Re: The Federal Budget - Rail forgotten??

[mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly)]

In article <37383223@nap-ns1> "Grahame Ferguson" <grahamef@users.mcmedia.com.au> writes:
>From: "Grahame Ferguson" <grahamef@users.mcmedia.com.au>
>Subject: The Federal Budget -  Rail forgotten??
>Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 22:49:03 +1000

>I listened to the Treasurer's budget speech tonight, but I must have been
>asleep for I did not hear any mention of any funding for Rail projects, only
>Road funding.
>Granted that the Treasurer only focuses on the main points, there was not
>one paragraph devoted to rail.  Possibly any funding will be in the fine
>print.
>It is likely that the $250million funding already allocated in previous
>budgets will be reiterated.
>It looks on the surface at least that no new major funding will be provided.
>Any hope for diesel fuel excise relief for the Rail Industry has been
>dashed.
>Well it looks like Melbourne - Albury S.G. will never get concrete sleepers,
>or Broadford - Albury replacement for its 1962 94lb rail. All of this is now
>a Federal responsibility, as it is under ARTC ownership.

>GF


Bit of confusion here.
Simply because ARTC is a federally owned Corporation doesnt in any way mean 
that the federal Govt is responsible in any way for funding the operation of 
the Corporation.
Indeed one of the major reasons for corporatizing Govt services is to make 
them independant of Govt.
If Melb - Albury is to get concrete sleepers then it is ARTCs responsibility 
to fund them,not the federal Govt.
Sorry if this sounds heartless,but its the real way of the world these days.
One of the major problems with Rail funding is that the Federal Govt is very 
unlikely to want to fund tracks that it doesnt own,even Albury - Melb - 
Wolseley isnt owned by the Feds , its just leased to ARTC.

MD