Greens NSW Senate candidate Lee Rhiannon today joined Greens
candidates for 7 western Sydney seats to launch the greens vision for
‘Sustainable Transport in Western Sydney’ at Spaghetti Junction, the
tangle of motorways where the M4 meets the M7.
"Prime Minister Gillard’s has been pitching her sustainable population
message at Western Sydney but the pollution-laden tangle of motorways
where the M4 meets the M7 makes this message ring hollow” said Ms
Rhiannon.
“The Federal government needs to end its love affair with motorways.
In the 30 years to 2004 the Commonwealth spent $58 billion dollars on
roads, $2.2 billion on rail, and just $1.5 billion on public transport
“The Federal government cannot stick its head in the sand on public
transport. Australia is the only OECD country in which the Federal
Government does not have a formal role in funding and supporting
public transport.
“Public transport infrastructure investment in Western Sydney will
create much needed local jobs.
“The Greens initiated Senate Inquiry into public transport in 2009
found that the Federal government should play a much greater role in
promoting and providing funding for public transport.
“No NSW government projects have been judged ready to proceed by
Infrastructure Australia and the Keneally government failed to even
bid for funding for the $6.7 billion north-west rail link.
“The Greens also want to revitalise rail freight and minimise the
number of large trucks thundering through Western Sydney which are
increasing air pollution, worsening congestion and posing a safety
risk.
“In the last 6 months, Shell Australia has closed its regional rail
depots and Parramatta Rail Gantry and Patricks Road Logistics has
removed all its freight services between Dubbo and Port Botany off
rail and onto road.
“The Federal governments plans to build a massive new freight
terminal at Moorebank near Liverpool would see an almost unbroken line
of trucks from Port Botany to Moorebank along the already congested M5
“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.
“The government’s failure to strike a balance between road and rail in
Western Sydney has resulted in more cars and trucks on the roads, peak
hour traffic chaos, increased travel time and worsening air pollution
and greenhouse gas emissions”, said Ms Rhiannon.
Contact: Lee Rhiannon 0427 861 568
GREENS WESTERN SYDNEY TRANSPORT BACKGROUND
Road vs Rail
Successive NSW and Federal governments have failed to plan
strategically for the growing population of Western Sydney. A failure
to extend the City Rail network through Western Sydney suburbs has
lead to overcrowding on existing lines and under-servicing of many
suburbs.
Greens Senator Scott Ludlam initiated a Senate Inquiry into Investment
of Commonwealth and State funds in public passenger transport
infrastructure and services. This inquiry issued a report in 2009. It
found that in the 30 years to 2004 the Commonwealth spent $58 billion
dollars on roads, $2.2 billion on rail, and just $1.5 billion on
public transport.
The Inquiry found that the Australian Government should play a much
greater role in promoting and providing funding for public transport
and active transport. A similar call for federal funding for public
transport and urban mass transit was made in two previous Federal
Parliamentary Committee Reports and by Ross Garnaut in 2008.
The Greens argue that if rail infrastructure spending had matched
roads spending over the past 15 years, the growing population of
Western Sydney would have access to a world class public transport
network.
A copy of the Senate report is available here:
http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/rrat_ctte/public_transport/report/index.htm
Freight off the rails and onto our roads.
Underinvestment in rail networks and hidden subsidies for truck
freight has seen the amount of freight moved by rail drop and a large
increase in the number of large trucks, including B Doubles, on our
roads. 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.
In November 2009 Shell Australia closed its regional rail depots and
Parramatta Rail Gantry and started transporting petrol from Parramatta
to Canberra, Dubbo and Tamworth by b-double fuel tankers.
As of 1st July 2010 Patricks intends to remove all its freight
services from between Dubbo and Port Botany off rail and onto road,
which will result in an estimated 45,000 extra truck movements across
the state. Patrick claims its decision was made due to rail’s poor
share of freight movements.
The Greens NSW want to see an end to the special treatment that the
trucking industry receives and divert those resources to the publicly
owned Australian Rail Track Corporation, to create local jobs in
improving rail freight infrastructure.
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.
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Lee Rhiannon
Greens NSW lead Senate Candidate
19 Eve Street, Erskineville
0427 861 568
greens.org.au/leerhiannon