Fix Rural Branch Lines

What's the problem?

The Government has let this vital and much-valued infrastructure deteriorate to an alarming state. It now seems likely that many of these branch lines will be closed. Some lines have already closed, and the rail lines are being ripped up. This is illegal - an Act of Parliament is required to officially close a rail line.

• Traffic: For every train that doesn't run, 93 semi-trailers will be on the roads. This could be 79,000 trucks a year. This will increase greenhouse gas emissions, endanger lives and wreck rural roads (1 B-Double does the same damage as 20,000 cars).
• Pollution: The Farmers Association says closing the branch lines in the Central West will put 8 million extra truck tyres into landfills every year.
• Costs (but not to the State Government!): The local roads are ill-equipped to handle the semi-trailer traffic. Local councils used to get State Government funding to upgrade roads as a result of rail closures, but not anymore. The Premier wants local ratepayers in struggling rural areas to pay higher rates, giving a free kick to the trucking industry and to his Government's budget bottom line.

What's the Government doing?

Sitting on its hands. It had commissioned a report from the Grain Infrastructure Advisory Committee, but the non-Government members of the GIAC objected to the pro-road bias of the data used and the people consulted. One rail line to be saved so far is the Bogan Gate to Tottenham line, which was in the marginal seat that Independent MP Tony McGrane wrested from the Nationals in 1999.

In Action for Public Transport 2010, the Government's 1998 blueprint, more than $2 billion was promised for rail maintenance and upgrade projects. Hardly any of these promises have been kept.  In the same document, vast numbers of road projects were proposed. Almost all of these have been commenced.

The rail network can be properly funded and maintained. All that's lacking is the vision and will.

Is there an alternative?

The tragedy is that it will cost a mere $155 million to restore 15 of the key branch lines in the Central West. This is just 10% of the $1.5 billion the Government committed to spend on airconditioning CityRail carriages. A major bonus for rural and regional New South Wales could come at very little cost.

What are the Greens doing?

Lee spoke at the Grain on Rail Day in State Parliament in late March 2004, reaffirming the Greens' longstanding concern about the fate of the branch lines.

Realising the value of this unusual alliance between farmers and Greens, the NSW Farmers Association invited Lee to visited Greenethorpe and see the situation at first hand. Lee went to Greenethorpe in April 2004 and met local farmers, councillors and representatives of the Farmers Association. They agreed to work together to promote this vital issue. See photos of the visit below.

Upon returning to Parliament, Lee put up a motion. Lee continues to question the Government and campaign on this issue which has caused widespread anger and frustration in the bush but has barely registered on the Sydney radar.