What our transport leaders think - hints from the PTAANZ Symposium

Leaders' speeches at industry conferences can give valuable insights into their thinking. 

One such event was the Public Transport Association Australia New Zealand (PTAANZ) symposium held last month. 

Both Public and Active Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams MP and DTP Secretary Jeroen Weimar spoke. 

The audience at these types of industry events is educated enough to join the dots. Which is just as well as both speakers would have had to have chosen their word carefully. 

The minister, for example, would not have been at liberty to disclose what was in next week's state budget. She could also not let on any disappointment if items she'd have wanted funded were not. 

The Secretary likewise cannot speak 'out of school' if he thinks that government transport funding priorities are wrong. And he has to represent a 'second fiddle' department that struggles to win funding for quite small business cases while multi-billion budget blowouts on major projects are routine. 

Summaries of both speeches were placed on the PTAANZ LinkedIn page. 

Below are PTAANZ's summaries and my takes on what they might mean. 

Speech from Gabrielle Williams MP

As Australia’s fastest-growing city, Melbourne stands at a turning point. With the Metro Tunnel nearing completion, five new stations will redefine the way we move – shifting us from a city of CBD-bound commutes to a true city of interchange

Hints at transitioning the public transport network from peak CBD commuters to more diverse trip types. Even before the pandemic this shift was necessary to retain network relevance but progress in addressing this through improved all week frequencies was snail pace beyond a few favoured lines.  

Recognises that "true city of interchange" is a geometrical fact for any big city. Especially one with more central area Metro stations and it not being possible for each line to serve each one.

and the system-wide benefits are clear: 

- Improved frequency 

May increase expectations that we are getting increased frequencies system-wide rather than just on the lines that the Metro Tunnel directly serves. We got advice of movement towards that in yesterday's pre-budget timetable announcement with maximum waits on the Upfield and Craigieburn lines to be reduced from 40 to 20 minutes. While welcome these are baby steps compared to the 10 minute service recommended by planners in the 2012 NDP Metropolitan Rail and the 2016 Metro Tunnel Business Case. Thus they do not dispel the reasonable caricature of this government as being weak on backing up its infrastructure program with service, especially relative to its time in service and the opportunities available to it. 

- Untangled bottlenecks 

- Better network-wide capacity 

Placing frequency as the number 1 benefit with capacity at the bottom, is generally appropriate for post COVID times where travel patterns have become less peaky with more weekend travel. 

But this keynote was about more than just big infrastructure. 

It was a powerful reminder that public transport is a great leveller – 

connecting people not just to places, but to opportunity. Social, educational, economic.

The PTAANZ audience knows all this and wouldn't need a reminder. 

But other parts of cabinet, and government probably do. Possibly because what we now know as the Big Build emerged from Project 10 000 (jobs) to stimulate the construction industry during a quiet time. What you might call 'Cement First' projects have not been without public benefit though it is also possible that 'Service First' would have delivered better value and even more ongoing (as opposed to temporary) jobs (though in different unions).  

Our favourite talking points from the Minister's address? 

“We’re here to enable.”

“Public transport lifts people up.”

“We live policy.”

Appealing to the Labor base and party people here. Including in low income areas whose primary vote was, as recently as the 2025 Werribee by-election, was drifting from Labor. 

The Minister spoke to the deep purpose behind the network – and to the next big challenges:

- Sunshine Precinct – unlocking access to the west and establishing a true interchange hub

A shout-out to the west that they haven't been forgotten. Channels Airport Rail and Melton electrification. May also differentiate Labor from the federal Liberal campaign that proposed less funding for Sunshine. 

- Accessibility – with new rolling stock, station upgrades, and smart technology

Needs a mention as DDA tram upgrades (especially) have been so slow. There is also a significant disability advocacy movement. 

- Buses – no longer the “poor cousin”, but essential to a flexible and equitable system. 

A sort of 'We hear you" to bus advocates with another mention of equity (likely referring mainly to coverage gaps in growth areas).

"Flexible" is a sort of catch all word with a vague meaning. At its worst it can mean the now found wanting FlexiRide concept. But at its best it can mean frequent service over long hours that permit buses to be used for diverse trips throughout the week. 

“The time for buses is now.”

Maybe a plea for higher recognition from other parts of government, a hope for more funding from Treasury and maybe even a dampener of expectations for any big train and tram announcements. 

And perhaps the biggest challenge of all? Making sure public transport doesn’t just grow with our cities – but shapes them into places where people thrive

A nod towards Plan for Victoria, developments around Metro Tunnel stations, the Suburban Rail Loop and various housing statements that seek to group denser housing around stations. At the opposite end of the scale, flexible route buses have zero ability to shape cities.  

“In a year’s time, Melbourne will feel entirely different.” 

 Possibly reflecting the completion of the Metro Tunnel and the lessening of construction disruptions as more projects get finished. 

We'll only know whether the minister has been able to carry the rest of government regarding funding for buses and other transport services in the state budget on 20 May. 

Speech from Jeroen Weimar

We’ve come a long way. From W-Class trams and ageing country trains to new Vlocities, over 100 modern low-floor trams, open loop ticketing on the horizon, and over 85 level crossings removed. A quarter of stations are now accessible. The Metro Tunnel is nearly here.

This summary demonstrates how infrastructure heavy the recent agenda has been. Bus network reform and service frequency upgrades where not considered important enough to mention, even though some has happened.   

But our growth hasn’t slowed. Victoria is the fastest growing state in the country, expecting over 2 million new households in the next 25 years. Yet our housing patterns—stretching further into low-density peripheries—have created service gaps we’re still playing catch-up on.

An acknowledgement here of fringe area coverage gaps that we're still behind on. 

And the ground has shifted beneath us. COVID didn’t just disrupt patronage—it rewrote business cases, 

Though impolite to say, projects that relied on peak capacity for their justification (eg the Metro Tunnel, some road projects and some level crossing removals) would have weaker business cases if assessed today, especially given higher construction costs. On the other hand various evening and weekend skewed active transport infrastructure and public transport frequency upgrades would probably retain  their strong BCRs. Though if there is the political will to do something business cases matter less.  

changed demand patterns, 

Basically less M-F commuting (with Mondays and Fridays being quieter though Friday evening is busy) and more weekend usage. This is well understood. But timetable reform in response has been sluggish, especially for metropolitan trains (except for special events, and even these have issues if they finish at night or start on Sunday mornings).   

and questioned funding models. Farebox recovery is down. 

Some of this is undeniably due to reduced peak usage. But other factors also wouldn't have helped. For example regional fare reductions for V/Line. Fare evasion too, especially on buses. Arguably due to DTP's culture of denial, lax enforcement and the continuation of pandemic restrictions that removed on-board top-ups.   

Peak-hour isn't what it used to be. “Turning up to the office five days a week is as old-fashioned as wearing a bowler hat.” 

Recognition that the network must be less weekday commuter oriented. And hopefully also better service at other times. Which is good for fleet asset utilisation. 

-“We need a granular way of evolving our networks—not just ten billion dollar business cases.”

Possibly a diplomatic way of saying that Victoria's current 98% big infrastructure/1% small infrastructure/1% service approach isn't what's best value for money right now, even though something like this mix has been government policy for nearly the last decade.

We may see fewer big projects for the next little while. They're expensive, they run over-budget, their BCRs are poor and they distract attention from more cost-effective initiatives. Interest rates no longer scream 'borrow now' and the government seems broke right now.

The worst outcome is if big projects bleed finances so dry that there is a famine of both big and small initiatives, causing even more loss of delivery capability. Which is already a problem given that current hidebound processes mean DTP takes more time to reform a few bus routes than LXRP needs to remove level crossings and rebuild stations. 

- “The challenge of our time is climate adaptation.”

Presumably including network resilience in which a broad view needs to be taken due to greater variability in weather events. As a small example a flood-prone station underpass at Broadmeadows could disrupt someone's trip to the airport. Climate extremes can increase service disruptions due to tracks buckling. Expanses of concrete can increase flood run-off and contribute to heat stress. Modern systems are highly power dependent so resilience is needed there as information systems can fail when they are most needed. 

“We must rethink how public transport and social infrastructure shape our cities—not follow them.”

This gets onto narratives like clustering sympathetic dense land uses around stations and on tram routes. Big opportunities might also exist via bus reform and developing frequent bus corridors that may have some city shaping capability (through a more dispersed low-rise rather than highly concentrated high rise pattern at a few nodes as per the SRL concept). 

There is opportunity in disruption. With flexible buses, mid-rise housing, and transit-led communities, we can create a public transport system that meets people where they are—and where they want to go.

One of these is not like the other two. Flexible route buses follow not shape cities. They discourage even basics like bus shelters that might bring people to a corner outside a neighbourhood cafe. Flexible routes are also not conducive to network reform or frequent bus priority corridors. The most flexible network that is within reasonable reach of everyone, has good frequencies all week and has easy physical interchange.  

'Meeting people where they are' describes a taxi more than PT. Like flexible buses they cannot shape cities and don't have agglomeration benefits that trains and buses do.

The 'social contract' of PT is that users walk a short distance. But in exchange they get service that is direct, fast and frequent for a modest fare. It is this sort of transport  Also flexible route buses are duds that are rarely efficient.

Let’s get the rhythm right.

This musical parallel speaks to DTP's role. That is a conductor of a multimodal orchestra of operators who together make the system work.