Re: Melbourne - Darwin receives boost

[mauried@tpg.com.au (Maurie Daly)]

On Thu, 12 Oct 2000 11:34:49 +0930, "< Tell >"
<telljb@net01.ozemail.com.au> wrote:

>David Bromage <dbromage@fang.omni.com.au> wrote:
>>
>> Australian Transport and Energy Corridor stakeholders have signed an
>> agreement to have signed an agreement to have fast freight trains
>> operating between Melbourne and Brisbane by 2004 and hopes the entire
>> line to Darwin will be completed within a decade.
>> 
>> http://www.abc.net.au/news/regionals/toowoomba/monthly/regtwb-11oct2000-5.htm
>
>
>
>Heard that up this way as well.  
>Have to give ATEC 10/10 for trying.
>
>Fast freights between Mel and Bris by 2004.  Hmmmm.
>
>If the Alice to Darwin line is stalled over finances
>and it has big mobs of taxpayers money involved, I do
>not fancy ATEC's chances.
>
>----Tell
><< Knock out net01 for email reply. >>

The more interesting question is just what will little Johhny do if
the private consortium cant get the money , which seems to be the
case, no equity partners .
Since JH has already stated publickly that the line will be built
,does this mean that the Feds will have to find a spare $700 M to get
the show back on the road , or will we find reasons to defer the
project for another 100 years.

Its also interesting to question what effect the continuing delays of
this project will have / had have on the sale price of NRC , given
that any potential buyer will want to know whether part of their
market includes a line to Darwin or not.

There will also be a lot of egg on the faces of the SA and NT premier
and Chief ministers face if the project bombs.

MD