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

Federal Labor’s immediate rail priority is to support the successful completion by the Australian Rail Track Corporation of the Brisbane to Melbourne rail freight corridor delivering a national rail highway for the first time in Australia’s history.

Beyond the successful completion by the Australian Rail Track Corporation of the Brisbane to Melbourne rail freight corridor, priority proposals such as the Inland Railway and the upgrade of the rail freight lines will be considered on merit through a proper infrastructure advisory process to be established by Labor in government.

Regions play a vital role in the economic development of Australia. A Rudd Labor Government will work in co-operation with the Queensland and NSW Governments to develop regional transport corridors, including priorities for the Auslink national road and rail network and other Auslink programs.

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.

Please see response to question 2.

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.

Please see response to question 2.

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.

As stated above, Federal Labor’s immediate rail priority is to support the successful completion by the Australian Rail Track Corporation of the Brisbane to Melbourne rail freight corridor delivering a national rail highway for the first time in Australia’s history.

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.

I have been strongly advocating for the Integrated Regional Transport Plan to be undertaken for the Northern Rivers, linking with the South-East Queensland Regional Plan and the Far North Coast NSW Regional Plan.

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

I support trains and I want them back and running.

This is a very real issue and I will work hard at it.

I will work with TOOT, the community and across all levels of government for this, especially advocating for the needs of the commuter.

I am on the public record, of many years standing, as supporting the commuter and trains, since they started to wind back in the 60s. I opposed the changes when the timetable changed to disadvantage country residents and the sleepers were downgraded and we could no longer take our cars, as occurred in the late 80s and 90s.

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

I will continue to advocate for the Integrated Regional Transport Plan to be undertaken for the Northern Rivers, linking with the South-East Queensland Regional Plan and the Far North Coast NSW Regional Plan. I will work for the allocation of funding to see the study occur. I note that the line has had a number of studies done on it in recent years and requires detailed consideration.

I will also place the issue before the appropriate infrastructure advisory process and raise the matter with Infrastructure Australia. I have already discussed doing so with Kevin Rudd who agreed that this would be the appropriate place for such a study on our infrastructure needs.

Labor in Government will establish Infrastructure Australia. Infrastructure Australia will be charged with responsibility for developing a strategic blueprint for our nation's infrastructure needs over coming years and facilitating its implementation, in partnership with the States, Territories, local government and the private sector.

Infrastructure Australia will be an Independent Statutory Authority that will report to the Commonwealth Minister for Infrastructure.

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.

I will work with TOOT, the community and across all levels of government for trains, especially regarding the needs of the commuter.

As I noted in my response to question 8 above, I will work to place the matter on Infrastructure Australia’s agenda. Infrastructure Australia will present regular reports to the Coalition of Australian Governments (COAG) as part of Labor's plan to make infrastructure a standing item on the COAG agenda. Infrastructure Australia will receive input from the three tiers of government, the private sector and the general public to identify infrastructure projects of national importance.

10. Any other comments you wish to make.

I do not promise what I may not be able to deliver, but I do promise to work as hard as possible for proper and more types of transport for our community, including trains.