Re: Competative tendering in Track Maintenance abandoned.

[Bruce Greening <bgreeni@attglobal.net>]

I am not sure that any system has yet proved its self yet, and we have just
about every possible arrangement in Aust. at the moment. The real issues are the
level of funding, the commitment to drive maintenance costs down, and not to
'gold plate', and the degree to which the politicians are prepared to let the
professional railwaymen get on with the job and not continually interfere.

The worst possible scenario is one where there is constant uncertainty, leading
to lack of long term planning and investment. This has been the situation in NSW
for decades where the only constant has been change.

Graham Smith wrote:

> The larger question to resolve is whether national competition policy is
> serving the whole industry well, or whether we are getting declining
> standards, because tenders are going to the lowest tenderer, without regard
> for quality.
>
> There is also the issue of whether the split of the previous authority into
> different entities has produced inefficiencies. I refer firstly to the turf
> war over the safeworking manuals.
>
> Secondly, I quote an acquaintance who works with RSA ina senior engineering
> capacity. With the break-up, he has encountered the problem that there are
> now insufficient staff within RSA who have the safeworking qualifications to
> be able to sign off on some of their risk management strategies. This
> obviously results in delays and consequent increased cost, and maybe
> contributes to decreasing maintenance standards.
>
> This issue is a hot topic in Britain at the moment with the Rail Regulator
> proposing to fine Railtrack 10 million pounds for their failure to meet
> required standards, let alone the continuing debate there about high prices
> for ever-declining levels of passenger service in particular.
>
> It is to be hoped that the McInerney inquiry will look at these broader
> issues, and not allow itself to be blinded by the market forces ideology
> which dominates our political landscape.
>
> Graham Smith
>
> David Bromage <dbromage@fang.omni.com.au> wrote in message
> Hp1V4.45$465.515380@news0.optus.net.au">news:Hp1V4.45$465.515380@news0.optus.net.au...
> > Bruce Greening (bgreeni@attglobal.net) wrote:
> >
> > > The NSW Govt. has anounced that competative tendering of track
> > > maintenance has been abandoned. This includes the Hunter Valley contract
> > > that was ready to be let, the tendering etc. procass being complete.
> >
> > This could theoretically be in breach of national competition policy.
> > I suspect any aggrieved potential tenderers would find a sympathetic ear
> > at the ACCC. Even if there is no actual breach of the Act, the ACCC could
> > still strongly condemn the action.
> >
> > Cheers
> > David

--
Bruce L. Greening
bgreeni@ibm.net