Re: Federal Budget- Nothing for the Nation's Railways!

["Grahame Ferguson" <grahamef@users.mcmedia.com.au>]

Maurie Daly wrote in message <3b0c504b.1067408@can-news.tpg.com.au>...
>On 23 May 2001 18:36:40 +1000, >Isn't the NSW Rail Infrastructure
Corporation also
>The problem is AFAIK not RIC per se , but the fact that it is Govt
>owned corporation , but not an incorporated company.
>Govts like turning their agencies into Corporations because they can
>then pretend that the Corporations are more efficient as they have to
>operate in a businesslike manner,and MAKE PROFITS , which then means
>paying dividends to the shareholders , and guess in the case of RIC
>who the shareholders are .?
>
>
>Its not just the NSW Govt who does this .
>Govt owned Corporations that are  incorporated , (ie controlled by a
>board like Telstra or ARTC or NRC ) are NOT subject to interferance by
>the controlling Minister.
>Indeed, in the cases of NRC and ARTC , the Federal Minister has
>extremely limited scope for giving directions.
>
>There have been several instances in NSW where the Minister has
>directed RIC to operate in a certain way which has increased their
>costs .
>Also , the dividends are usually set by the NSW Treasury and dont
>reflect any concern about what impact higher dividends (means higher
>track access charges) will have on the rail industry as a whole .
>
>In other words , the NSW Govt is simply using RIC as a tax collection
>agency,and this is one reason why the Feds wont put any money into
>rail which is under State control ,as its simply an indirect form of
>additional payment to the State .
>
>Track access charges , like the costs of most things need to be
>subject to scrutiny by the ACCC to determine whether they are fair ,
>but cant be whilst the State Govt effectively sets the charges.
>
>This is exactly the problem in Victoria with FAs argument about the
>track access regime.
>
>In my view track access charges should be completely abolished.
>Road users dont have to pay road user charges, the shipping industry
>doesnt pay water usage charges , and the aviation industry doesnt pay
>air usage charges .
>Its fair to charge for Terminal use where the terminals are provided
>by 3rd parties .
>
>Ive said it before ,and Ill say it again, there will be NO federal
>funding for rail whilst State Govts continue to insist on control of
>their railways , but want the Feds to pay for them.
>This is stated federal Govt policy, its also what the Productivity
>Commission recommended.(NO funding without rail reform).
>The real culprit for the lack of rail reform in NSW is the NSW
>Transport Minister , not John Anderson.
>
>MD
>
This is true, but the ARTC has lease of the interstate sg track in Victoria,
so wheres the money for those lines that are not state control.

Grahame