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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 10 Hansard (24 September) . . Page.. 3665 ..
MS DUNDAS (continuing):
will encourage greater utilisation of the train line, for both passenger and freight services.".
The debate we have been having is quite important, but I would also like to argue that the ACT government needs to go further than simply lobbying the New South Wales government and letting us know what it has been up to for the last three years. The amendment that I am moving today asks the government to take the first step towards assisting greater use of interstate rail services by investigating methods by which it could support those services.
Our rail line does not get very good press, except when it is threatened with closure. I noted today that the Chief Minister put out yet another press release supporting the Canberra airport, one of many he has put out this year. Unfortunately, our railway station has never received this sort of treatment. I cannot recall a press release from the Chief Minister congratulating our Kingston rail train centre for being such an important part of the transport infrastructure of the territory.
One of the strategies of the newly named Australian Capital Tourism has been targeting car-based tourism from Sydney. Why not also let potential tourists know that they can travel comfortably to Canberra by train? The transport minister has recently mentioned in the media that buses adequately service the railway station. But could this be improved on? Could we offer a free shuttle bus, or at least ensure that all services to the railway are on wheelchair accessible buses?
It is not good enough for the ACT government to simply blame the New South Wales government when services are cut, as has been done over the last decade. What are we doing to ensure that services remain viable from our end? One issue that led to the recent closure of services was the cost of accommodation for the New South Wales train staff, who come in on the last service at night and drive the first service out in the morning. Maybe we could foot that bill as part of our commitment to the New South Wales train service. It is one of the many issues that can be explored from our end.
I hope that the Assembly is willing to accept this amendment and that the government takes some time to investigate the promotion of rail transport to and from Canberra. We also need to look at the long-term future of interstate rail connections. The very fast train project was a great idea, and we as Democrats continue to support it. But perhaps we should also be looking at alternatives to rail in the near future, especially as the VFT does not appear to be likely in the foreseeable future.
The Railway Technical Society of Australasia has put forward one interesting option: to build a railway line from Yass to North Canberra, providing a T-intersection service with the main Sydney to Melbourne link. This track is in better condition and would immediately provide fast travel times to both Sydney and Melbourne. Combined with track upgrades and the introduction of tilt trains, this idea could result in a service to Sydney in around two hours and to Melbourne in around six hours at a far lower cost than any VFT proposal and in a far safer way than any car transport.
These are things we should be looking at and, if the ACT government is serious about reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the territory and providing
sustainable transport for the people of Canberra, it cannot continue to sideline rail as
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