SP Newsletter No.217
For the second time in six weeks the Reading Room of the Fitzroy Town Hall was the venue of an old style community meeting. Over 80 people were packed in to hear speakers and discuss the best way to stop the Victorian Labor Government’s plans to build a tunnel linking the Eastern Freeway to Melbourne’s west.

The meeting was called by the Socialist Party but many residents groups and individuals helped build for the event. The plan was to not only to provide people with some information about the proposed tunnel but to also launch a broad campaign to defeat the plans.

In contrast to a previous stage managed meeting called on this issue by Yarra Council, this meeting was democratic and provided plenty of time for people to speak from the floor.

The first speaker from the platform was Paul Mees. Paul is Victoria’s number one public transport advocate and an academic who has recently been in the news after a bitter dispute with his now ex employer, Melbourne University. Paul showed that the Eddington report (the report which the State Government commissioned to prove that they needed the tunnel) was full of holes.

He showed that much more could be done to improve public transport in Melbourne with a fraction of the costs of a tunnel. Some of Paul’s solutions included using the current rail lines to capacity and expanding the bus system. Paul also talked about the top heavy bureaucracy who ‘manages’ the public transport system and the massive amounts of resources that are currently being wasted.

The next speaker was Chris Goodman from the local residents group ‘3068’. Chris outlined some of the detail of the plans and showed exactly how the tunnel will affect the area of Yarra.

He explained that perhaps the most ridiculous part of the plan was that after the Yarra Council has spent a fortune on a proposal to redevelop the old Gas Works site it now seems that the State Government want to build a freeway ramp straight through the middle! It seems that between all the fancy reports and the Council and State Government planning ‘experts’ they didn’t realise they all wanted to use the same land!

The final speaker was Socialist Party Councillor for Yarra, Stephen Jolly. Stephen spoke about what would be required to actually defeat the tunnel. He first touched on the forces behind the push including the road lobby, the private investors and of course the State Government themselves. He said that with these powerful forces behind the plans, polite lobbying and small media stunts will never be enough.

Stephen said that all of the best things in our community had been won out of struggle and that we would need to struggle if we didn’t want a tunnel to ruin our local area. While lobbying and media stunts have their place the Socialist Party argues that we also need to organise mass action and to link up with the trade union movement if we want any chance of success.

After some discussion the meeting voted overwhelmingly to endorse the proposal to put a broad and democratic campaign in place in Yarra. This campaign will also link up with the other community groups fighting the plan especially on the other side of town in Melbourne’s west. It will also link up with public transport and environment groups.

It is clear that there is a lot of community anger at the Labor State Governments plans and this could have a spill over effect in the Council elections later this year. The Socialist Party candidates will be challenging all candidates to join them and pledge to oppose the tunnel and campaign for more public transport.

The first organising meeting for the campaign will be held in a fortnight at the Fitzroy Town Hall. Meet at 7pm Thursday 26th June. For more information email the campaign here!

A new website has also been set up. Visit: http://notunnel.wordpress.com/

Action against BHP in Melbourne

On the last day of school term protest for real action on climate change!
Rally at the headquarters of Australia’s biggest polluter – BHP Billiton.
Meet at 4pm Friday 27th June @ 180 Lonsdale St City. For more info contact 96399111.

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If you agree with what you have read in our newsletter or on our website you should consider joining SP. The Socialist Party has branches in Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle and Perth as well as members and supporters in all other states.

We are involved in trade union work and student work. We also run community, anti-war and environmental campaigns. But most of all we want to build a party that will fight to get rid of the capitalist system. We fight for socialism - a system that will bring an end to wars, poverty and environmental destruction. For more info contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111.

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The June edition is out now! Pick it up from one of our street stalls!

Socialist Party regional activity-

Victoria

To find out more about SP in Melbourne contact Anthony on 0396399111.

New South Wales

To find out more about SP in Sydney contact Gary on 0297287727.

To find out more about SP in Newcastle contact Samantha on 0249681545.

Western Australia

To find out more about SP in Perth contact John on 0894020728.

Rest of Australia

To find out more about SP anywhere else in Australia contact our National Office on 0396399111.

News links just a click away –

Scotland: Rally boosts campaign to defend Tommy Sheridan
http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2008/06/09scotla.html

Portugal: Social turmoil as country hit by economic crisis
http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2008/06/11portua.html

Nigeria: Teachers’ strike for wages
http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2008/06/12nigera.html

Get Active - Join the fight back, Get Militant - Join the Socialist Party.

The Socialist Party is the Australian section of the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI). To contact or join the SP or the CWI anywhere in Australia, or the world, call +61 3 9639 9111 or email our National Office.

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