Greens NSW Senate candidate Lee Rhiannon today joined George Takacs and Peter Moran - Greens candidates for Cunningham and Throsby - to launch the Greens plan to reinvigorate freight on rail in the Illawarra.
NSW Greens Senate candidate Lee Rhiannon said, "We’re not the Johnny-come-latelies of the push to get freight off the roads. The NSW Greens have long advocated for more and improved transport options in the Illawarra. The community has continually asked for fewer trucks and more trains for freight and passengers and we have worked hard to make their concerns heard.”
“The NSW Labor government has made policy decisions which have seen increasing numbers of trucks on our roads, including the then Planning Minister Kristina Keneally's decision to approve the lifting of the coal truck curfew.
“The Federal government has put money forward for the Maldon-Dombarton feasibility study, now the Keneally government must step up to the plate and help fund it," Ms Rhiannon said.
Greens candidate for Throsby Peter Moran said, “Coal industry profits have been put ahead of the people of the Illawarra. Twenty four hour coal truck movements are noisy, polluting and dangerous. This is one more ailment stemming from the government’s expansion of the coal industry in NSW, with all its disastrous consequences for climate change and the environment.”
“The Illawarra community want to see better transport options, including the completion of the Maldon-Dumbarton rail link. The failure of federal and state governments to invest in rail infrastructure has intensified the impact of road transport on resident's lives.”
Cunningham candidate George Takacs echoed these concerns, saying “The rapid expansion of the Illawarra population and Port Kembla freight truck operations highlight the need for more public transport options in this region. Thousands of tonnes of freight are now moving on the back of trucks, multiplying the risk of road accidents and deaths in our region.
“The Maldon-Dombarton rail line has been talked about since 1983 but is yet to be completed. This facility, which could carry both passengers and freight, is a must.
“The Greens campaign to complete the Maldon-Dombarton rail line is a key plank of the Greens’ work for an ecologically sustainable future. The rail line would boost the Wollondilly Shire’s access to essential and recreational services, and improve access to higher education,” Mr Takacs said.
Contact:
Lee Rhiannon 0427 861 568
Peter Moran 0403 752 838
George Takacs 0457 007 811