Railway Rip Up Crisis! NSW Govt Wants to Sell off Unused railways
TOOT protesting rural railway ripup. Photo courtesy toot.org.au
The NSW Government is set to introduce legislation into state parliament
that would give them the power to rip up disused rail lines and sell off
the land without needing special legislation for each particular line (as
is the present case).
Currently lines can’t be removed and the corridor sold without special
legislation to formally close the specified line, this new legislation
reportedly set to go before parliament as early as next week would remove
that requirement, so that any line can be removed and sold at any time,
without needing parliamentary approval.
This legislation would eliminate the only remaining barriers preventing the state government from selling off the Casino-Murwillumbah rail corridor, thus preventing any future rail services. Elsewhere it would also enable the contentious removal of the rail line into the Newcastle CBD.
To stop this legislation, we need the Opposition and cross-bench MPs in the upper house (Legislative Council) to vote against it. Labor will need the support of either the Opposition, the Greens, or the Shooters Party plus either Fred Nile or Nile’s former colleague Gordon Moyes. In past votes relating to the Casino-Murwillumbah line, all non-Labor members have voted in our favour, but this time there will be huge pressure applied by the government to try and get the bill passed.
Let the non-Labor members know that the Northern Rivers community strenuously opposes any legislation that would allow our rail corridor to be sold off.
For who to contact read on...
Who to contact:
David Campbell (Labor) – Minister for Transport Phone 9228 3777 Fax 9228 3722 david@campbell.minister.nsw.gov.au This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Nathan Rees, Premier thepremier@www.nsw.gov.au This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Amanda Fazio - ALP MLC with responsibility for this area Phone 9230 3593 Fax 9230 3591 amanda.fazio@parliament.nsw.gov.au This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Shooters Party, Rev Fred Nile and Independent
Robert Brown (Shooters Party) Phone 9230 3059 Fax 9230 2613 robert.brown@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Roy Smith (Shooters Party) Phone (02) 9230 2850 Fax (02) 9230 3009 roy.smith@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Gordon Moyes (Independent, formerly Christian Democrats) – voted with Greens in opposition to World Rally Championships legislation, so should be supportive Phone 9230 3340, 9230 3341 Fax 9230 2132 gordon.moyes@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Rev Fred Nile (Christian Democrats) Phone 9230 2478 Fax 9230 2098 F.Nile@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Liberal/National Coallition
Coalition on our side until now, but lobby to ensure continued support
Gladys Berejiklian (Liberal) –
Shadow Minister for Transport – Phone (02) 9439 4199 Fax (02) 9439 9299
willoughby@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Don Page (Nationals) – Shadow Minister for the North Coast, Member for Ballina – Phone (02) 6686 7522 Fax 6686 7470 ballina@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Thomas George (Nationals) – Member for Lismore Phone 6621 3624 Fax 6622 1403 lismore@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Geoff Provest (Nationals) – Member for Tweed Phone (07) 5523 4816 Fax (07) 5523 4817 tweed@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Catherine Cusack (Liberal, MLC) Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Phone 9230 2915 Fax 9230 2385 Catherine.Cusack@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Andrew Stoner (National) Leader of The Nationals, Shadow Minister for State Development, Phone 9230 2281 Fax 9230 2661 oxley@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Federal
You could also contact local federal Labor MPs Janelle Saffin and Justine Elliot and ask them what they are doing to urge their state colleagues to withdraw this appalling proposal.
Justine Elliot MP (Richmond) Ph 1300 720 675 Justine.Elliot.MP@aph.gov.au
Janelle Saffin MP (Page) Ph 1300 301 735 Janelle.Saffin.MP@aph.gov.au
Content supplied courtesy TOOT
