History
SEATS - South East Australian Transport Strategy Inc. was created by a group of Victorian (VIC) and New South Wales (NSW) Local Governments concerned with the poor transport infrastructure in south eastern Australia. Their initial focus was the need to improve road funding and to encourage the development of a Very Fast Train through Gippsland.
In August 1995, under the auspice of the regional development organisation Gippsland Development, the SEATS committee received a grant from the Commonwealth Department of Housing and Regional Development to undertake a study of the region’s transport needs.
Ove Arup and Partners was commissioned in November 1995 to undertake the transport study.
At that time the SEATS Committee comprised:
- Australian Capital Region Development Council
- Bass Coast Shire Council
- Bega Valley Shire Council
- Bombala Shire Council
- Baw Baw Shire Council
- City of Casey
- Cooma Monaro Shire Council
- Dyers Gippsland Transport
- East Gippsland Shire Council
- Energy Brix
- Gippsland Development Ltd
- Greater Dandenong City Council
- Monash University
- Mornington Peninsula Shire Council
- Shoalhaven Shire Council (now City of Shoalhaven)
- Shire of La Trobe (now City of Latrobe)
- Tallaganda Shire Council
- T.J.Andrews Sawmills
- Wellington Shire Council
- Snowy River Shire Council
- Vicroads
- Western Port Development Corporation
The main aims of the Study were to:
- Identify the role that transport plays in regional social and economic development
- Identify the main transport related constraints to, and opportunities for, regional, social and economic development
- Identify a range of transport and transport related options for improving regional, social and economic development
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the key options identified and recommend the most significant priorities for regional advancement