Greens Senate candidate Lee Rhiannon is joining Greens candidate for Calare, Jeremy Buckingham and Greens candidate for Parkes, Matt Parmeter in Dubbo Wednesday evening to launch the Greens NSW Rural and Regional Rail policy for the upcoming August 21 election.
"Hidden subsidies to road transport are putting more trucks, including more B Doubles on our roads," said Greens senate candidate Lee Rhiannon.
"Rail freight transport is more efficient, sustainable and cost effective in the long term, but it struggles to compete against a road transport lobby that has the ear of federal politicians.
"The Gillard government needs to end the special treatment that the trucking industry receives and divert those resources to supporting a shift of freight to rail.
"The Greens plan includes ending the subsidisation of B Double trucks, which has distorted road-rail competition. We also need increased federal investment in the publicly owned Australian Rail Track Corporation to create local jobs in improving rail freight infrastructure.
“Simple funding shifts like this are the way to transition New South Wales from its obsession with roads to a sustainable transport future.
Greens candidate for Calare Jeremy Buckingham said the rail freight policy would be good for communities in the state's Central West.
"Users of the Great Western, Central West, Newell and Mitchell Highways know the risks posed by increasing the amount of truck movements on those roads.
"The Journal of the Australasian College of Road Safety reported in May that that up to 45 road deaths a year could be reduced if 15 percent of contestable road freight is transferred to rail.
"Governments should not be pushing policies that see more trucks travelling through our communities. This risks a big increase in accidents and deaths from trucks as their numbers rise.
Greens candidate for Parkes, Matt Parmeter pointed to the economic benefits for Western NSW from an investment in rail freight transport.
"Federal transport policy should be ensuring that the bulk of freight is transported by rail, which is better for jobs and the environment.
"Putting more or heavier trucks on the road is not a sustainable solution for Australia.
"Trucks are the most energy intensive way of moving freight, and in this era of climate change the government should be expanding freight rail operations," Mr Parmeter said
The candidates will then be attending a Rail Tram and Bus Union forum in Dubbo on improving regional transport infrastructure and services.
For more information:
Lee Rhiannon 0427 861 568
Jeremy Buckingham 0439 460 691
Matt Parmenter 0457 129 781
---
media on the event in the Daily Liberal