EDITORIAL: Do Albury-Wodonga councillors care enough?
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THE Border Rail Action Group will today start the process of bringing together federal MPs who they hope will put resolutions from Wednesday night’s meeting to a federal minister.
Group convenor Bill Traill said he would be extending formal invitations to both Farrer MP Sussan Ley and Indi MP Cathy McGowan.
“We are asking these people as our representatives for support in establishing a deputation,” he said.
“Then it will be in the hands of the local sitting member as to when the formal request will be stated.”
The invitation will outline two motions that were unanimously supported at the meeting.
The first is to have the track fixed to a standard where trains can travel at 130km/h by December 2015 and the second is for the replacement of the rolling stock with new, fast, comfortable and modern trains capable of such high speeds.
While rolling stock is more a state government issue, Ms Ley said she would work towards better track conditions.
“While this is primarily an issue within the seat of Indi, I continue to highlight the ongoing concerns with the office of Minister Warren Truss,” Ms Ley said.
“I’m happy to work with the rail group and take up any questions they still seek assurances on.”
Mr Traill said the support of Ms Ley is crucial in the deputation and he wouldn’t be putting a time restriction on when the case would be put to the minister.
“I don’t have a deadline in mind and I don’t underestimate the difficulties of the two MPs coming together because they are from different parties,” he said.
“So it may require negotiations.”
It was also floated in the meeting that councils along the line be asked to fund a campaign to fix the track, rather than to fund the track work itself.
Albury mayor Kevin Mack said Albury Council would not fund such a campaign.
Wodonga mayor Rodney Wangman said their objectives are in line with the action group, but he would wait to receive the proposal.
“It’s normal protocol that all requests are provided to council to set out objectives and purposes and I look forward to receiving that,” he said.
