[Greens-Media] CountryLink pains not a problem for new Transport Minister

[Lee Rhiannon]

Media Release - Greens MP Lee Rhiannon - 16 October 2008

CountryLink pains not a problem for new Transport Minister

Greens MP and transport spokesperson Lee Rhiannon says it appears from
answers provided by the new Transport Minister David Campbell in Budget
Estimates in NSW Parliament yesterday that he has given up on improving
CountryLink rail services [extract from Estimates Hearing of 15 October
below].

"The new Transport Minister David Campbell reported that there has been
a seven percent decline in patronage on CountryLink services over the
last two years, which has risen slightly to a four percent decline in
the last financial year.

"Demand for public transport is sky-rocketing in many states, but
commuters are abandoning CountryLink.  Surely the Minister should be
concerned about this?

"Minister Campbell puts the decline in use of CountryLink services down
to competition from cheap air fares. But commuters have given me many
other reasons when I visit rural and regional NSW.

"People complain of CountryLink's expense, the replacement of trains
with buses which are more difficult for the elderly and people with
mobility issues, less frequent and slower services and staffing cuts.

"Minister Campbell characterised his government's action to replace
CountryLink trains with coach services as responding to commuters'
wishes. Mr Campbell says buses provide more flexibility and he did not
rule out replacing more trains with bus services in future.

"There was nothing in the answers provided by Minister Campbell that
would reassure people living in regional and rural NSW that he is
working to enhance CountryLink rail services.

"In 1998 the former Carr government made an election promise to improve
and maintain CountryLink services over the next decade.

"Carr's decade of promised reform has passed, during which time
CountryLink services have suffered blow after blow from the government.

"With rising petrol prices, a troubled economy and climate change the
Rees government should be doing everything it can to improve CountryLink
rural services, not accepting a fatal decline in their use," Ms Rhiannon
said.

For more information: Lee Rhiannon 9230 3551, 0427 861
568		
 
TRANSPORT, ILLAWARRA ESTIMATES COMMITTEE 10 WEDNESDAY 15 OCTOBER 2008 

Ms LEE RHIANNON: I refer now to CountryLink services. There is growing
concern about how CountryLink services increasingly are becoming
coach-based services and not rail-based services. Could you provide
figures on the percentage of coach-based services compared with the
number of rail-based services? 

Mr DAVID CAMPBELL: I do not believe I have those specific percentages
here, but I will take it on notice and make sure that the Committee gets
that. 

Ms LEE RHIANNON: As well as the break-up between coach and rail
services, I am interested in figures on the use of CountryLink overall.
Are the numbers using CountryLink increasing or decreasing? 

Mr DAVID CAMPBELL: Over the previous couple of years there has been
decreasing patronage by about 7 per cent. 

Ms LEE RHIANNON: Did you say decreasing? 

Mr DAVID CAMPBELL: Over the past couple of years, but in the last
financial year that decreasing patronage was minimised to 4 per cent. So
there was still a decrease, but not to the same extent. The advice I
have, and it is also personal experience, that with the reduced cost of
airfares people are taking air travel rather than CountryLink services.
I know of people who buy an air ticket for their pensioner parents
rather than having their pensioner parents take a CountryLink train, for
example. That has been part of the issue. But in the last financial
year, the rate of decrease was arrested, and not quite halved.  

Ms LEE RHIANNON: Going back to the coach-based services, I appreciate
you do not have the figures, but is there a policy to move more of the
CountryLink services to coaches? Is that actually a position? So often
we are not seein
g trains pull up at country stations, but only coaches.
That seems to be happening increasingly. I acknowledge that that is
anecdotal information, but I am interested in the position. 

Mr DAVID CAMPBELL: What we need to do is give the best possible service
to passengers in the country. If a coach can give them a more flexible
and better service, we should not rule that out. 

Ms LEE RHIANNON: Minister, do you recognise that many elderly and many
sick people cannot catch rail* 

The Hon. LYNDA VOLTZ: Point of order. The time for crossbench questions
has expired.


--------------------------------------------------
Lee Rhiannon, MLC
The Greens
Parliament of New South Wales
Macquarie St 
Sydney 2000
Tel: +61-2-9230 3551 
Fax: +61-2-9230 3550
lee.rhiannon at parliament.nsw.gov.au
http://www.lee.greens.org.au/
http://www.democracy4sale.org/ 

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