Article: Why Jeff's on the right track

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Why Jeff's on the right track

Why Jeff's on the right track

27 May 11 @ 06:00am by Sherine Conyers

IT took 12 years of travelling from Palmwoods to Brisbane, massive fare increases and a load of railway infrastructure failures on behalf of the State Government to turn Jeff Addison from commuter to campaigner for better services.

Up until then, he was just a guy on a train to work.

Now a member of Rail Back on Track, Jeff was instrumental in organising train commuter boycotts, paid to take out an advert in Mx to promote his cause and now he is on a Federal and State Government mission to fight for the railway duplication from Beerburrum to Nambour.

Jeff would also like to meet the State Minister for Transport Annastacia Palaszczuk and would love it if she caught public transport all the way up the coast and back to meet him.

However, after requesting a meeting via Glass House MP Andrew Powell, Jeff was told the minister was busy for the next eight weeks, but his request would be kept "on file".

"Unfortunately, it appears that the Sunshine Coast and its rail issues are not considered very important.

"We commuters think otherwise. I will do all I can to bring it to their attention," he said. Married with four children, Jeff rides his pushbike to the station each morning, rain hail or shine, and boards the train to Brisbane for the 1.5-hour trip to work. "We are a one-car family of six and my wife needs the car," he said.

But the 46-year-old structural drafting manager snapped in 2008 when the Go Card was introduced with massive fare hikes.

"In 2008, I campaigned against 23 per cent fare increases under the new Go Card," he said.

"The Government backed down as a result.

"My fares this year have increased 80 per cent over the last two years, from $3224.60 in 2009 to $5803.20 today.

"In January 2014, my fare will cost $8834.80 annually."

Jeff was so angered by the fare hikes he assisted with a rail boycott on March 17. He took out a $1500 advert in mX to promote his cause and was quite successful as a result.

"I was told 70 per cent of Palmwoods commuters and about 50 per cent of Glass House Mountains and Nambour commuters didn't take the train that day.

"The Transport Minister responded quickly with a statement to review six and 12-month tickets in time for the June budget," he said.

Jeff said he was frustrated by the way party politics had played a huge part in public transport failings.

He is aware the marginal election seats toward Redcliffe were promised a railway line by all three levels of Government despite less predicted growth than the Sunshine Coast.