Re: [Vic/Qld/NSW] Inland railway to Brisbane

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

On Wed, 02 May 2001 04:10:35 GMT, usenet.spam@gunzel.net (Michael)
wrote:

>John Coyle <nospam@newsranger.com> wrote in article
><ACjH6.4409$SZ5.363123@www.newsranger.com>: 
>
>>I am greatly pleased that work will start in October on the
>>Moree-Toowoomba standard gauge line. 
>
>Will still believe it when I see it. Look at the VHST and many other rail 
>projects. Our governments have a proven track record of pork barreling in 
>the rail industry. Alice Springs - Darwin is an exception, but still, I'll 
>believe it when I see it.
>
>>The people who "knock" the project
>>now, are VERY short sighted. 
>
No they are not .
I am afraid I agree with Michael and I am, also surprised that no one
has noticed one enormous condition that is required for this project
to be viable.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Having said that, the long-term financial viability of the inland
rail
expressway and the economic future of the inland will depend on
industrial
development along its route," Mr Compton said. To this end, Telstra
Countrywide had agreed to join ATEC's campaign.

Mr Compton said inland industries would seek tax concessions from
federal,
state and local governments. "We intend to lobby heavily for those
concessions, based on job creation. The more people employed by an
industry,
the larger the tax rebates should be," he said.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The tax concessions being sought , and the requirement of industrial
development along the route of the line , were exactly the same
concessions that were sought by the original Melb - Sydney VFT project

and a very similar set of concessions were sought by the Sydney -
Canberra VFT project.
In both cases the Federal Govts denied the concessions .

Lets have a realistic discussion about just how this line is going to
be paid for , and how much freight and at what freight rates will have
to be carried to make it economically viable in its own right ,
without depending on Govt hand outs.

MD