The Federal Budget's failure to address years of under-investment in public transport infrastructure has left the country extremely vulnerable to rising oil prices, the Australian Greens warned today.

In Senate Budget Estimates committee hearings this week, Greens spokesperson for transport Senator Scott Ludlam confirmed that once again, Commonwealth infrastructure funds were pouring into urban road building while public transport funding lagged far behind.

The Federal Budget locks in a Canberra-centric view of Western Australia as the nation's quarry, regardless of the consequences for Western Australians, Greens senators for Western Australia said today.

"There is no serious attempt to address the growing gap in our two-speed economy," said Senator Rachel Siewert. "The budget seems primarily fixated with accelerating the mining boom, with no regard to the consequences for housing affordability, environmental and heritage protection or the damage being done to other sectors of the economy."

Reports in this morning's media suggest that the Greens' long campaign to remove the incentive to drive more in the fringe benefits tax concession will finally be included in next week's federal budget.

Treasury costings, undertaken at the request of the Greens, show almost $1 billion in revenue would be restored over the forward estimates if the Australian Greens' proposal to introduce a flat rate fringe benefits tax concession for company cars, regardless of kilometres travelled, is adopted.

The Australian Greens will push for a sovereign wealth fund to help fund the needs of future generations, as well as seek to improve budget measures in the immediate budget cycle, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"A sovereign wealth fund could underpin Australia's move into a low-carbon future, serving as a source of funding for long-term projects such as high-speed rail and metro light rail," Senator Brown said in Hobart.

Decades of under-investment by governments across Australia have left the country extremely vulnerable to rising oil prices, the Australian Greens warned today.

Greens transport spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said governments had been pouring money into roads and fuel subsidies while neglecting public rail.

Greens Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam has called on the Barnett Government to release its long over-due public transport plan, while welcoming the State Opposition's support for light rail in Perth.

"Light rail should be a component of the State Government's 20-year public transport plan - but where is it?" said Senator Ludlam. "The 20-year plan is six months overdue, and apparently went to State Cabinet over a month ago."

The Western Australian Government must take decisive action on introducing a light rail system in Perth before the public transport crisis worsens, WA Senator Scott Ludlam said today.

Senator Ludlam, the Australian Greens spokesperson for transport, said dramatic overcrowding on bus routes in the northern and eastern suburbs of Perth could be alleviated by a new tram system.

Western Australian Senator Scott Ludlam has urged the State Government to make a Perth light rail network a budget priority, with reports that a public transport strategy will go to cabinet on Monday.

"Up until now this has been a campaign of lines on maps. It is time for line items in the budget," he said. "We need a funding commitment from the State Government and an application to Infrastructure Australia to secure Federal funding for light rail."

The Australian Greens have welcomed the call to action from a leading sustainable urban development group.

Australian Greens sustainable cities spokesperson, Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam, said the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council's (ASBEC) call for a national policy on sustainable urban development was timely.

ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
MONDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 2011

Senator LUDLAM-Am I correct in believing that there was, at one stage, one Commonwealth FTE position that was coordinating the various state based TravelSmart projects, and I think I should correct you and say that the WA TravelSmart program was a lot more than a pilot project; it was quite extensive, and it has been adopted elsewhere. Is it the case that you did have someone in your employ who was coordinating that work and they have since been shuffled off and they are not doing that anymore?