Mordialloc Bypass ProjectEnvironment Effects Statement

Inquiry and Advisory Committee Hearing

TRANSPORT FOR VICTORIA

SUBMISSION

February 2019

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Role of Transport for Victoria and Relationship with MRPV and VicRoads

1. Transport for Victoria (TfV) was established in 2017 under the Transport Integration Act 2010 to co-ordinate Victoria's growing transport system and plan for its future. TfV’s role is to integrate the transport network for better and safer journeys that connect places and supports Victoria's prosperity and liveability. The creation of TfV realises the aim of the Transport Integration Act, ensuring transport agencies work together towards the common goal of an integrated and sustainable transport system.

2. The Part A submission by Major Roads Project Victoria (MRPV) distributed on 18 February 2019 explains the relationship between TfV, MRPV and VicRoads relevant to the Mordialloc Bypass Project (refer Attachment A for relevant extracts from MRPV’s Part A submission).

3. When TfV made its submission on 14 December 2018 it was part of the Victorian Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR). Machinery of Government changes took effect on 1 January 2019 which split DEDJTR into two separate departments – Department of Transport (DoT) and Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions (DJPR). TfV is now part of the DoT.

Strategic Network Benefits

4. TfV strongly supports the Project including constructing the road to a freeway standard, thereby extending the existing Mornington Peninsula Freeway to connect to the Dingley Bypass. A freeway standard road provides better movement and place outcomes for the broader transport network, compared to an arterial road option.

5. The Project is strategically important as it will deliver improved accessibility to employment areas, provide more efficient and better-connected traffic, freight and active travel networks, reduce traffic on the existing arterial road network and improve local amenity, safety and access (than the case without the Project).

6. The Mordialloc Freeway will directly connect the Mornington Peninsula Freeway to the Dingley Bypass corridor improving access to jobs, services and social opportunities and business and freight access to places of state significance (as defined in Plan Melbourne) including the Monash National Employment and Innovation Cluster, the Dandenong National Employment and Innovation Cluster, the Southern Industrial Precinct, and the Frankston Metropolitan Activity Centre, and other key places in the south east including Moorabbin Airport and the south-east growth corridor.

7. The Project will provide an overall shift of traffic and truck movements onto a higher standard road network than other existing arterial roads that would otherwise carry this movement. The Mordialloc Freeway, Mornington Peninsula Freeway and Dingley Bypass corridors generally have a higher level of efficiency and safety than other arterial roads that will experience reduced traffic and truck volumes.

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Alignment with Government Transport Plans and Strategies

8. The Project supports government transport plans and strategies, including Plan Melbourne, the Victorian Freight Plan 2018-50 and the Victorian Cycling Strategy 2018-28 as outlined below.

9. The Project responds directly to several policies under Plan Melbourne Outcome 3 - Melbourne has an integrated transport system that connects people to jobs and services and goods to market.

Direction 3.1 – Transform Melbourne’s transport system to support a productive city

Policy 3.1.3 – Improve arterial road connections across Melbourne for all road usersThe Mordialloc Freeway will provide a high performing alternative to the arterial road network for through and longer distance movements, enabling the arterial network to better cater to subregional and local movements and provide improved access to employment areas and activity centres. As part of the Project, sections of arterial road at freeway interchanges will provide for movements for all modes.

Policy 3.1.5 – Improve the efficiency of the motorway networkThe Mordialloc Freeway provides a strategic bypass of several suburbs in Melbourne’s south that minimises freight and car based traffic on the region’s arterial network. It also addresses a critical missing link in the motorway network by linking the Mornington Peninsula Freeway to the Dingley corridor.The freeway provides improved access between Melbourne’s south and major employment areas and freight gateways in Dandenong, Moorabbin, Monash NEIC and the Port of Melbourne. It plays an important role in serving dispersed major suburban residential areas in Melbourne’s south and south-east and providing access to lower-density employment areas in the region, such as industrial areas.

Policy 3.1.6 – Support cycling for commutingMordialloc Freeway is the route of a planned Strategic Cycling Corridor (SCC) that will play an important role in supporting bicycle commuting to employment areas such as Monash NEIC and Moorabbin/Braeside, as well as education precincts and activity centres. The bicycle facility built along the freeway will connect with other SCCs along its route and provide greater accessibility across the cycling network.

Direction 3.4 – Improve freight efficiency and increase capacity of gateways while protecting urban amenity

Policy 3.4.1 – Support sufficient gateway capacity with efficient landside accessCompletion of the connection to the Dingley corridor and supporting the growing industrial area of Dandenong South are identified as critical freight network improvements. The Mordialloc Freeway links the Mornington Peninsula Freeway and Melbourne’s outer south to the Dingley corridor and Dandenong South, enhancing the capacity and efficiency of the road freight network and providing improved access to Melbourne’s freight gateways and linkages between south eastern industrial areas which support logistics supply chains.

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Policy 3.4.3 – Avoid negative impacts of freight movements on urban amenityAn outcome of the Mordialloc Freeway is to link the Mornington Peninsula Freeway to the Dingley corridor to enable car and freight traffic to bypass urban areas in between. The resulting diversion of freight vehicles from the arterial and local road networks to the freeway will reduce urban amenity impacts.

The Project also provides opportunities to contribute to the following Plan Melbourne policy.

Policy 3.1.2 – Provide high-quality public transport access to job-rich areasThe Project facilitates improved public transport operation through bus priority and freeing up overall capacity on the arterial network, and unlocks opportunities to extend and upgrade the network.Bus priority treatments will be installed on arterial roads at key interchanges as part of the Project, which will improve bus travel times and reliability. The freeway will also generally attract traffic away from arterial bus routes, improving traffic conditions and bus operations on those routes. With improved operation brings opportunities to increase frequencies and extend bus services to achieve greater connectivity to employment areas.

10. The Victorian Freight Plan 2018-50 sets out short, medium and long-term priorities to support the state’s freight and logistics system through a period of significant growth in freight volumes and change in the broader environment. It is organised into five priority areas:

1. Manage existing and proposed freight corridors and places in conjunction with urban form changes

2. Reduce the impact of congestion on supply chain costs and communities3. Better use of our rail freight assets4. Plan for Victoria’s future port capacity5. Stay ahead of the technology curve

The Project responds mainly to the first two priorities.

Priority 1: Manage existing and proposed freight corridors and places in conjunction with urban form changesThe Mordialloc Freeway completes the missing link in Melbourne’s southern freight corridor by connecting the Mornington Peninsula Freeway to the Dingley and Westall Road corridors via a higher-speed, direct, uninterrupted link. As a planned freight route, the movement of freight in the region is less likely to be compromised by land use changes.

Priority 2: Reduce the impact of congestion on supply chain costs and communitiesThe freeway will significantly increase the quality and capacity of the region’s freight network by providing a high capacity, high speed, direct, uninterrupted link for the efficient movement of people and goods. A more efficient freight network will reduce supply chain costs and by attracting freight (and general traffic) from the arterial road network, will relieve congestion for the benefit of the local community. The link will also provide a freeway standard network between key industrial areas to support supply chains between these areas.

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11. The Victorian Cycling Strategy 2018-28 has a vision to increase the number, frequency and diversity of Victorians cycling for transport by:

Investing in safer, lower-stress, better connected networks, prioritising Strategic Cycling Corridors (SCCs); and

Making cycling a more inclusive experience.

Mordialloc Freeway is the route of a planned SCC. The Project includes an off-road cycle path along its entire length that will provide a safe, low-stress environment suitable for all types of cyclists and connecting to other SCCs.

SCCs are important routes for cycling for transport and link up important destinations including the central city, national employment and innovation clusters, metropolitan activity centres and other destinations of metropolitan and state significance. SCCs are a sub-set of the Principal Bicycle Network.

Other Transport Commitments and Investments

12. As part of the State Government’s commitment (refer Attachment B) for improvements along the South Road corridor in Moorabbin, planning will be undertaken for major improvements on the road network in the vicinity of the Mordialloc Freeway, with a focus on Governor Road. The Government’s commitment to improve South Road and any improvements to Governor Road will be addressed under a separate project, and is not included in the current Project scope.

13. Funding for government election commitments are subject to budgetary processes.

14. TfV will work with VicRoads and the Major Transport Infrastructure Authority to monitor transport network performance, identify transport network needs and develop investment priorities and other possible interventions in this sub-region and wider Melbourne on an ongoing basis as the pipeline of transport projects, including the Mordialloc Bypass, progressively come on line and take effect around Melbourne.

15. TfV notes that there are a range of other transport initiatives to improve the broader network in the sub-region including level crossing removals and public transport network improvements.

16. There is a diverse and complex range of transport trip types, origins-destinations, and trip lengths associated with the movement of people and goods within, across and through the south-east and wider Melbourne that require an integrated and multi-modal approach to managing and improving the transport system to meet current and future needs.

17. Projects recently completed or in the pipeline (funded or committed) in the south-east that will complement the Mordialloc Bypass and progressively develop and more integrated and connected network are outlined below.

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18. Further developing the sub-regional road network including making it easier to access the Mordialloc Freeway - Mornington Peninsula Freeway:

Thompsons Road – major east west arterial route through Casey, Frankston, Greater Dandenong, Kingston municipalities connecting the south-east growth area to major north-south road corridors including the Western Port Highway, EastLink and Mornington Peninsula Freeway to provide a stronger and more connected road network alternative for accessing jobs in employment precincts in municipalities of Greater Dandenong, Kingston and Monash.

Outer South-East Suburban Roads Upgrades including the Hall Road-Lathams Road-Rutherford Road east-west arterial route connection to Mornington Peninsula Freeway.

Monash Freeway upgrades stages 1 and 2 increasing capacity, safety and efficiency between Warrigal Road, Chadstone and Cardinia Road, Officer.

19. Improving the service and capacity on the public transport network, including on rail corridors:

Frankston Rail Line17 Level Crossing removalsNew train stations associated with above Level Crossing removalsImprovements to Seaford and Kananook stationsNew Southland train stationKananook Train StablingFrankston station redevelopment and place makingBaxter Electrification Study

Cranbourne Pakenham Line22 Level Crossing removalsNew train stations associated with above Level Crossing removalsNew High Capacity Metro TrainsTrain Depot / Stabling in Pakenham EastPower and Signalling upgradesCapacity / service upliftsUpgrade to bus interchange at Huntingdale stationAdditional 1500 station car parks along the line (mainly on outer sections)Cranbourne line duplicationClyde Extension Study

Melbourne MetroEnable further capacity and service uplifts on Frankston and Cranbourne Pakenham lines when completed in the mid-2020s.

Bus Network – The 2018/19 budget provided funding to extend bus routes and deliver more services to improve the connectivity of the transport system and passenger accessibility across Melbourne. In the south east this includes service improvements for Bentleigh-Moorabin, Narre Warren and between Cranbourne and Carrum Downs.

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20. Further developing active travel networks including Strategic Cycling Corridors:

A continuous shared use path being completed along the Dandenong rail corridor connecting Caulfield to the EastLink Trail in Dandenong.

Cycling paths and facilities are being progressively completed along the Frankston rail line associated with the numerous level crossing removals along the line.

Bike paths being progressively rolled out by developers, councils and the State as part of urban development and road and level crossing projects in the south-east growth area.

Bill HronopoulosNetwork Planning - Transport for Victoria

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Attachment A - MRPV Part A Submission (Extract)

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Attachment B - State Government Commitment

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