There has been great disappointment at the announcement that an airport rail tunnel will not be built.
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The future proofing of under-an-hour service at all times between Ballarat and Melbourne has been set back many decades.
As a staunch supporter of this concept, it was always just that...a concept. This needed private funding, but clearly the government has not seen this as a solution. This is a pity. The public/private funding proposal for the project was sound.
What we are left with is what we had before the private funding concept was proposed.
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That means begging, pleading and praying for some funding to come Ballarat's way from the federal Infrastructure monies and the state coffers.
We are grateful for what we have achieved in recent years but we are not yet satisfied!
However, from my assessment it is high time the Liberal federal government started to fund regional rail to Ballarat.
To do that Ballarat needs to become a marginal seat. The advantages that Geelong rail have had with Corangamite being a marginal seat have been enormous.
Thus the issue is not that the federal government will not give us money the issue is what is in it for them politically. Currently nothing.
This is not to have a go at our sitting federal member. It is just a fact. That is politics!
The power is in the hands of the citizens of Ballarat and surrounds.
Do you want a fast train to Melbourne? Become a marginal seat!
At the state level, Ballarat's biggest and now only rail priority now must be to get Melton onto the Metro system and thus separate our regional line. To be clear once this is done all Ballarat rail services will not stop at Melton, Cobblebank, Rockbank, Caroline Springs, Deer Park and Ardeer.
IN OTHER NEWS:
That is six stations. If each station saves two minutes then the overall journey is cut by 12 minutes one way for all services. This is a time saving of nearly half-an-hour per day for those daily commuters.
This is a big deal and all of Ballarat agencies must wholeheartedly support for all the economic and social benefits that will ensue.
By the way all this has been planned for some years now and will happen in the next five years. Our role is to keep everyone honest and ensure that it does actually become a reality.
And for those who want to fly, the airport will be less than hour on the train. No more cars, parking, pulling suitcases for kilometers (!) and arriving hot and bothered.
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