Jacinta Allan - 49th Victorian Premier.

[Sttew]

Wow the population will double and the hub and spokes system will cope?

Need to remove the need for journeys

And the populations of Geelong, Wyndham, Melton and the western suburbs generally will probably more than double

 

[Rob R]

And the populations of Geelong, Wyndham, Melton and the western suburbs generally will probably more than double

I wonder where people will head next since they are moving to Geelong, Ballarat etc to escape the over populated cesspit that Melbourne has become - a once great city ruined by a lack of infrastructure, planning and excessive immigration.

On SM-A125F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[peetoo]

Planning has been there, just never put into place

 

[Sttew]

Planning has been there, just never put into place

?

 

[tandino]

Maybe one day we will finally get the Healesville Freeway.

 

[Not Important]

And the populations of Geelong, Wyndham, Melton and the western suburbs generally will probably more than double

maybe, but that won’t be a party political call.

 

[The Punter]

maybe, but that won’t be a party political call.

It's a party political call where the infrastructure is going though

 

[Sttew]

Hot rumour? Tim Pallas will retire shortly after delivering his 2024/2025 Budget which is tipped to be the worst state budget in living memory in terms of cost cuts and new taxes. Tim’s gift to the Labor Party - “Blame me”, and his legacy to Victorians, "Someone has to pay for my mismanagement".

 

[Satan]

The state government has been accused of fudging the numbers to explain its way out of cancelling the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
In a damning report published on Wednesday, Victoria’s auditor general Andrew Greaves blamed a lack of due diligence and bureaucratic incompetence for the games debacle.

He called for a comprehensive review into why key agencies did not work together effectively to give frank, full and timely advice to the government.

The government has already rejected calls for this review.

In his review, Mr Greaves also cast doubt over government claims of a cost blowout to almost $7bn, saying the figure was overstated.

Instead Mr Greaves found costs had blown out to about $4.9bn.

“The original Games budget was unrealistically low, but the $6.9 billion cost estimate the government publicly released when it withdrew from the Games was overstated,” he said.

H/S

 

[eddiesmith]

The state government has been accused of fudging the numbers to explain its way out of cancelling the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
In a damning report published on Wednesday, Victoria’s auditor general Andrew Greaves blamed a lack of due diligence and bureaucratic incompetence for the games debacle.

He called for a comprehensive review into why key agencies did not work together effectively to give frank, full and timely advice to the government.

The government has already rejected calls for this review.

In his review, Mr Greaves also cast doubt over government claims of a cost blowout to almost $7bn, saying the figure was overstated.

Instead Mr Greaves found costs had blown out to about $4.9bn.

“The original Games budget was unrealistically low, but the $6.9 billion cost estimate the government publicly released when it withdrew from the Games was overstated,” he said.

H/S

In news that would shock absolutely nobody except the most blind members of the Cult of Dan.

 

[peetoo]

In news that would shock absolutely nobody except the most blind members of the Cult of Dan.

Probably been so many org and reporting line changes no one knows who’s who or does what any more. I think that was to blame for hotel quarantine debacle too.

Public employees get regular lectures about avoiding silos but the top management loves to create new ones under the guise of removing the ones peple understood and worked with

 

[The Punter]

Probably been so many org and reporting line changes no one knows who’s who or does what any more. I think that was to blame for hotel quarantine debacle too.

Public employees get regular lectures about avoiding silos but the top management loves to create new ones under the guise of removing the ones peple understood and worked with

At what stage of life of a government should they not get a pass for things like this?

So many organisational changes. This sort of thing hasn't happened anywhere in the world before, ever. <sarcasm font off>

Perhaps the massive expansion of middle and upper management in the public service since 2014 has also had an effect? That expansion was a conscious decision of the current government.

The structural failure here is emblematic of the culture the Andrews/Allan Government has created, which is why they are to blame for hotel quarantine too. A top down, centralised approach where the power sits in a few trusted lieutenants. Central agencies not sharing information with line agencies and vice versa.

So in the end nearly $600m is just wasted. We should expect better from our governments.

 

[Sttew]

Probably been so many org and reporting line changes no one knows who’s who or does what any more. I think that was to blame for hotel quarantine debacle too.

Public employees get regular lectures about avoiding silos but the top management loves to create new ones under the guise of removing the ones peple understood and worked with

But that doesn't explain overstating the revised budget costs to justify reneging on the contract. That was a plain lie, and we all knew it but just had no proof because of the secrecy.

Seriously, who would want to do business with the State of Victoria, except the CFMEU?

 

[Sttew]

So in the end nearly $600m is just wasted. We should expect better from our governments.

And think what the $600m could have been spent on!? Off the top of my head:

• Schools
• Repairing potholes on Victorian roads. Instead speed limits on almost 1000km of roads has been indefinitely cut from 100km/h to 60km/h
• Major structural repairs to the Royal Exhibition Buildings

But hey, there will still be posters calling for Dan to do another victory lap...

 

[eddiesmith]

And think what the $600m could have been spent on!? Off the top of my head:

• Schools
• Repairing potholes on Victorian roads. Instead speed limits on almost 1000km of roads has been indefinitely cut from 100km/h to 60km/h
• Major structural repairs to the Royal Exhibition Buildings

But hey, there will still be posters calling for Dan to do another victory lap...

They could replace every fire truck in CFA and FRV that are well past their use by date and still have money left over.

 

[Not Important]

At what stage of life of a government should they not get a pass for things like this?

So many organisational changes. This sort of thing hasn't happened anywhere in the world before, ever. <sarcasm font off>

Perhaps the massive expansion of middle and upper management in the public service since 2014 has also had an effect? That expansion was a conscious decision of the current government.

The structural failure here is emblematic of the culture the Andrews/Allan Government has created, which is why they are to blame for hotel quarantine too. A top down, centralised approach where the power sits in a few trusted lieutenants. Central agencies not sharing information with line agencies and vice versa.

So in the end nearly $600m is just wasted. We should expect better from our governments.

ya see, t.p, i remember the billions the libs cost the state by signing a construction contract during the caretaker period they knew the then opposition was vehemently opposed to. something not done before and considered, even in political circles, to be reprehensible. a ‘mates’ agreement that cost the state billions. so i don’t think your lot should be giving lessons on these matters.

 

[The Punter]

ya see, t.p, i remember the billions the libs cost the state by signing a construction contract during the caretaker period they knew the then opposition was vehemently opposed to. something not done before and considered, even in political circles, to be reprehensible. a ‘mates’ agreement that cost the state billions. so i don’t think your lot should be giving lessons on these matters.

That was a government making a decision it was entitled to make during the normal business hours of the government (it was signed on 29 September 2014, BEFORE caretaker period commenced on Cup Day 2014). As far as we know, it was accurately scoped and budgeted, and departments were engaging with each other.

Take issue with the decision all you like, but the issues related to the Comm Games are different issues.

 

[Sttew]

That was a government making a decision it was entitled to make during the normal business hours of the government (it was signed on 29 September 2014, BEFORE caretaker period commenced on Cup Day 2014). As far as we know, it was accurately scoped and budgeted, and departments were engaging with each other.

Take issue with the decision all you like, but the issues related to the Comm Games are different issues.

Andrews had the audacity to argue that a contract signed two months out from an election is “not worth the paper they’re written on”, thereby effectively saying in Victoria that even though caretaker mode officially starts a week or two before the election, in reality the sitting government should stop making any decisions two months out.

 

[peetoo]

At what stage of life of a government should they not get a pass for things like this?

So many organisational changes. This sort of thing hasn't happened anywhere in the world before, ever. <sarcasm font off>

Perhaps the massive expansion of middle and upper management in the public service since 2014 has also had an effect? That expansion was a conscious decision of the current government.

The structural failure here is emblematic of the culture the Andrews/Allan Government has created, which is why they are to blame for hotel quarantine too. A top down, centralised approach where the power sits in a few trusted lieutenants. Central agencies not sharing information with line agencies and vice versa.

So in the end nearly $600m is just wasted. We should expect better from our governments.

Are you talking politicians or public servants? I meant public servants as the report said agencies weren’t working together or providing feedback. I agree with most of your other comments, wit what I see rings true.

But let’s avoid the standard ‘lazy useless employees’ schrick. It’s hard to operate effectively when 60plus percent of your time is battling the disorganisation

 

[The Punter]

Are you talking politicians or public servants? I meant public servants as the report said agencies weren’t working together or providing feedback. I agree with most of your other comments, wit what I see rings true.

But let’s avoid the standard ‘lazy useless employees’ schrick. It’s hard to operate effectively when 60plus percent of your time is battling the disorganisation

The point I was making was that someone needs to be responsible for the disorganisation, and someone IS responsible, and it's the government. It's not a force of nature, it's something that can be avoided, but decisions the current government have made have led to this point.

When a government centralises processes and keeps those processes secret from other arms of the government, and when it tips the balance of the workforce so it is top heavy, these are predictable outcomes from those deliberate decisions of government.

TL; DR: the Comm Games debacle is still the fault of the elected members of the Andrews/Allan Government.

 

[peetoo]

The point I was making was that someone needs to be responsible for the disorganisation, and someone IS responsible, and it's the government. It's not a force of nature, it's something that can be avoided, but decisions the current government have made have led to this point.

When a government centralises processes and keeps those processes secret from other arms of the government, and when it tips the balance of the workforce so it is top heavy, these are predictable outcomes from those deliberate decisions of government.

TL; DR: the Comm Games debacle is still the fault of the elected members of the Andrews/Allan Government.

100%

Also the norm of change for change sake is a cancer today. The changes never have to justify themselves or get assessed.

Simple searching questions of th latest ‘ nicely branded reorg’ uncover those implementing the changes havent a clue either

It’s ‘just let’s get through this and fix it up later, and btw don’t let service levels slip’

 

[Gralin]

Andrews had the audacity to argue that a contract signed two months out from an election is “not worth the paper they’re written on”, thereby effectively saying in Victoria that even though caretaker mode officially starts a week or two before the election, in reality the sitting government should stop making any decisions two months out.

Given the libs made it an election issue and said vote for us if you want it and Andrews said vote for us if you don't.

The side note was pure political poison and evidence of what the vic libs thought of Victorian voters.

Labor are s**t, libs are worse and the state suffers for it

 

[Sttew]

Given the libs made it an election issue and said vote for us if you want it and Andrews said vote for us if you don't.

The side note was pure political poison and evidence of what the vic libs thought of Victorian voters.

Labor are s**t, libs are worse and the state suffers for it

Maybe yes, but let's not use the East-West Link to justify and excuse the gross negligence of this Labor government. What has unfolded is 100% completely inexcusable and tantamount to the government treating us with absolute disdain. Do you agree with that?

We all knew the "costs have blown to $6.9B" spiel was bulltish, but of course Dan and the current premier treated us like mushrooms and refused to reveal anything about the cancellation of the games; we had to wait for the Auditor General to tell us what happened. Dan should NEVER have signed up to the Games, and certainly not using a flimsy, hastily drafted budget.

Yes we have a s**t Opposition but that is no excuse for inept government.

If the EW Link showed Victorians what the LNP's thought of voters, which I don't agree with, tell me what the one calamity after the next exacted on us by Labor tells us what Labor thinks about voters?

 

[Gralin]

Maybe yes, but let's not use the East-West Link to justify and excuse the gross negligence of this Labor government. What has unfolded is 100% completely inexcusable and tantamount to the government treating us with absolute disdain. Do you agree with that?

We all knew the "costs have blown to $6.9B" spiel was bulltish, but of course Dan and the current premier treated us like mushrooms and refused to reveal anything about the cancellation of the games; we had to wait for the Auditor General to tell us what happened. Dan should NEVER have signed up to the Games, and certainly not using a flimsy, hastily drafted budget.

Yes we have a s**t Opposition but that is no excuse for inept government.

If the EW Link showed Victorians what the LNP's thought of voters, which I don't agree with, tell me what the one calamity after the next exacted on us by Labor tells us what Labor thinks about voters?

I could not give less of a s**t about the Commonwealth Games saga if you paid me.

There's much worse s**t happening right now that none of you give a s**t about, but the comm games sends you into some sort of frothing frenzy

It was a terrible idea, they never should have bid, they're full of s**t and they've wasted money.

Beyond that * off

Cutting funding for a successful program that gets people out of homelessness, that's evil

Ankle monitors for 14 year olds, evil

That stuff worries me much more than stupid sport event doesn't go ahead

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

Yes we have a s**t Opposition but that is no excuse for inept government.

A s**t opposition does make being inept a lot easier to get away with.