The Military and the North Coast Line - Is truth the first casualty?

[Fares_Fair]

On the 16 June 2011, I wrote to the Defence Department regarding their plans for the North Coast Line.
Copy of letter below.


Dear Sir/Madam,

My name is Jeffrey Addison and I am an advocate for rail commuters on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

I am seeking any information that you may have regarding the North Coast (Rail) Line in Queensland, particularly between Brisbane and Cairns.
The information would be requests or advice or reports made to the government, whether Commonwealth or State, for infrastructure improvements
(e.g. rail duplications or extensions of rail passing loops) or any necessities required for the defence of our country that include the North Coast Line.

The North Coast Rail line (NCL) could play a pivotal role in the movement of heavy armoured vehicles, troops, materiel and ordnance to the North
in the most unlikely event of a foreign military trespass, or significant natural disaster.

I would sincerely hope that some or all of this information can be obtained without the need for a specific Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
However, if one is required, please consider this correspondence to be so.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,
Jeff Addison


Their response was this picture attached, received 5 July 2011...  however on 8 April 2011 this document was lodged with Infrastructure Australia by the Defence Department.

[Fares_Fair]

This document was lodged by the Department of Defence, with Infrastructure Australia on 8 April, 2011, 3 months before my reply was received.

Clearly it complies with my request as being a request, advice or report made to the Government.

4th paragraph, it says;
Defence relies heavily on the National Land Infrastructure to support operational deployments etc.
These tasks regularly involve movement of significant military and commercial freight by road and rail between ADF (Australian Defence Force) bases, into training areas [my note: think Shoalwater Bay] and to Points of Embarkation such as ports and air fields.

[BrizCommuter]

In this age of fighter jets, drones, and non-nuclear weapons more powerful than the Hiroshima H-Bomb, I don't the military really care about a few passing loops.

[Fares_Fair]

In this age of fighter jets, drones, and non-nuclear weapons more powerful than the Hiroshima H-Bomb, I don't the military really care about a few passing loops.

Clearly you haven't read their reply - stick with what you do know.

[Stillwater]

An important development, FF.  Thanks for pursuing this avenue, and others, to develop the 'arsenal' of arguments in support of the NCL upgrade.  The momentum is considerable, with the next development being the result of the ARTC/QR investigation into having management of the NCL passed to the ARTC under a long-term lease arrangement.  The findings are expected to be known later this year.

[BrizCommuter]

In this age of fighter jets, drones, and non-nuclear weapons more powerful than the Hiroshima H-Bomb, I don't the military really care about a few passing loops.

Clearly you haven't read their reply - stick with what you do know.

I have read it thanks. Defence will not make a difference to the NCL.

[Fares_Fair]

I found it extraordinary that while telling me that there were no plans for the North Coast Line in April 2011, just 3 months earlier they had lodged a submission with Infrastructure Australia highlighting rails' importance.

My request clearly included this type of information - yet none was forthcoming and a 'denial' issued.

[ozbob]

In times of national emergency or mobilisation, rail will have an important role to play.

Mixed messages from the Military is not new.