[vic] ABC story #2 re Bairsnsdale train

["andrei" <andrei@ausisp.com>]

This Bulletin: Wed, 24 May 2000 12:48 AEST

LOCAL NEWS : Gippsland

Public backs trains for Gippsland

The community group lobbying for the return of passenger train services to
Gippsland says the number of signatures on its petition reflects
overwhelming public support.

The group has collected 12,000 signatures over the past few weeks.

Save Our Train's Liz Munro says the strong show of support should be enough
to influence the Victorian Government to reinstate the service.

Ms Munro says the petition reinforces a phone survey conducted last year.

"It underlines what we've been saying all along which is that there's 96 per
cent support for the train in East Gippsland," she said.

"And these signatures were collected over a three-week period between
Bairnsdale and Orbost, so there were quite a few people who didn't have an
opportunity to show their support and yet we still got 12,000 signiatures."

© 2000 Australian Broadcasting Corporation