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Post by Flash on Jul 17, 2007 15:46:33 GMT -5
Still hope for Casino-Murwillumbah line
The NSW Government will consider a number of options to re-open the Casino to Murwillumbah rail line in north-east New South Wales.
The line was closed after a financial battle between the State and Federal Governments.
The state Transport Minister, John Watkins, says a working party will present its recommendations on uses for the rail line early this year.
"The Government's decision on stopping the XPT into Murwillumbah stands but the Community through this working group has asked for other issues to be considered," he said.
"[These include such things] as a commuter service, the possibility of a freight line subsidising a passenger service and I'm very willing to see all those issues explored to see if they come up with any alternatives."
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Post by Flash on Jul 17, 2007 15:59:56 GMT -5
Below is a press release issued by John Anderson Deputy Prime Minister • Leader of The Nationals Minister for Transport and Regional It's very very good news for our community. NSW Labor: Restore the Murwillumbah to Casino Line NOW A95/2004 23rd August 2004 NSW Labor can reopen the Murwillumbah to Casino rail line virtually immediately following an Australian Government decision today to bring forward a small portion of its hundreds of millions of dollars in extra money for road and rail. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services, John Anderson, said he expected the line should reopen within a week. He said $15 million would be made available to the State Government today, provided it agrees to reopen the rail line. “The NSW Premier, Bob Carr, and State Transport Minister, Michael Costa, have previously told us, hand on heart, that the Murwillumbah to Casino line could not be reopened once it was closed,” Mr Anderson said. “We now know that was a disgraceful deceit. In a deeply cynical announcement, senior Federal Labor figures last Friday committed $15 million to allow the State Labor Government to restore the service. This would only occur if Federal Labor’s candidate for the seat of Richmond was elected and Labor won power. “I can tell you that our money is on the table now. If the service is not resumed within a week, the people of north coast NSW will know for sure that Labor’s motivations were purely political and it really has no intention of delivering. “As far as I am concerned, there is absolutely no reason why the service cannot reopen – to the benefits of thousands of north coast residents – by next Monday. “I believe this will be a great victory for the Member for Richmond, Larry Anthony, the Member for Page, Ian Causley and the local community, who have fought against the cut of this service tooth and nail.” Last week, Labor twisted itself in knots trying to explain how it would provide the money federally to make up for the service being closed by Labor at a state level. It also concealed how Labor intends cutting the Australian Government’s pledge of $600 million over five years for the Pacific Highway in HALF. Labor will only fund the Pacific Highway at current levels - a paltry offering dwarfed by the Coalition’s commitment to this important road. The Australian Government’s historic land transport plan AusLink commits $554 million to upgrading the NSW rail track between Sydney and Brisbane. That is $554 million that NSW does not need to spend on rail, and Federal Labor has failed to commit to. Media contact: Paul Chamberlin 02 62777680 / 0419 233989 Emails can be sent to paul.chamberlin@dotars.gov.au _________________ www.bushmarketing.com |
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Post by Flash on Jul 17, 2007 16:30:28 GMT -5
Fed Govt urged to match Casino-Murwillumbah rail funds
Posted Mon Jun 26, 2006 1:44pm AEST
The NSW Government says it can reopen the Casino to Murwillumbah rail line in 19 months, but only if the Federal Government agrees to take on a half share of the cost.
State Transport Minister John Watkins says his Government is prepared to spend $75 million over the next five years, providing the Commonwealth can match that figure.
Mr Watkins says the Federal Government's decision to divert GST revenue raised in New South Wales to other states led to the closure of the line.
He says the reopening offer is a fair one.
"To step up with $75 million over five years from the NSW Government is fair and reasonable, considering the fact the Commonwealth did offer $30 million two years ago, and of course the Federal Government has taken up the funding of other major lines throughout Australia, in particular the main line from Sydney through to Brisbane," he said.
Meanwhile, the State Government remains under fire for not responding to the findings of a public inquiry into the Pacific Highway within the designated time.
The Opposition spokesman for the north coast, Don Page, says the six-month deadline expired last week.
He says the recommendations of the inquiry were not overly political, and should be addressed before the announcement of preferred routes, which is expected before the end of the month.
"They don't have to agree with the recommendations by the way, they just have to respond and indicate if they don't agree, why they don't agree," he said.
"But the fact that they haven't even responded within six months of the parliamentary inquiry, where a lot of people in the community put a lot of effort into their submissions, indicates that this Government is both arrogant and disinterested in issues to do with the north coast."
Roads Minister Eric Roosendaal is yet to respond to Mr Page's allegations.
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Post by Flash on Jul 17, 2007 16:33:54 GMT -5
Hi, I'm with the Daily News and was looking to do a story on the Casino-Murwillumbah Rail Trail. If you have any information about what is happening with this trail please email me at bgd0303@hotmail.com. You can also contact me at (07) 55541210. Email is best however. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks Brian  |
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Post by Flash on Jul 17, 2007 16:37:51 GMT -5
NSW Democrat MLC, Dr Arthur Chesterfield-Evans has dismissed the agreement between the NSW & Queensland Premiers to talk about a new Cross-Border Rail line from Coolangatta Airport to NSW as “transport policy by press release.”
“There has been “talk” of linking-up the Northern Rivers railway to the Queensland network for over a hundred years. We don’t need talk - we need action and commitment. The NSW State government should commit itself to funding the repair and maintenance of the Casino-Murwillumbah Rail Line instead talking about building a new one. This announcement is just a distraction to deflect local anger over the Casino – Murwillumbah Rail line.” he said.
Dr Chesterfield-Evans suggest that the N.S.W. Government should consider establishing a link from Bilindgell the most easterly point of the Casino – Murwillumbah rail line and build NSW over to Coolangatta.
If the State government won’t budge from maintaining the Pensioner Booking Fee, then they should allocate the extra $2.5 million netted from alienating thousands of people on pensions to fixing the Casino - Murwillumbah Rail. $2.5 million would go a lot further on fixing a current rail line than building a new one from scratch!” Dr Chesterfield-Evans concluded.
This entry was posted on Thursday, December 7th, 2006 at 12:19 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
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Post by Flash on Jul 17, 2007 16:42:11 GMT -5
Costa reveals Budget won't include Casino-Murwillumbah rail funds
Thursday, 10 May 2007. 12:20 (AEST)Thursday, 10 May 2007. 12:20 (ACST)Thursday, 10 May 2007. 09:20 (AWST)
New South Wales Treasurer Michael Costa has made it clear there is no money in next month's State Budget to restore the Casino-Murwillumbah rail line.
During a fiery debate in the state's Upper House yesterday, Mr Costa let slip that because there was no money in the Federal Budget for the project, the state would not be providing funds either.
The move has not surprised the Northern Rivers Trains for the Future Group.
TOOT spokeswoman Karen Kolbe says Mr Costa is ignoring the needs of the north coast.
"The people of northern NSW have clearly said that they want to have a commuter service on this line, yet he's just turning his back on these people," she said.
"He's also sticking on the point that there has to be the XPT [train] back where ... he's missing the point is that we're trying to get a commuter rail service, so it's getting people around the area on a daily basis. Where's the vision Mr Costa? We want to have a rail [service]."
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Post by Flash on Jul 17, 2007 16:48:01 GMT -5
Lobby group doubts Govt committed to rail line
Posted Wed Nov 29, 2006 1:27pm AEDT
A local transport lobby group says the New South Wales Government has no intention of ever reopening the Casino to Murwillumbah rail line.
The Trains On Our Tracks (TOOT) group says Transport Minister John Watkins does not want to reopen the track.
TOOT spokeswoman Karin Kolbe says the Government's offer of $75 million, which will only be spent if it is matched by the Commonwealth, is just a cheap trick.
She says instead of repairing the line, the Government is building a bus interchange at Casino.
"The Government says that it's trying to open a railway line by this complicated state-federal deal, but in fact there's building work going on at Casino at the moment, so it does make us think what's going on?" she said.
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Post by Flash on Jul 17, 2007 17:10:11 GMT -5
North Coast Nationals condemn Labor’s Budget Rail Hypocrisy ( 19/06/2007)
North Coast Nationals Members Don Page, Thomas George, Steve Cansdell and Geoff Provest have joined forces to condemn the NSW Labor Government’s failure to invest in North Coast rail in Tuesday’s State Budget.
The Nationals MPs noted that Labor Treasurer Michael Costa boasted in his speech that ‘the Government is undertaking the biggest ever expansion of rail transport in our State’s history’ with ‘$2 billion for priority rail infrastructure projects’.
“However not one cent has been allocated to the reopening of the Murwillumbah Casino line or its extension to the border,” the North Coast MPs said.
“Labor axed our train service three years ago. Re-opening it with a commuter and tourist rail service would cost a tiny fraction of what Labor is committing to CityRail in Sydney.”
“This would pay for itself with reduced traffic on the Pacific Highway and increased taxes from local economic expansion, particularly if the line was eventually extended to the Gold Coast as per the Nationals recent election policy.”
The four MPs pledged to continue the fight for North Coast public transport services noting they had each received strong mandates from local voters.
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NSW Labor votes down motion to return trains to Casino to Murwillumbah line ( 20/10/2006)
The NSW Labor Government yesterday voted against a Nationals motion ‘calling on the Government to re-instate train services on the Casino to Murwillumbah rail line’, Member for Ballina and Shadow Minister for North Coast Don Page said today.
Mr Page, the mover of the motion, said Labor’s vote against his motion proved the NSW Labor Government has no intention of restoring rail services with the $75 million they say they have on the table.
Mr Page pointed out that the Government’s own report says it would cost $21.8 million to restore the line and get rail services running again, but the NSW Government refuses to do so, despite claiming they have $75 million on the table.
“It’s incredible the Member for Tweed voted against a motion to put trains back on the Casino to Murwillumbah rail line when he’s received so many petitions from his constituents requesting he do just that,” Mr Page said.
Mr Page said the responsibility for putting trains back on the track lies firmly with the State Government.
“NSW Labor took the train services away, they have to put them back,” he said.
“Even when the Federal Government offered the State Government $30 million two years ago, the NSW Government refused to accept it, showing they are not fair dinkum about putting trains back on the track.”
Mr Page re-affirmed the NSW Coalition’s commitment to put commuter services on the line, including some that connect with the existing Casino to Sydney XPT services.
He also pointed out that the NSW Government claim that all 155 bridges on the line needed replacing was absolute nonsense.
“The PriceWaterhouseCoopers report states that a maximum of one third of bridges need attention, with two thirds being in good or fair condition,” Mr Page said.
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