Re: Good News for Rail Fuel taxes

["Bill MIller" <backtran@optusnet.com.au>]

Here are the figures as best I could obtain, I think they are reasonably
accurate but can others confirm?

Current:

Road:     43.0 c per litre
Rail:        34.7c per litre
Difference:     8.3 c per litre

source: ARA fact sheet 4 and ATN web site. Some rail tasks involved in value
adding do not pay this now (iron ore roads for example).

Original "Tax Package" Proposal:

Road:     18.0c per litre
Rail:        18.0c per litre
Difference:     Nil

source: memory

Amended and "agreed" Tax Package proposal:

Road:    20.0c per litre
Rail:        00.0c per litre
Difference:     20.0 c per litre

Source: "The Australian Newspaper" admittedly with some strange wording.

In general, I agree with Maurie Daly's remarks - getting rid of petty state
rivalries should be at the top of the priority list. However this is better
than nothing and *may* provide more impetus for investment in rail that
would otherwise not have occured and provide a signal to the provateers that
rail is something (goodness!) that the government may support.

NR was not around in the 60's when rails modal shre was higher, so there is
the benefit from their focus on the interstate market that simply was not
there decades ago...ie a simple compare with those times is a comlpex one.