4th September 2012
The impressive draft NSW Long Term Transport Master Plan is an excellent beginning to a rethinking of the structure of Sydney but it is the location of jobs and urban density that will determine its success, says the Urban Taskforce Australia.
The most obvious message that comes from the many maps in the transport master plan is that we must change Sydney from a mono focussed centre to a network of connected cities, says Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson. The rail network map (page 97) and the constrained strategic corridors map (page 84) demonstrate the transport focus on Sydneys CBD.
Most travel is commuters heading to jobs and it is the location of these jobs that has the biggest impact on the transport system.
It is vital that the Metropolitan Strategy for Sydney addresses the issue of jobs particularly the enormous deficit in Western Sydney if we are going to get a sustainable transport system.
Public transport is most effective where there is urban density and this must be used to support transport systems. The master plan is an excellent overview document to set down the strategies for transport in Sydney and the State.
It is most appropriate for a new government to set down a 20 year plan and work towards its implementation reliant on government budget allocation with private sector funding.
The relationship between major infrastructure projects and the potential to accommodate growth needs to be explored. The Parramatta Road corridor is a good example where investment in the M4 East can help the transport system and open up vast areas of land for redevelopment. The Urban Taskforce believes up to 100,000 new jobs and 100,000 new apartments can be accommodated along this corridor.
It is impressive that the transport plan has specific chapters on ˜Getting Sydney Moving Again and ˜Sustaining Growth in Greater Sydney and this demonstrates the important link between urban planning and transport systems.
One map in the master plan demonstrates the impact of transport systems in a positive manner. This is the map of heavy vehicle movements (page 260) that illustrates the dramatic shift away from the CBD that has occurred with the M7 ring road around the city.
The Urban Taskforce looks forward to the next two plans impacting on Sydneys future. The Metropolitan Strategy and the Infrastructure plan must work with the Transport Master Plan to set the agenda for a sustainable city of the future.
To see the full 370 page report click here: http://haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/transportmasterplan
