Welcome to the BTAG Website

BTAG has been created by West Sunshine residents who are concerned about the compulsory acquistion of their homes to make way for a raised road through our neighbourhood.

At two community meetings local residents and transport experts condemned the recommendations of the Eddington report. The report is focused on building more roads and has not adequately addressed the central issue facing Melbourne - Investment in improving the public transport system.  

The meetings decided to mount a campaign to shift the emphasis of Melbourne's transport plan to improving public transport. This would obviate the need for road tunnels and other costly projects that are unnecessary. It would save our homes and provide sustainable transport well into the future. 

This website has been created to coordinate that campaign. We will articulate the case for better public transport. We will analyse the Victorian government's transport plan. We will marshall all the resources available to achieve our goals. You can help us by participating in our registration campaign. Please circulate this web page to your friends!

Register your support!

Add you voice to the campaign by registering. You will be kept informed of developments, key events and actions. 

Register a friend!

If you know someone who would like to register but does not have internet access you can register them with their permission. 

News 18/10/2008 Labor roads before public transport policy

The Brumby governemt is digging us into a bigger hole with their plan to build a $700 million freeway between Frankston and Mount Martha. 

See The Age 17/10/2008

See The Age Article 18/10/2008 

News Oct 16 Volunteers meeting organises for community rally

BTAG volunteers met at the West Sunshine community centre on Thursday October 16. The volunteers have organised letterboxing, a banner painting workshop, petitioning at the Brimbank festival and leafleting railway stations. "Hands off our Homes! Public Transport Not Roads" placards are being produced for people's front yards. Plans are under way for T-Shirts, stickers and badges. We need donations and advance purchases to get these projects of the ground. If you would like to help call Ken on 0448 482 800 or register your support.  

News Oct 13 & 14 Eddington and Conflict of Interest

Sir Rod Eddington has resigned from the board of Hakluyt, an organisation that sold government intelligence to big business after accusations in the Age newspaper of conflict of interest. Eddington is the head of Infrastructure Australia, the body set up by the federal government to spend $20 billion on infrastructure projects in Australia. Until yesterday he was also on the board of Hakluyt, whose clients are a closely guarded secret. Among those discovered are oil companies Shell and BP.

Eddington was also the architect of the East-West transport plan that recommends massive expenditure on roads including a road tunnel that would result in people losing their homes. Are the oil companies still clients of Hakluyt? Does Hakluyt have more road lobby clients? Isn't there a conflict of interest between Eddington's role in designing Melbourne's transport plan and his membership of the Hakluyt board?

Original Age report exposing the conflict 

see the Age report for detail

News  Oct 13  Parliamentary committee finds PT usage low in Melbourne

A parliamentary committee has found that 70% of people travel to work by car. In some parts of Melbourne only 1 in every 100 people travel to work solely by public transport. See the full story in the Age.  

News Oct 12 Labor Party Transport committee secretary resigns!

The secretary of the Labor Party's Transport committee has resigned over ALP's support for the recommendations of the Eddington Report. While this indicates that there is dissent in the Labor party's ranks. It also indicates that the government is poised to support all of the Eddington recommendations when it brings down its decision in November. It is time to step up our efforts. See full story in the age.