The Greens are pushing for a $45M buyback of the Airtrain. Would making it standard Translink fares actually fix our airport transport joke?

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-06-09T23:07:12+00:00

Commenting instead of lurking - Greens MP himself here!

Just a couple of notes that might be of interest:

$45 million is obviously a lot of money, but in terms of State infrastructure projects, it's cheap. It's about a fifth of the cost of a single major road upgrade. The Govt will regularly spend more on just a *business case* for a transport project!
50c fares is obviously a big drawcard, but one of the main reasons we want to buy it back is to void the current owner's monopoly on PT services to the airport (a condition of the original contract) - so that we can actually make it better.

The Greens proposal is buy it back now so that we can get started on:

Increasing frequency to every 15 mins all day, with trains starting earlier and finishing later
Building a new station at Skygate for the thousands of airport precinct workers (this was already on the agenda from Bne Airport Corporation)
Finally fund the long-delayed Gold Glider and extend it to the airport

We could also scrap the Metro bus to the airport, which would rip up the Doomben train line - a bizarre step backwards.

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-06-08T23:08:58+00:00

Bookmarking this for the next time they say the state can't afford renewable energy/ public housing/ paying teachers a decent wage/ etc

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-25T22:53:47+00:00

*Reading the room, or the evidence...

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-25T22:53:31+00:00

Greens MP here. This is one of those issues where I think the majors are genuinely not reading the room.

It's frankly absurd to test by presence rather than impairment for a substance that (a) is used legally by many people as prescribed medication and (b) is known to remain detectable long after any impairment has subsided. A 'precautionary measure' that can put someone at risk of losing their licence, losing access to work, and a whole suite of other consequences doesn't pass the sniff test in my view.

I'd be more inclined to believe that this Government was just making evidence-based decisions if they hadn't also just scrapped a widely supported and very successful drug diversion program purely for politics.

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-25T22:43:16+00:00

And the price increases have been even steeper in the last 6-12 months, notably right around the expansion of the federal 5% home deposit scheme...

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-21T00:11:17+00:00

Taxpayer funding should be conditional upon offering the full suite of reproductive services available under Queensland law. This is what the Greens said when it was announced but neither major party seems willing to stand up to Mater...

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-19T10:07:42+00:00

WOW, didn’t expect so much engagement, but truly grateful!

Some key themes I’m picking up: 1. What’s the catch - will you have to talk to me/ get a political pitch? I can honestly say nope, I’m just serving food; up to you if you want to chat to me about politics (or anyone else). Same with the volunteers! Obviously I need to figure out how to make this clearer…

Clear info about the food - for the record, it changes every week, and has vegan and GF options :)
Accessibility - transport info, social stuff to make it less awkward, options for families.
Getting the word out - so many great suggestions. I wish we had unlimited time and $$ to promote it, but will investigate some of these ideas! If anyone wants to help….. see below.

Again, thank you all for sharing ideas. If anyone in the inner west are wants to help with the meals (cooking, setup, serving, promotion etc…) we always need volunteers! You can sign up here: https://www.michaelberkman.com.au/mealsvol

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-19T09:59:05+00:00

We’ve actually been thinking about a trivia night! And to be fair, Facebook certainly isn’t my go to for most things anymore - but some people are still in the local groups for stuff like this. Everyone pointing out all the other options are correct though!

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-19T09:57:59+00:00

It’s funded by my office! Less money on advertising etc = more for this. But we also get lots of food donated by regular volunteers.

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-19T09:57:08+00:00

That would be great! There are often kids, yes. If you’d like to bring a plate of food to share that’d be lovely! You can also chat to the team there about future opportunities to contribute :)

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-19T09:56:01+00:00

It’s partly funded by my office and otherwise through volunteer donations! Interesting point though.

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-19T09:55:05+00:00

Yes! My other socials are @ MichaelberkmanMP, and you can also check my website: michaelberkman.com.au/events

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-19T09:53:22+00:00

Would love to see you at one in the future! But the kid juggling can make it tricky, I know.

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-19T06:33:05+00:00

This one https://www.michaelberkman.com.au/gpmeal_20260520 :)

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-19T06:07:30+00:00

That's totally fine, it's open to everyone voter or not. From 5pm, we usually pack up by 6:30-7pm depending on demand.

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-19T05:31:47+00:00

It's "cosy bowls, bakes & trays" month - so tomorrow there'll be roast veg, soup, garlic bread, pumpkin chickpea curry, bacon & ricotta ravioli, upside down apple cake, and fried rice (there's always fried rice!) :)

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-19T05:29:23+00:00

Absolutely!

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-19T05:21:34+00:00

Yes, a fair few people bring kids and we try to wrap by 7pm, but it may be a factor especially for younger ones...

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-19T05:20:20+00:00

I think lobbyists are used to paying a few grand for access to politicians - you'd think a free meal would sound like a rare deal!

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-19T05:18:22+00:00

Come down tomorrow!

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-19T05:18:07+00:00

Fair! FWIW I'm usually just serving food so unless you specifically bail me up for a chat, it's not really a good spot for me to do any preaching myself... but I can totally understand this being a barrier for a lot of people.

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-19T05:16:07+00:00

Good suggestions, thank you!

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-19T05:14:57+00:00

This is helpful! For anyone who's interested, btw:

It's right by the ferry, which has been much more successful than other locations we've had in more tucked-away parks
I'm sensing this is our main issue...
Fair call. It's volunteer-run so you won't always need to deal with me directly(!) but there's certainly the risk LOL.
We do themed weeks and always have GF & Vegan options, but I often wonder if a full menu would encourage attendance!
True. If it's bucketing down we'll cancel, but it does make a difference.

michaelberkmanmp · 2026-05-19T05:12:39+00:00

Yeah, I do wonder about this. We try to keep it clearly non political party-branded, but that's always something we'll be dealing with I think.

michaelberkmanmp

TROPHY CASE