Save CountryLink

Disclaimer: This is not an official CountryLink site, nor is it endorsed by CountryLink or the State Rail Authority of New South Wales and no such ensorsement should be implied. The opinions expressed here are my own, although as will become apparent they are shared by a great many people.

On 8 September 2003, the Minister for Transport Services released an Interim Report into the Ministerial Inquiry into Public Passenger Transport. A copy of the Interim Report is available for review (765 kb PDF).

Following this report, Transport Services Minister Michael Costa refused to rule out cuts to CountryLink rail services. Since then there have been fears that CountryLink services could be heavily cut back, and some places could lose their rail service completely.

It is thought that XPT services to Grafton and Murwillumbah and Xplorer services to Moree, Broken Hill, Griffith and Canberra would be withdrawn and replaced with buses. The Armidale service would be cut back to Tamworth. It is also possible that the Melbourne XPT cut back to one train per day, and the Brisbane XPT could be cut back from daily to only 3-4 days per week. Also worrying are rumours that the Murwillumbah and Canberra lines could be closed completely if the passenger services are withdrawn.

This sparked angry protests, rallies, petitions and lobbying by regional and rural communities who would be affected by cuts to CountryLink services. Despite the fact that no decision has yet been made, CountryLink is not taking any reservations beyond 27th March 2004.

Several sources have said that any decision on cuts to rail services will be taken at Cabinet level and will be heavily influenced by the views of Premier Bob Carr. Therefore the best way to help save CountryLink is to write to the Premier.

To make sure your letter has the greatest impact, follow the usual protocols for writing to elected officials. Put it in writing (by snail mail and not by email) as this will be given more credence. For each letter received on a given topic it is assumed that 200 people have that view. The more letters received, the more credence it will be given. This doesn't apply to emails.

Address it to:

The Hon Bob Carr MP
Level 40 Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
Sydney, NSW 2000

A few tips for writing to the Premier:

• Make sure your residential address is included if you wish to receive a reply.
• Be polite and address him as "Dear Premier". Remember he is the highest elected official in the state and the position of Premier deserves respect.
• Keep your letter brief and to the point. It may be best to write from the point of view of a concerned citizen about the various "rumours" to cut CountryLink services purely on economic grounds.
• If you live in NSW, send a copy of the letter to your local Member. You can find the name and address of your local Member at http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au.
• If you live in NSW but are not yet old enough to vote, you can still make your point. For example, if you are aged 14-17 you may wish to say that any decision about CountryLink may influence the way you vote at the 2007 election.
• If you live in Melbourne, Brisbane or Canberra, make the point that although you do not live in NSW you are very concerned because CountryLink operates the service to where you live. For example a Melbourne resident has sent this letter to the Premier.
• If you live outside Australia but feel strongly about the issue, send a letter, fax or email fo Premier Carr. His contact details can be found here. (Note: I would recommend sending an email only if you live outside Australia). It would be best written from the point of view of a potential tourist, noting that certain Australian rail passes are only available to international tourists and cuts to CountryLink services would make such passes less attractive.