Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas said the public response was extraordinary and thanked the individuals, organisations and companies who had their say.

“The response to the opportunity to participate has been extraordinary, particularly when you consider the original public comment process run by Sir Rod Eddington in 2006 received just over 130 comments,” Mr Pallas said.

“On Tuesday this week, the closing day for comments, we were receiving, on average, one submission every one-and-a-half minutes.

“We have received comments from children, their parents, social services organisations, unions, transport industry representatives, urban planning groups and more.

“I have so far seen hand-written notes, emails, bound documents and even videos from interested groups.

“The job at hand now is to listen to each and every one of those views and make the decisions needed to build the best transport system for Victoria.”

Mr Pallas said the future shape of the transport system was one of Victoria’s biggest priorities.

“Victoria’s booming population and economy mean that our cities and regional areas are changing,” he said.   

“More people want to travel in and outside of peak times by public transport and in private vehicles.  The goods needed to run our growing communities mean more road and rail freight.

“The challenge now is to deliver the right transport system to meet our current short and medium term congestion challenges but also deliver the right transport networks for the future.

“The Brumby Government will deliver a comprehensive transport plan by the end of the year that will drive our economy, make our communities more liveable and our state more sustainable.

“All of the 2100 public comments received will help us make those big decisions.”

Submissions are now available on the Department of Transport website and more will be progressively uploaded over coming days.  To view the submissions visit www.transport.vic.gov.au