"Rail Trails" bill now public: every NSW rail line under threat

The Rail Trails Bill and Minister's Second Reading Speech is now available on Lee Rhiannon's website:

"The government claims the proposed new laws are to faciltate rail trails. But the bill confirms that the 'rail trail' legislation is a wolf in sheep's clothing," Ms Rhiannon said.

"If passed, the Minister for Transport can declare any NSW rail line as disused, wait 30 days for a public consultation period to expire, then sell off the line and associated land to developers.

 "The bill gives no definition of what constitutes a 'disused' line or any appeal process. The public consultation process involves placing an advertisement in a local paper and on the Department's website and calling for public submissions.

"The Minister's second reading speech on the bill tells the real story. He says where there is no community call for a 'rail trail', "there may be instances where the best outcome for the community may be to consider closing and disposing of the corridor".

"The Bill allows for some disused rail corridors to be classified as Crown Land and managed by the Lands Administration Ministerial Corporation.

"The government says this will make way for rail trails. But there is nothing stopping the government leasing the land to a mining company or another corporation for 99 years, effectively quashing any opportunity for this precious public infrastructure to be reused for public transport.

"The Minister's speech to this bill makes it appear as if rail is dead in NSW but it is Minister Campbell who is the dinosaur.

"In the age of climate change the government should be breathing life into NSW's rail network, not closing it down and flogging it off," Ms Rhiannon said.

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