Re: Whats happening with the VFT.

["< Tell >" <telljb@ozemail.com.au>]

mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly) wrote:
> 
> You would have to wonder whether the AP to Darwin proposal is also dependant on
> tax concessions to be viable.
> Given that the consortium have initially estimated that only 1 train per day 
> will use the line one would think that they will need all the concessions that 
> they can get.
> I wonder just how much money has now been spent on feasability studies , 
> consultancies etc for all these large rail projects.


The AustralAsia Rail Corp "quango" which is the joint
NT & SA Government body overseeing this project
published figures on their web site some time ago re
the viability of the line without overseas containers.
According to them the line was "cost effective", others
may disagree with that.

The NT Gov has spent $100 million on the first stage of
the Darwin Port facility and intends to spend a lot
more on it in the next few years.
   
It is worth recalling that one of the key members of
the consortium is an outfit called Hutchison Port
Holdings of Hong Kong.  No doubt their intention is to
make the North South Transcontinental a land bridge.

----Terry Burton
Alice Springs NT