7/12/2006

NSW Democrat MLC, Dr Arthur Chesterfield-Evans has dismissed the agreement between the NSW & Queensland Premiers to talk about a new Cross-Border Rail line from Coolangatta Airport to NSW as “transport policy by press release.” 

 “There has been "talk" of linking-up the Northern Rivers railway to the Queensland network for over a hundred years.  We don't need talk - we need action and commitment. The NSW State government should commit itself to funding the repair and maintenance of the Casino-Murwillumbah Rail Line instead talking about building a new one. This announcement is just a distraction to deflect local anger over the Casino – Murwillumbah Rail line.” he said.

 Dr Chesterfield-Evans suggest that the N.S.W. Government should consider establishing a link from Bilindgell the most easterly point of the Casino – Murwillumbah rail line and build NSW over to Coolangatta. 

If the State government won’t budge from maintaining the Pensioner Booking Fee, then they should allocate the extra $2.5 million netted from alienating thousands of people on pensions to fixing the Casino - Murwillumbah Rail. $2.5 million would go a lot further on fixing a current rail line than building a new one from scratch!”  Dr Chesterfield-Evans concluded.