Re: AP to Darwin on hold "YET AGAIN"

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

On Thu, 29 Mar 2001 17:36:34 +1000, David Bromage
<dbromage@fang.omni.com.au> wrote:

>Grahame Ferguson wrote:
>> This line will not pay for itself, but was the Trans-Australian line ever
>> intended to be
>> profitable?  It was built for political purposes at taxpayer expense.
>
>Building the line was one of the conditions put by Western Australia
>before it would join the Commonwealth. WA threatened to declare
>independence at one stage, which prompted the Commonwealth to actually
>build the line.
>
>Anyway, how much profit did the Hume Highway make last year? Or in any
>year?
>
>cheers
>David


You must be kidding.
The Hume Highway is the most profitable road in this country.
Some 4400 trucks use the Hume Highway every nite in both directions.
The average 40 tonne gross semi trailer uses 500 litres of fuel for
this journey.
Thats a total of 4.4 million litres of diesel used every nite , of
which the Federal Govt gets 22 cents per litre excise or a total of
$880000.00 every night.

And this doesnt even count the cars that use the Hume every day,and
the excise they pay.


Show me a railway line in this country that earns this sort of
money????

MD