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General Purpose Standing Committee No. 4

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About this Item
Subjects -  Railways; Parliamentary Committees: New South Wales: General Purpose; Inquiries
Speakers - Breen The Hon Peter; Hale Ms Sylvia; Cusack The Hon Catherine; Cohen Mr Ian; Gardiner The Hon Jennifer
Business - Committee, Report


    GENERAL PURPOSE STANDING COMMITTEE NO. 4
Page: 15484


    Report: Inquiry into Closure of the Casino to Murwillumbah Rail Service

    Debate resumed from 6 April 2005.

    The Hon. PETER BREEN [2.36 p.m.]: I had the privilege to serve on this committee in a substitution role for the Hon. David Oldfield. I spent quite a lot of time on the North Coast meeting with various interest groups about the Casino to Murwillumbah train service. At Lismore the committee met with the mayors in a meeting that was well attended by the community. There were further meetings at Murwillumbah and Byron Bay. I have been on the North Coast now for in excess of 16 years and I have never seen an issue cause so much discontent and concern as the closure of the Casino to Murwillumbah train service.

    There is a view on the North Coast that it is one of the most picturesque and environmentally beautiful regions in the State and local people are justly proud of their area. Each year large numbers of tourists visitthe area. In Byron Bay alone in excess of one million young people travel there each year from various parts of the world. To close the Murwillumbah train service in the way that the Government did, after initially promising that the service would remain open for a certain period for investigations to take place, and then deciding, certainly without consultation with any of the people on the North Coast, that the service would be closed after all—and closed immediately—was one of the most cynical exercises that I have seen.

    The Federal Government is so concerned about the closure of the Casino to Murwillumbah train service that it has placed something like $30 million on the table to assist in maintaining the line, the track work, the bridges and the infrastructure, in the hope that either the Government or a private operator will introduce a new service. The area from Casino to Murwillumbah is populated and a number of industries would have the potential to use the line. If by some miracle the line were extended the 22 kilometres to the Coolangatta airport, it could be expected that the line would attract a large amount of freight that would otherwise go up the inland route.

    It seems to fly in the face of logic—not to mention cause insult to residents, who are attached to their train service just as they would be to any infrastructure the Government allowed to run down or dismantle—to undermine and close a structure such as the Casino to Murwillumbah train service, which is in one of the fastest-growing areas in this State and is an attractive area for tourists. The Casino to Murwillumbah train service is part of the local area. It is tragic to stand on the Murwillumbah station platform and look at the heritage buildings, the hills behind Murwillumbah, and realise that this important part of the community is being allowed to fall into rack and ruin. Grass is now growing over the train tracks and each day the bridges are falling further into disrepair. The inquiry conducted by the Parliament raised such interest in the area that, even this long after its closure, it is still the issue that local residents are most concerned about when talking to members of Parliament. Despite concerns about family, jobs, housing and the community, this is the most important issue for them.

    I attended the mayors meeting at Lismore and was amazed to hear local people stand up and express their concern with such conviction. It was as if the Government was taking away from them something fundamental to their lifestyle and existence. The train service is that important. Many people only travel by train and the fact that a large number of them are from a disadvantaged part of the community has made local response even angrier. The Government should not target the disadvantaged by saying that if they use the train service they should pay their way; that runs contrary to all our recognised democratic principles. The Government has an obligation to provide infrastructure such as the Casino to Murwillumbah train service.

    One significant finding of the report is that because of the terrain and the many rivers, a large numberof bridges are located on that line. On that line there are in the order of 168 bridges, which represent around one-third of the total railway bridges in New South Wales; a significant amount of money would be needed to maintain that infrastructure. It was demonstrated to the committee that the arrangements in place at the time of the closure, together with the funding that was provided—I think in the order of $2 million to $3 million per year—were sufficient to maintain the service until either a private operator came along or the Government decided to provide another service on the line.

    With the prospect now that the Federal Government will provide funding, this is an opportunity for an entrepreneur or a compassionate State Government to look at the area, the line and the people affected by it, and acknowledge the opportunity to develop infrastructure that is already in place. If the area continues to grow at the current rate—and there is no reason why that would not happen, given its location, climate, environment and other infrastructure—it is unrealistic of the Government not to maintain the rail service or, indeed, upgrade it. It was a great privilege to serve on the committee and to be able to see first-hand the concern of the local community. I hope that, as a result of the committee's inquiry and the publication of the report, the Government will look at the service again and give local people the opportunity to develop what is a real asset to this State, one that should be properly maintained.

    Ms SYLVIA HALE [2.45 p.m.]: The Government announced as part of its mini-budget that it would close the Murwillumbah XPT service in April 2004. At that time the Greens said—and still believe today—that this was a mistake, which is exactly what the committee's report concluded. New South Wales is sliding into an infrastructure crisis. The decision to keep on closing country rail lines is part of a broad-reaching failure to invest in adequate infrastructure. The decision to cut the Casino to Murwillumbah rail link was widely opposed in northern New South Wales. A number of rallies and protests were held in Lismore, Mullumbimby, Casino, Murwillumbah and Byron Bay.

    The mayors of Lismore, Richmond Valley, Byron shire and Tweed shire councils all opposed the closure. There was cross-party opposition to the closure. Even the Australian Labor Party State conference opposed the closure. The committee of inquiry received 263 submissions, an indication of the broad public concern about this issue. The submissions were from diverse sources such as private individuals, doctors, members of The Nationals and Country Labor, chambers of commerce, local government, businesses, unions, and community and welfare organisations. During the hearing in the northern rivers region the remarks of the honourable member for Lismore were appropriate when he said:

    The community feeling about the loss of this rail service is unprecedented during my term in Parliament. Everyone has been firmly behind the campaign to retain the rail service.

    That was the experience of members of the committee. I have served on a number of committees, the first being an inquiry into the amalgamation of local councils, the second or third being this inquiry. What characterised both of those inquiries were the strength of public feeling and the preparedness of the Government to antagonise communities and to plough ahead, despite input from those communities, which drew the Government's attention to the ill-effects of this course of action that had been already undertaken. Community members wrote hundreds of letters to the Government and to their local papers.

    Virtually all politicians and political parties in the Northern Rivers area were united in opposition to the closure. Despite this, the Government decided to go ahead and, as a result, saved a insignificant amount of money in its 2004 mini-budget. The social impacts of the closure on the people of the Northern Rivers area have been considerable. The report makes note of these and I draw the attention of honourable members to comments on the impacts of the closure on the frail aged and those with disabilities and special needs. Mr Parker from the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association told the committee:

    Being a group of old people, some of our members have mobility problems and they depend on the train to visit family and friends in all parts of the State. They find it is more convenient and comfortable to travel on the train, as it has facilities for people in wheelchairs or on walking frames, plus it has toilet facilities with easy access.

    Buses are usually narrower and have steeper stairs. Getting on and off them is not easy. The Government is being discriminatory in withdrawing more accessible rail services. Even though the coaches that have replaced the train are required to be wheelchair-accessible, there are complications for users due to the physical layout of the coaches and the fact that they have only one staff member, the driver, to assist passengers who are in a wheelchair or who have mobility problems. Spinal Cord Injuries Australia and the Tweed Heads branch of the Blind Citizens of Australia made these points to the committee about the inadequacies of coach services. Those who need to travel into Lismore or to Sydney to access specialist medical services could do so on the train. Dr Gudmundsen, a dermatologist from Lismore, submitted that:

    My patients should not be denied public transport to specialist health facilities because they live in the country rather than in a major city.

    The loss of the train service prevents people with mobility problems from travelling to see friends and family, and from having easy access to appropriate medical services. The Casino to Murwillumbah rail link provided a means of travel to both Sydney and Brisbane, as well as between the inland areas of northern New South Wales and the coast. The committee's report makes a number of points about low-income earners. The region has a higher than average unemployment rate and lower than average household incomes. Many residents relied on the train to travel in the region. Councillor Dowell, a Lismore City Councillor and an Australian Labor Party member, submitted that the unavailability of public transport makes access to health, education and employment opportunities more difficult. The Mayor of Byron Shire Council, Councillor Jan Barham, made a similar point. In relation to young people, she said:

    Every study and survey of young people indicates that inadequate transport is a major issue denying them access to training and employment. Young people are the future of this region and this country. Where is the consideration for them in this decision to cut this rail service?

    The committee heard that the closure will also impact on local businesses and result in job losses. The Government said that the rail line was inefficient and poorly patronised. Yet we all know of the extensive commuting between Tweed Heads, Byron Bay, Lismore and Casino. A lot of people drive their cars to work and travel between towns in the region. If there were train or even light rail services between these towns, running at convenient times that suited working people, undoubtedly patronage of the rail line would increase. Rail is a manifestly more efficient, safer and less polluting way of moving people than road transport. Data from the Australasian Railway Association shows that rail causes only 0.4 per cent of total greenhouse emissions and only 2 per cent of transport emissions.

    Rail is also a safer way of travelling. The relative risk of fatality is five times less for rail travel than for road travel. The roads in the Northern Rivers region are already congested, and there has been a significant and unwelcome increase in large B-double trucks on the roads. There is also a significant number of fatalities each year on the roads in the Northern Rivers region, and the report provides details of this aspect. Adding to road traffic will increase the number of fatalities. If the 133,000 passengers each year who formerly patronised the rail service use a bus service instead, it has been estimated that this will result in an additional 2,900 buses on the road each year. Before it was closed, an average of 365 passengers patronised the Casino to Murwillumbah rail line each day, despite the timetable being designed to discourage rail use.

    There is no doubt that the rail system in New South Wales needs major work. Train fares are too expensive, trains are too slow and there are speed restrictions on the track. The result is that many people are obliged to take alternative forms of transport, such as cars or buses, simply because they are faster. Train services in places like Europe and Japan are properly funded, which means that they are the public transport of choice because they are faster and more efficient than road-based transport. Investment in rail in New South Wales and in Australia is important if we want to cut down the numbers of trucks on our highways, move freight more efficiently and reduce polluting emissions.

    The population of the Northern Rivers region is growing at a higher rate than the New South Wales average. Transport links between Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Byron Bay, Lismore and other regional towns in the area will become more important in the future. If a decent rail service is available, people will use it. Mr John Vaughan made the point to the committee that in that region there are significant population growth areas such as Kingscliff, Casuarina, Pottsville Beach, Ocean Shores, Lennox Head and Ballina. These areas are nowhere near the current rail line, but that is not to say that they could not be linked with it in the future. The Government should also examine smaller commuter rail options for this area, and possibly investigate the use of light rail. [Time expired.]

    The Hon. CATHERINE CUSACK [2.55 p.m.]: The Casino to Murwillumbah rail line is known locally by some as Australia's Burma railway. That reflects what an incredible engineering achievement it was to build that line. It was built mainly by hand in sections more than 100 years ago, and it is regarded with enormous affection by the whole community. That was demonstrated by the outpouring of grief and anger when on 6 April 2004 the Government made the shock announcement that it would be closing the rail line. When the Government made the announcement it breached a promise it had made to the community that there would be a 12-month moratorium, which was not due to expire until December of that year, and that there would be no changes to rail services. The Government's dishonesty brought all politicians into disrepute.

    Even as late as May 2004, shortly before the line closed, many of us did not believe that it would happen. It was not until the notorious night of the vigil, which I spent at Lismore station, where the XPT was blocked and prevented from leaving for some time, that we realised that the line would be closing and that the XPT would not be coming back on that line. The Government realised that it was closing the railway line about a week short of its centenary; it proceeded to publish beautiful glossy publications about the centenary and the glory of the rail system in New South Wales, but the Casino to Murwillumbah line had been completely omitted. However, the history of the Casino to Murwillumbah line as one of the greatest engineering achievements in the world is significant and integral to the history of the development of the Northern Rivers area.

    The upper House inquiry was held at the request of the community, and I was proud to be part of the inquiry, as I am proud to be part of the community that showed so much fight to save a railway line that is so special and means so much to everyone in the region. During the inquiry we held three public hearings, in Lismore, Byron Bay and Murwillumbah. At Lismore we heard from Merv King, who famously lost his temper that day—one never sees the Mayor of Lismore lose his temper. His passion and emotion were very moving. Ernie Bennett and Charlie Cox are sensible, hardworking members of their community. All the evidence given by witnesses in Lismore made a remarkable contribution to our inquiry. I thank them, as I thank all the witnesses in Byron Bay and Murwillumbah.

    In Murwillumbah we had the privilege of hearing from Jim Galloway, who is a former manager of CountryLink at Murwillumbah rail station. I am sure honourable members will recall the way he discussed the provision of a rail service and how much he enjoyed helping people plan their holidays and following up with them after they got back. He was everything one would hope for in a railwayman concerned about his passengers and their comfort and needs. Throughout the public inquiry one could not help but be moved, if not heartbroken, by the stories we heard. Most days more than 100 people were in the audience; one could have heard a pin drop as everyone listened intently. The community participation not only in our inquiry but more broadly was extraordinarily courteous and constructive at all times, and was a great credit to the Northern Rivers community.

    This report is marvellous because it draws together so much information on many aspects of running a railway line, from the physical infrastructure, to the passenger services, to the history, to the maintenance, to the future. The staff—Stephen Frappell, Ashley Toms, Natasha O'Connor and Hansard—did a brilliant job supporting us, often in tense and trying circumstances. It was a privilege to work with them. CountryLink conceded it is now the biggest bus company in Australia. We dealt with a lot of concerns about the tendering process—how virtually all the local bus companies were excluded from the tender and continue to be excluded. I believe, all this time later, that we still do not have a conclusion to that tendering process. No wonder people feel lied to and that the whole process was a shonk. We heard amazing evidence from people who are disabled and from people who represent the disabled community about the humiliation of trying to transfer from the train at Casino to the bus. One poor fellow was stranded on the platform for three hours. All those promises about accessibility were broken.

    From the inquiry we learned that CountryLink pricing is irrational. Nobody could justify it. Jill Brennan, representing the Association of Independent Retirees at Lismore, offered on behalf of the pensioners to pay an administration or booking fee to contribute to the cost of the fares to help make the service more viable. It is this Government's policy—as it is for many governments—that pensioners in New South Wales will get two free return rail tickets to a destination of their choice each year. CountryLink should not have to fund the cost of that Government promise; it should be funded from a different bucket of money.

    CountryLink is responsible for running as efficient a rail service as possible. It is unreasonable to expect the Casino to Murwillumbah line to bear the cost of a social policy to support our older citizens and to still be viable. I believe that was a major factor in the Government's calculations when it decided to target that line for closure. The Government did not properly or fully fund concessional fares, and they ought to be properly and fully funded. The rail system cannot be run properly until that simple fact is recognised and the funding is worked out rationally.

    It was clear that for years the money allocated to maintain the line had been diverted and converted into concrete sleepers on the main line. Everyone knew the Government was taking this money from the Casino to Murwillumbah line and that it intended to come back to that line at a later date, once the main line had been secured. The main line was transferred to the Australian Rail Track Corporation and the State Government was left with the branch line, which the Government then said was in such poor condition that it had to be closed. One can imagine how frustrating it is to the community when money that should have been invested in maintaining the line was diverted elsewhere and then the place to which that money was diverted was transferred to the Commonwealth. The community was left with a line in poor condition, which then had to be closed because of that shabby treatment. That situation caused part of the anger in the community, and the committee demonstrated that in its report.

    The committee heard a lot of evidence from people about the need for a commuter service. A commuter service could be established on that line, particularly for education, health and recreational clients in the region. The way the line runs is absolutely perfect. It connects Coffs Harbour to Lismore to Byron Bay to Murwillumbah. Lismore is the centre of education and health in the region. A rail commuter service is ideal for the needs of people from Byron Bay and Murwillumbah trying to get to the base hospital. People also feel that no consideration has been given to connecting Murwillumbah to Queensland. There would then be a through rail service to Brisbane, where all the teaching hospitals for the region are located.

    When the committee was in Byron Bay Michael Maloney asked us to question the Government—which we did—about where the travel planners and local planners are for the region. After being referred from agency to agency, including Planning NSW, we discovered that there are no transport planners. They all disappeared in various restructures of different departments. Some planning was going on, but that was in Sydney. For example, replacing the train with bus services was planned in Sydney with no regard to the topography of the region, which is why we ended up with so many buses travelling empty all over the region and wasting so much money. The need for proper planning in the region was a major finding of our inquiry and some attention has been given to that. The decision to close the railway line when there was no transport strategy was a pre-emptive and foolish decision. It was the source of great anger.

    I refer to the inequities and the waste of money we found: hundreds of thousands of dollars was spent on sleepers distributed up and down the line, which then had to be re-collected, and a $30,000 fence has been built at council expense. I thank all the local mayors. The Northern Star ran an incredible campaign, which has been nationally recognised with an award. Karin Kolbe and Neil Battersby were two leading campaigners in the community. I notice that the Northern Rivers Trains for Our Future has become incorporated and launched a new campaign: TOOT. The strength of feeling has not retracted one millimetre. I look forward to working with the community and to achieving a re-opening of this railway line in 2007. [Time expired.]

    Mr IAN COHEN [3.05 p.m.]: I shall make some comments about this excellent report by General Purpose Standing Committee No. 4 into the closure of the Casino to Murwillumbah rail service. I was interested in this inquiry, and I went to one of the hearings. I come from this area, being a resident of Byron Bay for some 20 years. I have experienced the difficulties faced by people in the region. I commend the members of the committee for a fine report. The committee comprised members from various parties, including the Hon. Catherine Cusack; the Chair, the Hon. Jennifer Gardiner from The Nationals; and Ms Sylvia Hale from the Greens. The ALP made a huge political and social mistake with this issue.

    I know from living in the area that there is a paucity of public transport. It is difficult for people to get around, both for young people who do not have licences and for pensioners. We have heard about the difficulties people faced when getting onto the buses that replaced the trains. We have heard a lot about the poor timetabling of the trains as a deliberate or inadvertent ploy—we do not know why—to make it difficult for people to travel. In the past I have travelled from Sydney on the train, getting off at Grafton at about 2.00 a.m. and getting on a bus to travel further north. It is a difficult trip in that respect.

    These services have been downgraded for a long time, to the point where there are massive problems on the roads in these areas, young people are unable to get around and people attending the major campus of the Southern Cross University in Lismore face difficulties. People have the opportunity to get an education in their local area, but they cannot get to the university because of the woefully inadequate train service—there could have been a creative use of this rail service. Of course, the service from Murwillumbah to Sydney is important. However, a creative and practical lighter rail commuter service interlaced into that service would have been fantastic for older people going to hospital, for young people without licences and for students travelling to the campus in Lismore. The Government has lost an incredible opportunity by breaking down this important community infrastructure and closing this rail line.

    Many jobs have been lost. People have been working on the rail in this region for a long time. I want to return to some of the bread and butter issues of the region. Whilst there are expanded studies into the upgrading of the Pacific Highway, much to the chagrin of many people who are complaining about the danger of traffic in that area, there is a lack of attention to rail infrastructure. Ms Louise Doran, who is a retired community worker, stated during the hearing in Byron Bay on 10 June, at which I was present:

    Most of us are terrified of driving on that highway given the number of trucks on it. And they do not stick to the speed limit. They are always passing you, even when you are doing 110 kilometres an hour on that new stretch of highway. Trucks and B-doubles continue to pass all the time. I have travelled by train from Robina to Brisbane, and coming back on that road at peak hour, with two lanes of traffic bumper to bumper, with trucks weaving in and out of the traffic, even on a wet road, is really frightening. I just do not want to be there.

    Such comments are repeated time and again. There is carnage on North Coast roads because of traffic levels, speeding trucks and sometimes difficult weather conditions. People want an adequate public transport system so that they can sit back and relax while travelling. I am also concerned about Government evidence on the condition of bridges on that stretch of rail. It considerably overstated the cost of repairs needed. Some of the old wooden bridges can be taken apart in sections. A post can be taken out and replaced. The whole bridge does not need to be replaced. A lot of misinformation led to the downgrading of this incredibly important community facility, and the North Coast has been left further impoverished. Tourism is another important aspect in the area. Jan Barham, the Greens Mayor of Byron Shire Council, said:

    Without a rail service to ensure the safe and unique opportunity that visitors could enjoy and explore in the region, people will be forced to travel on our roads. Already these are dangerous roads that have seen an increase in use by the freight industry, with B-doubles in particular making our roads unsafe. The highway that the Government had to give us has increased pressures on this area. For many who travel these roads regularly, freight vehicles create grave concern.

    Time and again people say that freight on the highway is dangerous. Why can the freight not be put back on the rail? Why can the rail service not be upgraded? This inquiry was timely. Data was provided by Mr Collins showing that over the five-year period ending in September 2003 the crash rate on the Pacific Highway from Ballina to Brunswick Heads was 39.8 per 100 million vehicle kilometres. The crash rate on the Pacific Highway from Brunswick Heads to the New South Wales-Queensland border at Tweed Heads was 56.9 per million vehicle kilometres. Mr Collins also provided the following data on the number of people killed on the roads. From Grafton to Ballina over the five-year period ending September 2003 the Pacific Highway between Grafton and Ballina had 25 fatal crashes and 35 people killed.

    The Hon. Catherine Cusack: Most of them locals.

    Mr IAN COHEN: I acknowledge the interjection of the Hon. Catherine Cusack. That is true. Time and again we hear of people we know personally being killed on the roads. I have a friend in Byron Shire who was in the first car after a fatal car crash. She had to render assistance. Those sorts of stories are not included in the statistics but such events traumatise the whole community. Rather than pouring so much money into the upgrading of superhighways to facilitate industrial vehicles, maintaining the rail infrastructure and improving local roads would get real credit for people. I am talking of credit in terms of people's lives. On the Pacific Highway between Grafton and Casino there were six fatal crashes and six people killed. On the Pacific Highway between Casino and Ballina there were 11 fatal crashes and 13 people killed. Such a waste of life is terrible. An important facility is being lost.

    The opportunity to have local transport options interwoven with major transport options between Murwillumbah and Sydney is being lost. The opportunity in the future to extend the rail network, if it was kept in good working order, into Queensland is being lost. Buses are transporting people around the north of the State who otherwise would travel on rail. The buses in themselves are a danger, as I have said before. The buses back in to a crowded party scene at the Railway Hotel in the middle of the night—Friday and Saturday nights and all through the week. There is going to be an accident there when someone who is drunk walks out behind a bus. Who will be to blame? I blame the Government and in particular the former Minister for Transport, Mr Costa, for the shortsighted direction the Government took. It will suffer politically in the northern regions as a result. I commend the committee for the report. It has done an excellent job. [Time expired.]

    The Hon. JENNIFER GARDINER [3.15 p.m.], in reply: I thank the speakers in the debate. My colleague the Deputy Leader of the Opposition pointed out the importance of the report and, more importantly, the infrastructure that has been lost because of the closure by the Labor Government of the Casino to Murwillumbah rail service. I thank the Hon. Peter Breen for his participation in the inquiry in the Northern Rivers region. As he pointed out, there was a great deal of community input. He mentioned that the Federal Government still has $30 million on the table. It is extraordinary that the Carr Labor Government is so utterly paralysed that it has not seized the opportunity to take up those funds and get on with the job of reopening the service, acknowledging that a previous Treasurer and a previous Minister for Transport made a major error.

    The Hon. Peter Breen pointed out that the closure of the rail service flies in the face of logic given that the Northern Rivers area is maintaining a very high population growth and that the decision of the Government is an insult to the people of the Northern Rivers. For example, Murwillumbah railway station is overgrown and bridges are deteriorating as we speak. Committee members and others have pointed out that this is still the biggest political issue in the northern region. Recently the new Minister for Transport visited the Tweed electorate on the way to a holiday on the Gold Coast. He met a delegation that was hopeful that perhaps a fresh face in the ministry would be more positive than Mr Costa had been.

    The Hon. Don Harwin: They are in the same faction.

    The Hon. JENNIFER GARDINER: That is right, for the moment. The reaction from the large numbers of people at the visit by Mr Watkins was extremely cynical. The local people are very disappointed indeed. The latest reshuffle in the ministry does not seem to have done the Tweed any good.

    The Hon. Don Harwin: He is such a poor member he can't even get someone from his own faction to change his mind.

    The Hon. JENNIFER GARDINER: Well, that is right. The Hon. Don Harwin points out that Mr Neville Newell, who is in the left wing of the Labor Party—Mr Watkins is also a member of the left wing, at least for the time being—has absolutely no impact on the Government and cannot get one of his factional leaders to change his mind on the biggest single issue affecting his electorate. At a public meeting that I attended in the Tweed last week I pointed out that Mr Newell had not spoken on this issue at all in the New South Wales Parliament on behalf of his electorate since before the last Federal election.

    Mr Ian Cohen: Has he spoken at all?

    The Hon. JENNIFER GARDINER: I think he got up and muttered something about it in September last year—not very strongly, it has to be pointed out.

    Mr Ian Cohen: "Napping Neville", his name is.

    The Hon. JENNIFER GARDINER: That is right: Napping Neville. I mentioned at the public meeting last week in the Tweed that Napping Neville had not spoken for seven months on this issue. Somebody in the audience yelled out, "Oh, he did talk about beekeeping." I said, "It was not a very stinging speech, though, was it?" It is sad that a local member will not speak on behalf of his constituents in regard to the biggest single issue affecting his electorate. The closure of the Casino to Murwillumbah rail service is indeed a case study that demonstrates the low priority that has been allocated by the Carr Labor Government to delivering the infrastructure needs of New South Wales, and in particular the needs of non-metropolitan New South Wales.

    The Hon. Peter Breen also pointed out, as other speakers have done, that the inquiry attracted input from witnesses on a multiparty basis—with the obvious exception of Mr Newell, who did not appear before the parliamentary inquiry to present his constituents' point of view. However, the committee heard from witnesses from the parliamentary Nationals, the Greens and the local Labor Party organisation, which had in vain put a motion on this subject before the conference of what used to be called Country Labor—I have not heard that nomenclature used for a long time. It may be that that organisation no longer exists.

    The Deputy Chair of the committee, Ms Sylvia Hale, pointed out that the Government has ploughed ahead with the closure of the rail service in the face of community outrage, as it has done in respect of a number of other issues. It seems that community opinion in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales counts for nothing. Ms Sylvia Hale also pointed out that the savings that were announced in Mr Egan's famously brief mini-budget statement were insignificant. That is true, and that in itself was insulting to the people of the Tweed, as well as to the people of the Clarence, Lismore and Ballina electorates, who are directly affected by the closure of the rail line.

    Committee members have also pointed out that members of Parliament gave evidence to the inquiry, including my colleagues the member for Ballina, Don Page, and the member for Lismore, Thomas George. Mr Ian Cohen, from the Greens, was present at the public hearing in Byron Bay. It was even more obvious that the member for Tweed, Mr Newell, did not turn up. Ms Sylvia Hale referred to the Government's line that there was poor patronage on the service and has pointed to a number of reasons for that. It was obvious from the evidence of witnesses before the committee, particularly at Murwillumbah, that some of the poor patronage—apart from the poor, and almost irrelevant in some circumstances, timetabling—was due to the failure of the Carr Labor Government to promote the rail service, not merely in the Northern Rivers but throughout the CountryLink network.

    It was as though the Government did not want people to get on the train; it wanted to keep it a secret—in other words, it had, perhaps, a longer term agenda. Many witnesses, as well as members who contributed to this debate, referred to the numerous environmental and safety benefits of rail services over and above reallocating traffic to the already congested Pacific Highway and other roads in the area—for example, the ones used by the supposedly replacement bus service. It is a tragedy that there are so many road deaths on that section of the Pacific Highway, parts of which are the most notorious sections of the Pacific Highway.

    We have existing infrastructure and alternative ways to use it in the future, as was demonstrated by the committee—for example, a light rail service that would be up and running fairly quickly—but the Government has closed down its consideration of these matters, it seems. That was further evidenced today by the lack of support Labor members who served on the committee had for the recommendations of the committee's inquiry. Their silence was deafening, and they have backed up the comatose representation—if I can put it that way—of the member for Tweed, Mr Newell. They have applied some sort of weird self-gag so far as sticking up for the people of the Northern Rivers is concerned.

    The Hon. Catherine Cusack: They're embarrassed.

    The Hon. JENNIFER GARDINER: I suppose they have been embarrassed into total silence. No doubt, if I were a member of the Labor Party I would be embarrassed, too, not just in respect of this issue but in respect of a number of issues.

    The Hon. Catherine Cusack: Except the local Labor Party people—they had plenty to say.

    The Hon. JENNIFER GARDINER: Yes, I have acknowledged that the local Labor Party membership spoke up. They had the guts to turn up, not only to make submissions but also to give evidence to the inquiry.

    The Hon. Catherine Cusack: Jenny Dowell and Sue Dakin.

    The Hon. JENNIFER GARDINER: Jenny Dowell and Sue Dakin. The committee appreciates that. It takes courage to speak up against your party, and it is a pity that the member for Tweed does not do likewise. [Time expired.]

    Motion agreed to.


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