Re: The Federal Budget - Rail forgotten??

["Rod" <comtrain@mpx.com.au>]

Maurie Daly wrote in message ...
>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
 Yep!
        this is the real world where millions of dollars of fuel tax is paid
by rail operators and about 70 % goes into consolidated revenue, and the
rest gets spent on roads so that the opposition can run on a slightly hilly
playing field..thats right people we live in a real world, so corrupt that
the poor guy pays all the taxes, and tolls........aghh..... shit....
Rod