1. What is your or your party’s policy regarding the Casino-Murwillumbah rail line?

The line is a State owned piece of infrastructure which was closed by the State Labor Government. I support the policy the NSW Nationals took to the 2007 State election.

This was a $100 million commitment for a commuter service with six services a day and an immediate start to planning the extension of the line from Murwillumbah to Queensland. This was essentially the same policy as the one espoused by TOOT.

Had we been successful at that election, we would have been well on the way to getting our trains back by now.

Labor won that election and have now ruled out the reopening of the line with Deputy Premier John Watkins telling the Tweed Sun last month that he has decided that “the cost of reopening the line cannot be justified.” It should be noted this is happening at the same time NSW Labor is spending literally billions of dollars upgrading Sydney CityRail services with no subsidies from the Federal Government.

2. Do you or your party support the reopening of the line? Include details of any funding commitments and timeframes to reopen the line.

See question 1.

3. Do you or your party support the running of commuter services on the Casino-Murwillumbah line? Include details of any funding commitments and timeframes to establish commuter services.

See question 1.

4. Do you or your party support a rail link between Murwillumbah and Coolangatta Airport so as to link with the Queensland rail system on completion of the southern extension of the Queensland Rail system to Coolangatta Airport. Include details of funding commitments and timeframes to construct a rail link.

See question 1.

5. What is your or your party’s policy on transferring freight to rail? How would this be achieved? Include details of any funding commitments and timeframes.

The Nationals do support transferring freight to rail. That is why the Coalition Government is spending more than $2.4 billion through AusLink and the Australian Rail Track Corporation on freight rail services (for which the Commonwealth does have some responsibility) in the five years to 2009. Much of this funding is being invested in the Brisbane to Melbourne corridor.

6. What are your or your party’s polices for managing increased congestion, safety, amenity, social and environmental issues if accessible rail services are NOT provided over the next five years? Include any estimates of the extra costs involved in managing these impacts.

Good question. Labor’s abolition of our train service is already putting extra pressure on our roads, the most obvious example being the Lismore to Bangalow road which will now need a major upgrade earlier than it otherwise would have.

7. Briefly describe your personal commitment to get trains on our tracks.

Yes I do want the trains back. I’ll support any reasonable initiative to make this happen.

8. What actions would you take if elected to get trains on our tracks?

There is very little any federal politician can do to restore the train service. In the unlikely event Sydney Labor has a change of heart, I’d be happy to lobby for appropriate Federal Government assistance.

9. Would you be prepared to work across party lines and negotiate with State governments and others to get trains on our tracks and a link between Murwillumbah and Coolangatta Airport. Briefly describe what actions you would take.

Of course I’d be happy to talk to them, but it is a historic fact that the NSW Government closed this line and has shown no intention whatsoever of reopening it – in fact they have just ruled that out. It doesn’t seem there is anything to negotiate.

10. Any other comments you wish to make.

The only way to get the trains back is to get rid of the State Labor Government that closed the line in the first place and won’t do anything about re-opening that. That is one reason why local elected Nationals MPs with increased margins across the North Coast earlier this year. Unfortunately the next State election is not until 2011.