20/10/2009

North Coast Nat MPs join rail protest outside State Parliament

North Coast Nationals MPs Geoff Provest (Tweed), Thomas George (Lismore) and Steve Cansdell (Clarence) today joined a people's rally against Labor's rail sale legislation outside the New South Wales Parliament in Sydney.

A series of community leaders spoke against Labor's plan to sell off 3000 kilometers or regional rail corridors including the Casino to Murwillumbah line.

These included Northern Rivers TOOT train group President Karen Kolbe, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell, Nationals Leader Andrew Stoner and Shadow Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian.

The North Coast Nationals MPs said they were pleased to report full support from the Opposition leadership for their campaign against the Labor sell-off.

Lismore Nationals MP Thomas George, whose electorate includes much of the line, notably the stations at Lismore and Murwillumbah said it would be much harder for a future Coalition Government to return trains to the region if Labor was allowed to sell off the rail corridor.

“This is infrastructure vandalism which we must fight to the last breath,” Mr George said.

Clarence Nationals MP Steve Cansdell, whose electorate includes Casino said the line never should have been closed in the first place.

“Rail is not only environmentally friendly, but the line would take much of the danger and pressure of the increasingly congested Pacific Highway,” Mr Cansdell said.

Tweed Nationals MP Geoff Provest contrasted NSW Labor's sell off to the new rail systems being built in South East Queensland.

“Queensland is building not one but two Gold Coast rail systems which will meet up at Coolangatta. It is vital for the future of the Northern Rivers that we keep this corridor and start work on connecting it to the new rail terminal planned for the Gold Coast airport,” Mr Provest said.