Opposition Statement: Revision of rail assets sale leaves QR workers in limbo ..

[ozbob]

Fiona Simpson MP
Member for Maroochydore
Shadow Minister for Transport and Main Roads

25 August 2009

Revision of rail assets sale leaves QR workers in limbo

Queensland rail assets and future services are far from secure after the State Government's latest announcement.

Premier Bligh?s desperate hawking of rail assets to the Commonwealth's Australian Rail Track Corporation has been rejected in Canberra leaving QR management and workers in limbo and a dark cloud over longer-term investment in rail infrastructure in Queensland.

While a proportion of the QR asset sale appeared to be off the table for the time being, uncertainty remains over the long-term future of QR freight services and particularly for investment in upgraded track and services so badly needed across the State.

This is the Government?s third position on the assets sales in five months. Before the election, there was going to be no sale, then there was the complete fire sale and now they have this partial sale.

Regional tracks will remain with the State Government for freight and coal services are still up for sale.

Meanwhile the issue of erratic and dwindling freight and cattle services on rail continues to be a problem for customers. Despite the Government's back flip on regional services being retained by the State, services continue to be under threat.

I have raised this issue with the Minister and QR as have my colleagues from affected areas. Queensland's roads simply will not cope to have hundreds of extra trucks and jobs will go interstate to other abattoirs.