orient the public transport network to tourism within Victoria. Reception The plan received generally negative coverage on its release, particularly from regional newspapers. The Ballarat Courier identified the major shortfalll of the RNDP as its lack of cost estimates or definite timeframes for most projects, and quoted the concerns of local politicians that it did not provide any guarantees of progress. The Border Mail, similarly, published the criticisms of the Border Rail Action Group which described the plan as a "bland handout" without any specific benefit to long-distance services such as those in the Albury/Wodonga area. The Latrobe Valley Express lamented the focus of the RNDP on "aspirations" rather than practical, short-term solutions to existing problems. Melbourne's Herald Sun, however, praised the plan for its focus on future commuter routes, while acknowledging the rapidly growing numbers of Victorians moving outside Melbourne. The Bendigo Advertiser also noted the benefits for commuters to Melbourne, as well as the potential for economic growth incentives provided by improvements to rail freight services and the enhanced intra-regional connectivity offered by improved bus services. Two further high-profile transport planning documents were released by private groups in Victoria later in 2016. The first of these, produced by Consolidated Land and Rail Australia, focused on the construction of a high-speed train between Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, but also included plans to improve intrastate transport along the train's route. The second plan, developed by the Rail Futures Institute, addressed the RNDP more explicitly in its public release. RFI president John Hearns, while announcing the InterCity plan, called the RNDP a "fairly political document" that was "not really a long-term plan". InterCity covers a 30-year timeframe and calls for a substantially higher level of investment in regional rail. Legacy 2016–17 Budget The published version of the RNDP included a summary of the initiatives funded by the 2016–17 Victorian Budget in accordance with the plan's recommendations. These included the purchase of a further 27 VLocity train carriages, the establishment of a "road and rail minor works fund" to finance improvements to interchange facilities in regional areas, and a number of additional off-peak rail services in the commuter regions. The investment totalled $1.3 billion in budget estimates, and was largely perceived as a reaction to the major disruptions caused by wheel wear earlier that year. The investment in part duplication of the Ballarat line was also viewed as a precursor to eventual