[Greens-Media] Greens NSW Upper House move for govt emergency grain on rail plan

[Alison Orme]

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon Media Release 20 February 2007

Greens NSW Upper House move for govt emergency grain on rail plan

When the NSW Parliament resumes next Tuesday Greens MP Lee Rhiannon
will move in the Upper House for Transport Minister Mr John Watkins to
initiate an emergency rail response package to move grain stocks to NSW
ports.

“When parliament resumes I will seek support from the other
opposition parties for the Greens motion to avert a disaster arising
from Pacific National’s refusal to transport export grain by rail,”
Ms Rhiannon said.

 “Mr Watkins dropped the ball and failed to track whether millions of
dollars of public money was spent by Pacific National on improving rail
infrastructure, or squandered

“Pacific National must be held accountable, but Minister Watkins
can’t duck blame for the government’s years of under investing in
rail infrastructure and its privatisation ambitions.

“The Greens believe the NSW government should follow Victoria’s
lead in 2006 and buy-back Pacific National’s share of NSW’s rural
freight lines. Otherwise the only winners from this situation may well
be the trucking giants. 
 
“It’s time the government and the opposition admit that the
privatisation of FreightCorp has been an unmitigated disaster.

“Pacific National’s decision to ‘cherry pick’ the more
profitable transport of coal rather than less lucrative grain is a text
book example of what happens when public services are privatised.

“The Carr government happily pocketed $1.2 billion for the sale of
FreightCorp.

“Now farmers and the public are wearing the pain of FreightCorp’s
privatisation with a grain crop waiting for transport and potentially
thousands more trucks on our roads.

“No private sector company has its hands up to transport this
season’s bumper crop by rail, painting a grim outlook for the grain
industry and local communities.

“The government sold FreightCorp for short term political gain and it
must now be held accountable for the wash-up,” Ms Rhiannon said.

For more information: 9230 3551, 0427 861 568


Alison Orme
Adviser, Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon (p/t Wed-Fri)
Macquarie St, Sydney 2000
Tel: +61-2-9230 3551 Fax: +61-2-9230 3550
Mobile: 0432 332 104
Email alison.orme at parliament.nsw.gov.au 
Web www.leerhiannon.org.au