Article: Greens to push high-speed rail

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Greens to push high-speed rail

Greens to push high-speed rail
JOSH GORDON
August 1, 2010

THE Australian Greens will use their likely Senate power to urge the government to reconsider a high-speed rail link along Australia's east coast, with a new poll showing 74 per cent of people favour the idea.

The Greens are also set to ramp up a campaign warning that ''Tony Abbott is only one seat short of controlling the Senate'' - highlighting a little-known rule that would let the Coalition block legislation should it increase its numbers from 37 to 38.

''The thing that is missing from both [Julia] Gillard and [Tony] Abbott is vision,'' Greens leader Bob Brown told The Sunday Age ahead of the party's campaign launch today. ''If you are going to be moving forward, you have to say where you are going to.'' The Greens are likely to increase their Senate numbers from five to seven, which would almost certainly leave them holding the balance of power.

Senator Brown said the party's starting position in any negotiations about a carbon price would be an initial price of $23 a tonne, with a built-in ability to go to an emissions trading scheme.

Asked if his party would be prepared to accept a price of less than $23, he said: ''We think that is the effective price, that's what [Professor Ross] Garnaut argued for; if there is another argument, let's see it.''

In a separate interview, Greens climate change spokeswoman Christine Milne said the party would pursue a climate compromise that temporarily dumps their emissions target, sets an interim tax and compensates coal-dependent communities, not the owners of coal-fired power stations.

''Our ideal position is our Safe Climate Bill, which locks in a 40 per cent reduction in greenhouse emissions as a target for an emissions trading scheme,'' said Senator Milne. ''But we recognise that is not going to happen. The interim carbon price proposal is the compromise that we are prepared to negotiate as soon as the government of whatever persuasion is elected.''

Senator Milne said the tax should start at about $24 a tonne on 2005 levels and rise by 4 per cent a year plus inflation. The money from the tax would be used to compensate householders for higher electricity bills. It would mean big polluters received less compensation than under the multibillion-dollar scheme Labor dumped.

''It's really important for people to remember that without the Greens holding the balance of power in the Senate the agenda for a carbon price will not be prosecuted at all,'' Senator Milne said.

The Greens will use their campaign launch in Canberra to demand a new study into the feasibility of a high-speed rail link connecting Melbourne to Brisbane, a proposal likely to cost more than $40 billion.

A Galaxy poll of 1009 people commissioned by the Greens found 74 per cent of people were in favour of the idea.

The Greens are also set to release new television ads targeting what they see as Liberal Senate obstinacy, warning that just one more seat for the Coalition would give it a stranglehold 38 votes needed to produce a tied vote in the 76-seat house. Senate rules mean tied votes are resolved in the negative.

Source: The Age

[colinw]

Last night on ABC Lateline, Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese announced that if re-elected the Government will perform a $20 million study into an east coast high speed rail network to eventually link Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra & Melbourne.

The initial stage will focus on Newcastle to Sydney.

A more formal announcement is expected today (August 5).

regards,
Colin

[#Metro]

Last night on ABC Lateline, Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese announced that if re-elected the Government will perform a $20 million study into an east coast high speed rail network to eventually link Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra & Melbourne.

The initial stage will focus on Newcastle to Sydney.

Pile on the studies! 
Why Newcastle to Sydney, is that a marginal seat too? I would think Sydney-Canberra was the most viable and should go first

[O_128]

Last night on ABC Lateline, Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese announced that if re-elected the Government will perform a $20 million study into an east coast high speed rail network to eventually link Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra & Melbourne.

The initial stage will focus on Newcastle to Sydney.

Pile on the studies! 
Why Newcastle to Sydney, is that a marginal seat too? I would think Sydney-Canberra was the most viable and should go first

I agree it would be the most viable as there is alot of work options in canberra. Im getting a bit sick of all this marginal rubbish

[colinw]

Yeah, it was very hard for me to suppress my cynical "yeah, right!!!!" reaction. 

[Jonno]

Cynical too but fun to discuss. Would it use the existing Sydney corridor as an alignment (straighter of course but along same rough alignment) or other route to pick up the coastal towns (Coff, Byron Bay, etc) or inland?  Thoughts?  Yes fantasy stuff...but what if?

[somebody]

I would hate for it to bypass Broadmeadow (near Newcastle) even if it is impractical for it to serve Newcastle itself.

Towns besides Newcastle en-route, I see a far lower need to serve directly.  This would be best done by feeder buses with stations in the middle of nowhere a la the Gold Coast line.

Also, for SYD-MEL, I don't see much reason for it to run through Canberra - that could be done with a spur.  I would hope for a more direct alignment than the Hume Highway too.

Obviously, if only the Greens are pushing it, then it will not get up.

[O_128]

Stations should be ideally over 100km apart otherwise the stop starting will get annoying, spur to Canberra is a good idea aswell.


Dual track all the way 

[somebody]

Dual track all the way 

Der.  I can't see how it could make any sense to build a high speed line with any single track.  If the traffic is that low, then why bother with high speed rail at all?