MEDIA RELEASE: ‘South and West Gippsland Transport Group – 'Return the Rail' Results of Survey of Candidates for South Gippsland Council Elections’ We would like to thank the 20 Candidates of the 32 standing for the upcoming South Gippsland Council elections who took the time to respond to our Group's survey, and for the overwhelmingly positive response we received from those Candidates. The questions asked of Candidates were: Question 1) Will you support as a priority Council project the return of the rail to Leongatha? Question 2) Will you support the funding of an integrated transport plan for SW Gippsland at a cost of $30,000 - $40,000 in conjunction with the four other local councils? Our next major goal is to secure the newly elected Council's formal support for the integrated transport plan funding, in conjunction with the region's other local Councils. This is a precursor to lobbying for a major transport infrastructure and investment plan and commitment for this region from the State Government. To clarify the background of our Group and dispel any misunderstandings as to who we are - South and West Gippsland Transport Group was founded as a community action group in 2011. We have regular meetings publicised on our Facebook page and which are open to all. Between our two Facebook pages we have over 2500 followers. We are fully transparent in our operations. Our circulation list and meeting attendees have included and continue to include a number of people who are currently standing as Candidates in this election. The Group has no political affiliation, and does not represent the interests of any single candidate. Our sole interest is in achieving a positive transport outcome for the residents and the businesses in our Shire and region. We have been lobbying Local, State and Federal Government and Candidates of all political persuasions in all elections from the outset. Earlier this year we started an online petition for return of rail to Leongatha which was signed by 2,403 supporters. This petition was delivered to South Gippsland Shire Council and the Legislative Assembly of Victoria. We also submitted proposals for improved transport in South Gippsland - including returning rail to Leongatha - to all Candidates for McMillan at the Federal Election. Our latest initiative is this survey of Candidates for our upcoming Council elections. This was undertaken so we could offer the residents and ratepayers of South Gippsland a chance to see for themselves where the Candidates stand on this critical regional development issue. After all, if you are running for election as a representative of your community, the community is entitled to ask questions about what you stand for - on any issue that is of concern to the community - and to know what you stand for before they choose whether or not to cast their vote for you. There were 32 Candidates listed on the Victorian Electoral Commission website as at the close of nominations. These Candidates were sent the Survey (full survey details are on our ‘South and West Gippsland Transport Group’ Facebook Page). We received 20 formal replies from the 32 Candidates surveyed – the YES average was 80%, the NO average was 10% and 10% of responses were neither a clear YES or NO. For responses where the Candidates answered YES/NO without detailed additional commentary, we have shown these as simple YES/NO beside their names in the list below. Where a Candidate provided a response without a clear YES/NO answer or made substantive additional comments these have been noted in the list (with an asterisk*) and the full responses have been forwarded to the newspapers with this Media Release and are also posted on our Facebook page. Some Candidates also made comments that they either didn’t want published or that they did not want to be counted as part of the survey. Without an integrated transport plan - essentially a feasibility study - first being undertaken, the State Government is not likely to seriously entertain an investment in regional transport infrastructure in South Gippsland. We are the forgotten region and if we don't stand up for ourselves and bring this issue to the forefront in Spring Street, no one else will. South Gippsland was not even on the State Government's radar in the recently published Regional Network Plan (May 2016). Where rail and integrated transport has returned and/or been further optimised in other regional areas (Ararat, Bairnsdale, Maryborough, Kyneton, Daylesford and Ballan), more people choose to move there, property prices rise and more rates are collected. More services and businesses are attracted to the area or are convinced to remain and are made viable. But here in South Gippsland we are stagnating, shops are closing, services are leaving, and we are turning into an economic backwater, all the while being asked to pay more for less. According to the current VLine timetable, it takes a VLine train one hour and five minutes to travel from Castlemaine to Southern Cross - 129 kms away. In comparison, for South Gippsland commuters the trip would first involve getting to a train station. The bus between Korumburra and Cranbourne (for example) involves one hour and 25 minutes travel time; then a Metro train one hour and four minutes to travel just 50 kms from Cranbourne to Southern Cross. A TOTAL TRAVEL TIME OF 2.5 HOURS MINIMUM depending on perfectly timed connections, no delays or other issues, from Korumburra to Southern Cross – a 120 km trip. The alternative option of driving to Warragul to catch a VLine train into the city is still a scheduled 2.5 hours trip each way. The travel times for the other option, being the VLine Yarram bus, is entirely dependent on the infrequent service timetable and the state of the Monash Freeway on the day, and is an unreliable option for people who have to be somewhere on time - for work commitments, job interviews, school, college and university classes, medical and other critical appointments, flight departures – the list goes on. If you don't think this is good enough; if you don't think the current state of our interconnected public transport options around our region are good enough; if you don't think the state of our roads are good enough; if you think our community and our local businesses deserve better, and deserve the opportunity to thrive; and if you think our local Council should be a strong and tireless advocate for the return of rail and the integrated transport plan - then please consider how you vote at the upcoming elections. South and West Gippsland Transport Group 7 October 2016 “The South & West Gippsland Transport Group aims to improve public transport. It is advocating the return of rail services to Leongatha, to establish a rail loop between Cranbourne and Pakenham and to improve bus services between towns and Melbourne”. Sources: https://www.facebook.com/swgt.org.au/photos/pcb.1175307699210141/1175307542543490/?type=3 https://www.facebook.com/SWGT.GROUP/photos/pcb.1171585429546526/1171585322879870/?type=3