The Metropolitan Transport Forum (MTF) is an advocacy group comprising of seventeen local councils which endeavours to promote effective, efficient and equitable transport in metropolitan Melbourne by providing a forum for debate, research and policy development, and by disseminating information to improve transport choices.

The MTF organised a public forum entitled Just the Ticket! Destination – Sustainable Melbourne which featured speeches by Federal Member for Wentworth Malcolm Turnbull, Marcus Spiller, the Director of SGS Economics and Planning and Janet Rice, Mayor for the City of Maribyrnong and Chair of the MTF.

The forum focused largely on the need for improved public transport and the economic benefits it would provide Melbourne.  Responses were provided by Carlo Carli, the Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Bill Pemberton, Transport Spokesman for the Greens and Terry Mulder the Shadow Minister for Transport.

It was evident in Carlo Carli’s response that the State Government has little vision for Melbourne’s public transport system as evidenced through the failure to provide institutional reforms to Melbourne’s planning and transport bureaucracies.  Both Bill Pemberton and Terry Mulder spoke about the failure of the government to address the current deficiencies that exist at an institutional level, which sees VicRoads provided with instant access to the Transport Minister, while the Public Transport Division struggles through layers of bureaucracy and an inability to recruit the necessary expertise in planning a public transport system.

Institutional reform, which saw the creation of an integrated Transport and Planning Authority, was crucial to transforming Perth’s public transport system it is clear that Melbourne urgently requires similar reforms.

For more information on the Metropolitan Transport Forum please visit www.mtf.org.au.