1. Thesis topic: An argument
against the extension of a heavy
rail link from Victoria Park to
Doncaster
Position Paper One
Ramsay Wright
258 864
The Economies of Cities and Regions

2. Position Paper One
Ramsay Wright
258 864
The Economies of Cities and Regions History
• 1890s – John Keys, Local MP for Doncaster, stated to
then Premier Duncan Gillies, a desire of local residents
for a train service to Doncaster.
• Provision was made for the line until 1930, mooted from
the railhead at Kew to a point opposite Doncaster Shire
Hall with several stations that roughly follow the route
of the 24 tram today.
• But when Depression hit, the idea was abandoned.
• No interest until post-war period
• Land was provided along Eastern Freeway, Victoria End
cutting made
• Quoted construction price skyrocketed – bipartisan
support and then reneging of such support.
• Freeway median filled in, properties along alignment
sold.
• Greens included a link in its People Plan
• Neither party has a plan to provide a heavy rail link to
Doncaster
• Current transport options heavily car dependent, only
public option is a bus service with dedicated freeway
lanes.

3. Proposed Doncaster Position Paper One
Ramsay Wright
Transport Routes 258 864
In Maroon is the earliest proposed line, branching The Economies of Cities and Regions
off from the now-defunct Kew Branch Line (the
terminus of this line now the VicRoads Head
Office), following a route to a terminus point
opposite then Doncaster Shire Hall in Council
Street, Doncaster.
In Lighter Green is the more commonly agreed
upon route, taken upon by the Victorian Branch
of the Australian Greens, starting at Victoria Park
Station, following the Eastern Freeway until
Thompsons Road and connecting to Westfield
ShoppingTown Doncaster.
In Darker Green was the proposed extension of
the 24 Tram Route from its Doncaster Road
Terminus to Westfield Doncaster
In Dark Blue is the current train network within
the confines of the image.
In Purple was the proposed line but only to
Bulleen, a state Liberal Party proposal in
December 1973
In Cyan was the part of a proposal by E.W. Russell
to provide not only the service in lighter green
but an extended service to Blackburn Road, East
Doncaster.
In Darkest Green was an early mooted lined from
Doncaster Shire Hall to Warrandyte via
Templestowe.

4. 1.
Arguments in support of thesis
Institutional and managerial culture needs to be addressed
prior to any extension (those running the transport
network regard behavioural management as more
important than service provision – Travel Smart) – the
myth of capacity constraints (Melbourne pre and post-
Loop). The blame is placed on commuters.
2. The proposed route from Victoria Park to Doncaster along
the Eastern Freeway has two benefactors – the suburb of
Doncaster and Marcellin College (Melbourne does not
have the bus feeder service nor do any parties have the
inclination to provide such a service, and the current bus
network, though extensive, is grossly inadequate. No
forward thinking as in Perth.)
‘TravelSmart Victoria uses travel
planning to reduce people's
dependency on cars and
encourage them to choose ‘Melbourne has a pretty good
sustainable transport alternatives public transport system.
such as cycling, walking and public People who use it, like it. The
transport. Smarter travel choices biggest complaints come from
can be made by changing one or those who sit in university
two trips per week, or by reducing cafes or who drive cars’ – Peter
the number of car journeys’ - DoT Batchelor, Stateline Interview,
website, accessed 18/10/2010 broadcast 19/5/2006
The map above indicates the most accepted Doncaster route and
Position Paper One likely 400 metre walking catchments (in maroon).
Ramsay Wright Bus services (connecting or not) are negligible.
258 864 Blue indicates Marcellin College, one of the few prospective
users.
The Economies of Cities and Regions

5. Arguments in support of
thesis continued
1. Most of Doncaster’s travel is not to the
city (only 17%), perhaps better to
provide a cross suburban link.
2. Many lines and spurs were removed
from the network, and many promised
lines were abandoned, despite strong
and sustained population growth
(McMansions quote).
3. Goverment policy favours urban
consolidation and better utilisation of
existing infrastructure than sustained
and considered transport investment
(Transforming Cities, Melbourne 2030,
Melbourne @ 5 million).
4. Public resignation with failures of
system – public also builds lives around
such failures.
The map above represents the current Melbourne train network, with additions
being promised and decommissioned lines (in yellow/blue) and
former/proposed stations (black).
‘The truth is not that they (McMansions) are unsustainable, but more that we suddenly
stopped trying to make them work. The provision of infrastructure stopped at basic utilities
and a road….So out here in the west we have no useful public transport, no strip shopping,
masses of traffic sewers isolating each ‘community’ and the unavoidable obligation to have
a car per adult to travel….’ – The Age
Position Paper One
Ramsay Wright
258 864
The Economies of Cities and Regions

6. Position Paper One
Ramsay Wright
258 864
Arguments in support of The Economies of Cities and Regions
thesis continued….
Here are some additional quotes from
‘Transforming Australian Cities’
demonstrating a governing class mindset not
inured towards provision of essential services
towards those they represent, but towards
rationalisations of failure and a lack of vision
and courage.
It is stated that most of Australia’s urban
infrastructure is dated but only suggests
rationalisation and better utilisation of
existing infrastructure.
Words such as rationalisation, better
utilisation, existing infrastructure, additional
fringe development costs, increased health
and transport costs, unending sprawl, more
compact settlement patterns, all serve to
highlight an unfounded bias in those
managing our urban centres.

7. Position Paper One
Ramsay Wright
Counter arguments 258 864
The Economies of Cities and Regions
• Public transport is fine – people just need to change their behaviour (particularly towards higher density living), in order
to gain an effective transport service – Tokyo as an exemplar of this.
• Rail travel can only work when travelling city bound
• ‘Gus Braidotti is rightly impressed with The deal implicit in urban consolidation
the quality, cost and frequency of public Let's be frank about
transit in Tokyo. But Tokyo has about is that people forgo private space,
nine times more residents per square public transport - the backyards and cars for a more compact
kilometre than Melbourne. This is one
of several fundamental reasons why outer suburbs of lifestyle.... [instead] Melburnians are
Tokyo has such a high quality transit
system and why Melbourne, with its Melbourne are poorly opting for ever bigger, more energy-
highly dispersed and fragmented consuming homes. They need to spare a
population, struggles to sustain the served, and, with low
system we have. Until there is a wider thought for the environment in which
community appreciation here of these population densities, are their children will be brought up.... The
fundamentals of how a metropolis
functions, it seems Melburnians will unlikely to be well served compact city vision is also under
continue to build a very low density city
and as a corollary get a low quality, high at any reasonable price. pressure from knee-jerk resident groups
cost, urban transit system’. and councils in established suburbs....
---David Mayes, Australian Institute of
Urban Studies, The Age, 20 February
---Sinclair Davidson, RMIT Unreasonable opposition to higher-
2006 School of Economics, The density housing in existing streets only
Age, 11 July 2006 adds to the pressure for car-dependent
fringe estates.
---The Age (editorial), 5 January 2007

8. Counter arguments Position Paper One
Ramsay Wright
(and refutation) 258 864
The Economies of Cities and Regions
• Such an argument is a rationalisation of failure, an admission
of defeat and condemns more and more Melbournians to
irredeemable car dependency through no fault of their own.
• Former WA Transport Planner Peter Martinovich – ‘in Perth,
the car is king. If we are serious about building public
transport, we have to build it to be competitive with the car.
Otherwise, we shouldn’t bother at all’
• Housing choice and location should not determine transport
provision. The only indicator of a quality transport service is
just that – quality.
• Does not matter where one lives - examples of Tokyo (higher
– Shinjuku Station has 3.5 million commuters per day,
Flinders Street has 90,000), Los Angeles, Toronto (lower),
Sydney (fewer inbound lines), Perth (lower) (regardless of
population density), Melbourne’s inner and outer suburbs
have similar density levels yet differing transport use.
• City bound commuting was only ever meant to convey a
middle class, professional working group to city offices and
back. Success of Vancouver’s cross city metro.
• It does not account for the majority of Melbourne trips, which
are cross suburban and usually car dependent (given the poor
quality of bus services in Melbourne)
• A link to Doncaster is a laudable aim for an obvious gap in the
network. But it is the authors’ belief that the above problems
need to be considered and addressed before an extension
can be made.