advocate the commencement of work on the Maldon-Dombarton line and the Waterfall-Thirroul rail tunnel within the next couple of years. http://www.aptnsw.org.au/documents/illawarra-shoalhaven_rtp_submission.html (posted 29 January 2021).
  
  
• Conversion of CBD bus shelter advertising to digital displays
  Our submission argued that sightlines between waiting passengers and approaching buses should be kept clear. Typically, advertising panels on the upstream ends of bus shelters interfere with sightlines. So do panels on the downstream ends of nearby shelters, as well as freestanding advertisements near shelters. http://www.aptnsw.org.au/cgi-bin/item.cgi?20210223Tue205320.txt (posted 23 February 2021).
  
  
• ATAP guidelines
  The federal Australian Transport Council publishes guidelines for the assessment of transport proposals, and issued two consultation drafts on which APTNSW made comment during the year. http://www.aptnsw.org.au/documents/ATAP_O9_submission.html http://www.aptnsw.org.au/documents/ATAP_Appendix_A_T7.html
  
  
• Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway connection EIS
  Not for the first time, we argued that the proposal is at odds with the State's integrated transport and land use plans and with its stated (and welcome) intention to transition to net zero emissions by 2050. We pointed out that many public transport improvements in both urban and regional areas are canvassed in Future Transport 2056, and other strategic documents. They should have priority over a tollway to the Northern Beaches of Sydney. http://www.aptnsw.org.au/documents/beaches_link_eis_submission.html. See also http://www.aptnsw.org.au/documents/wht_eis_submission.html.
  
  
• Impact of Western Harbour tunnel and Beaches Link
  Ours was one of more than 550 submissions made to a Parliamentary Inquiry launched by the NSW Legislative Council's Public Works Committee - see submission 465 at http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/inquiry-details.aspx?pk=2767#tab-submissions.
  
  
• Tolling regimes for NSW Roads
  The NSW Legislative Council's Public Works Committee also instigated an inquiry into tolling regimes for NSW roads. Our submission is no.22 at http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/inquiry-details.aspx?pk=2792#tab-submissions.
  
  
• Eastern Suburbs Bus Changes
  APTNSW is concerned that proposed changes to the eastern suburbs bus system would in many cases: increase waiting times, walking distances and total travel times; and leave significant destinations poorly serviced and less accessible.

  The South-East Sydney Transport Strategy (August 2020) envisages continuation of the West Metro from the CBD through to Randwick and Kingsford, with a spur line to Malabar, which we applaud. Our submission argued that major changes to the bus system should be postponed until passengers have the opportunity to interchange with both light rail and metro. http://www.aptnsw.org.au/documents/east_bus_changes_submission.html (posted 30 June 2021).
  
  

• Future Transport Strategy
  A set of issues papers released in 2021 posed a series of questions, relating mainly to electrification of transport and the impact of COVID on travel patterns. It was pleasing to see increasing recognition of the contribution of transport to carbon emissions - at the State level. The Decarbonising Freight Issues Paper notes that transport accounts for one-fifth of greenhouse gas emissions in NSW, and this is rising (emphasis added). Fifty per cent of emissions from transport are from cars, and a further 30 per cent are from the rapidly growing freight sector. Our submission is at http://www.aptnsw.org.au/documents/future_transport_2021_submission.html.

BEST WISHES TO ALL OUR VALUED MEMBERS. WE'LL BE BACK IN 2022.

Julie Walton, Convenor
Jim Donovan, Secretary
Brian Reid, Treasurer

19 November 2021