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

To repair the existing line and re-establish light commuter rail as fast as possible.

To expand the network from there and to insist that all new development include public transport as an integral part of its planning, approval and development.

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

The Greens believe it is essential to repoen the line. I will make negotiating a solution to achieve this a primary focus of my first term of parliament. It is my expectation that State and Federal Governments would have to provide $20million each to get the line repaired suffciently to establish a light rail service.

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.

I and The Greens support the running of commuter services. For practical reasons I favour a community based solution, rather than a State Government operated one. I would expect that a light rail service could be operating within three years of government funds being committed.

Yes I and the party support an extension of existing rail services and the linking of rail services whereever possible and practical. Expansion of local rail services is as important as the development of backbones linking major centres. I expect it will take seven years to complete the link from Murwillumbah to Coolangatta.

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.

We need to replace existing plans for expanded road infrastructure will expanded rail so that trains can be used to move freight over distances > 100km. The detail of doing this is complex, but it is clear that some existing road infrastructure may need to be taken over to rapidly expand rail services.

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.

While The Greens support the rebuilding of coastal shipping and local networks of public transport we believe that it is essential that rail services become an integrated part of planning and development.

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

I am committed to being involved in finding solutions for the re-establishment of rail services regardless of whether I am elected or not.

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

I will lobby for the integration of rail services into all major planning applications to generate the momentum necessary to re-establish the service. This will involve working at local and state government levels from a federal level.

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.

Yes I am prepared to work across party lines to achieve the actions described above.

10. Any other comments you wish to make.

During this election campaign my major focus has been on trying to get the candidates from the major parties to make some sort of public commitment. As this appears unlikely given their response to date, I am considering alternative courses of action after the election.