25/9/2009

Labor starts rail corridor sell off

“Minister has nerve to claim it is best outcome for the community...”

The introduction of a Labor bill which would allow the Transport Minister to rip up the tracks and sell off the Casino to Murwillumbah rail line is and act of State-sponsored infrastructure vandalism, according to Tweed Nationals MP Geoff Provest.

ALP Transport Minister David Campbell on Wednesday put before Parliament the Rees Government's Transport Administration Amendment (Rail Trails) Bill 2009 which would allow Labor to tear up sell to developers up to 3000 kilometres of rail corridors across mainly regional New South Wales.

Mr Provest said the Minister's speech was the worst piece of spin he'd hear so far from the embattled Rees administration.

“How can the Minister claim, as he did, that 'the best outcome for the community may be to consider closing and disposing of the corridor'?” Mr Provest asked.

“The bill will allow us to free up the untapped value of this important community asset... This currently idle asset offers enormous potential benefit for communities in rural and regional New South Wales.,” Mr Campbell told Parliament.

That, according to Geoff Provest, is only true if trains are returned to the lines.

“Not content with taking away our trains, Labor now literally wants to sabotage the line to prevent any future Government building a Casino to Gold Coast passenger service to link up with the two rail systems Queensland is building on the Gold Coast,” Mr Provest said.

“The Minister claims there are safeguards, but the fine print says all he has to is declare the line closed in order to proceed with the firesale of the land and tracks.”

“This is possibly the most disgraceful act yet of the worst Government in Australian history,” Mr Provest concluded.