This document discusses the economic and land use impacts of transport projects through several case studies: - The Melbourne City Loop provided increased accessibility within the CBD and suburbs in the 1970s-80s, leading to patronage increases until exhausting spare capacity in the mid-2000s. - The Western Ring Road relocated Melbourne's industry along its route, allowing redevelopment in Docklands and residential growth along the route. - CityLink connects several radial freeways and the port and airport, delivering major economic benefits since its construction in the 1990s by improving accessibility. - In Auckland, the Britomart Transport Centre and subsequent station redevelopments increased rail patronage and the Northern Busway further boosted

1. Economic and land use
impacts of transport
projects
Terry Rawnsley
Principal & Partner
SGS Economics & Planning Pty Ltd
2014 AITPM National Traffic and Transport Conference

2. Not all infrastructure is equal
•Strategic infrastructure – change the location
decision of firms and households.
•Structural infrastructure – provide the skeletal
framework for the urban region.
•‘Follower’ services and facilities – localised
service catchments.
2

3. Conceptual flow of benefits
PAGE 3

4. Melbourne City Loop
 Conceptualised as early as 1929 as a way to
address congestion at Flinders and Spencer
Street Stations.
 Funded by state government and special
rates levy applied by City of Melbourne.
 Built in the 70s-80s it provided quantum
increase in accessibility within the CBD and
suburbs.
 Patronage increases from mid 2000s
exhausted spare capacity.
PAGE 4
CONGESTION AT FLINDERS ST STATION (1954)

5. 5

6. 6

7. PAGE 7

8. 8

9. Western Ring Road Project
 Anticipated to deliver major economic benefits by
linking national freight corridors with Port of
Melbourne and Melbourne Airport.
 Heavy freight use spurred industrial growth along
length of route, redistributing Melbourne’s
industry.
 Allowed existing industries in Docklands to relocate
to cheap industrial land with good accessibility,
freeing up Docklands for redevelopment.
 Industries left Southbank, Richmond &
Collingwood.
 Major residential development.
PAGE 9
WESTERN RING ROAD

10. CityLink Project
 First proposed by the City of Melbourne as a
Southern Bypass of CBD in 1929, partly to
allow Swanston Street to be pedestrianised.
 Interest grew with growing congestion in
CBD. Kennett Government pushed ‘east west
connector’ idea with State Government
approval in 1992.
 Originally a city bypass route, final design
included CBD access.
 Connects several of Melbourne’s radial
freeways and the Port and Airport.
PAGE 10
EARLY CITY RING ROAD AND CBD ACCESS
ROUTES (1954)

11. Benefit Stream Across Time $Billion
11

12. Shifting the trajectory
VICTORIAN POPULATION GROWTH

13. Britomart
 Transport Centre Opened in 2003.
 Significant commercial development.
 Redevelopment of key stations of Newmarket and
New Lynn have also contributed to rail patronage
increases.
 Northern Busway in 2009 further helped to
increase access skilled labour.
PAGE 13
BRITOMART LINKED DEVELOPMENT

14. Employment Growth in Auckland CBD
•1996-2001 – 100 jobs
•2001-2006 + 9,300 jobs.
•2006-2013 + 5,000 jobs
14

15. 15

16. Key points
•In the global age, cities are vital to the economic
prosperity of nations.
•Australia cities are becoming less competitive, as
we don’t fully understand the role of Strategic
infrastructure.
•Better understanding previous project will help
to better plan and deliver future projects.
16

17. Questions / Discussion
17