Sensational-Adelaide.com

Maximus wrote:Well, I'm back from an internet-free Christmas and I've only just read through the recent pages in this thread. I'm certainly no expert, but rail has always made sense to me and I certainly agree with most of what's been posted.

Heardy, a word of advice, though -- from someone who's worked in government for a while: You're never going to get good 'cut-through' with a message as long as your original post. It's an unfortunate reality that politicians and public servants have short attention spans. They need the key points in an easily-digestible format. Yes, the details are important, but not so much in the first instance. I'd suggest you keep your future correspondence concise, 'punchy' and relevant, and that way you'll have the best chance of being heard.

Hear, hear. It's not so much that politicians or government officials have short attention spans, but it's that key messages or 'facts' are understood a lot more easily and get through better in short brief sentences. No paragraphs, no essays. Just bullet points. Some pictures help too - but be vague on such these. Don't show maps in too much detail that show rail lines going through 200 properties, which imply the need for property acquisition.

For example - and this is just a mock, so don't take the facts seriously - but this is how you should present your 'report' or proposal...

Dear Mr. Weatherill,

(Short but sweet introductory paragraph)
I am a passionate advocate for the reintroduction of passenger rail services from Metropolitian Adelaide to regional and rural areas of South Australia. Realising this proposal has many signifcant benefits for locals, tourists and businesses. I present to you a case in example; a link between Adelaide and Mount Gambier.

• Concrete rail sleepers are more durable and last longer than wooden sleepers.
  
  The estimated cost of the project would be $229 million dollars.
  
  The economic benefit to the SE region would be $1.3 billion dollars over 5 years.
  
  It is anticipated that with the reintroduction of a regular passenger rail service between Adelaide and Mount Gambier, that Mount Gambier's population would grow by an extra 0.5% p.a.
  
  Further links can be developed to Portland and Warranambool in Victoria, as demand grows.
  
  Regional industries would benefit from the option of transporting cargo via rail, complimenting road freight.
  
  Yada, yada, yada...

I have actually received advice in regards to the letter, I am actually going to (somehow) shorten the letter from 11 pages to around 2-3, probably 2.

Heardy_101 wrote:I have actually received advice in regards to the letter, I am actually going to (somehow) shorten the letter from 11 pages to around 2-3, probably 2.

I know this sounds cynical, but what you need to do is find a people lobby the government.

If you idea is feasible, find the people that will make money from the idea, they will start lobbying the government - that is how politics works unfortunately, not taking good ideas from the citizens and enacting them.

Waewick wrote:

Heardy_101 wrote:I have actually received advice in regards to the letter, I am actually going to (somehow) shorten the letter from 11 pages to around 2-3, probably 2.

I know this sounds cynical, but what you need to do is find a people lobby the government.

If you idea is feasible, find the people that will make money from the idea, they will start lobbying the government - that is how politics works unfortunately, not taking good ideas from the citizens and enacting them.

Oh don't worry, I know exactly what you mean. If it doesn't give you a license to print money per say, then people don't want to know about it these days.

Chloe Fox has responded to the Burra Railway Petition that was tabled on September the 4th, 2012, by Stuart MP Dan van Holst Pellekaan. I don't have a copy of the response just yet (the person who was running the petition has sent me a hard copy via mail) but when I do I will post it on here.

Basically in short, the response was that the Government doesn't care and that it's GWA's problem.

In all retrospect, according to that lease agreement, if GWA don't run a loco along the lines every 12 months then they must surrender the lines back to the Government. Trains of any sort haven't run along the Mid North lines since 2004 (Balaklava) and 2007 (Burra line), not too sure about last Kapunda movement.

So according to the lease agreement, then the lines are, or rather should be, under Government control again, not under GWA, and therefore, it is the Government's problem, not GWA's.

So let me understand this then. GWA as it stands are reuiqred to hand back the tracks to the State Gov. That is, our infastructure, built by South Australians, with our taxes, swindled from us, and now the government will not even take it back for free?. All the while transportation of grain is more and more by trucks on ever deteriorating roads, also to be paid for by the tax payer? We really need some poeple in government with business and asset management skills, instead of people who come first in some populartity contest. At the very least a government with some balls to get all these lines back, and add a fuel surcharge to all road users to get this infastructure back to a functioning state, to take the pressure off the roads and reduce costs long term. Same applies for the metro area.

claybro wrote:So let me understand this then. GWA as it stands are reuiqred to hand back the tracks to the State Gov. That is, our infastructure, built by South Australians, with our taxes, swindled from us, and now the government will not even take it back for free?. All the while transportation of grain is more and more by trucks on ever deteriorating roads, also to be paid for by the tax payer? We really need some poeple in government with business and asset management skills, instead of people who come first in some populartity contest. At the very least a government with some balls to get all these lines back, and add a fuel surcharge to all road users to get this infastructure back to a functioning state, to take the pressure off the roads and reduce costs long term. Same applies for the metro area.

Yep, you've got it all in one!! To break it down though....

claybro wrote:So let me understand this then. GWA as it stands are reuiqred to hand back the tracks to the State Gov. That is, our infastructure, built by South Australians, with our taxes, swindled from us, and now the government will not even take it back for free?.

As part of the lease agreement, GWA are supposed to (this is the simplified version):

- Keep the infrastructure (that isn't privately owned) eg the railway itself, the stations, etc, in clean and good condition.
- Run, at a minimum, a light engine movement (eg, Loco no carriages), every 12 months to keep the railways in their name.

As I mentioned above, the last GWA trains to run on the Mid North lines were 2004ish (Balaklava) and 2007ish (Burra Line), and Kapunda may have been around the same time. So in a nutshell, that's roughly 5-6 years without even a single loco running on those lines. Because they haven't done so in 12 months or more, the Government should, by the lease agreement, be now the rightful owners of the Mid Norths lines. I will be making note of that in my next letter to Ms Fox, as well.

Also, rumour is that the Burra and Mid North lines could very well be ripped up by GWA in the next 2 years, meaning that they will pocket the scrap $$$. Meanwhile, our hardworking ancestors are turning in their graves.

It is also worth noting that GWA want money for the lines as well.

claybro wrote: All the while transportation of grain is more and more by trucks on ever deteriorating roads, also to be paid for by the tax payer?

Both Viterra and AWB have expressed interest in using Rail as their preferred option (AWB as far as I know no longer exist). Viterra have, from my knowledge, wanted to use the Mid North lines for Grain over trucks for the last few years, however GWA don't want to know about it. From what I hear, GWA have p*ssed all over Viterra and a few other companies as well.

claybro wrote:At the very least a government with some balls to get all these lines back, and add a fuel surcharge to all road users to get this infastructure back to a functioning state, to take the pressure off the roads and reduce costs long term. Same applies for the metro area.

Spot on. They are in denial.

I also support Toll Roads in SA for this very reason, because it would mean that people might use their cars less and start to use Public Transport again. Then the money recouped should, at the very least, be split between the roads and the public transport. Instead, Mr Snelling would rather sell whatever assets SA has left, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Metro Railways get a mention. "Welcome to Connex Adelaide/Metro Trains Adelaide"....

I'm decided not post the letter from Chloe Fox - mainly because 99% of it is a bunch of formal blah blah blah mainly about how DPTI does this, that and the other but one notable line was that, "Most of the rail lines that extend from Adelaide, with the exception of the Barossa line, are of a different gauge to the one DPTI operates its metropolitan rail passenger services."

Ummm, I'm sorry Ms Fox, but if that is your excuse, then it's a poor one and it's also and outright lie. The Burra line is of Irish Broad Gauge (5ft 3in), the same as the Barossa and Metro lines. Next excuse, please!

Again this obsession with which guage the old lines are. It is irrelevant, just a convinient excuse to do nothing. Who cares what the DPTI are currently doing or not doing with rail.Give them another project and employ some more engineers, steel fabricators and labourers..all regional mind you. .the guage can be done in no time if the general condition of the corridor is still ok, ie bridges/cuaseways and the like. Yes it would cost money, however the alternative is ,rip up the lines and then put everthing on the roads (currently the case). Trouble is the roads cant cope and anyone travelling Mid North would be aware the roads are in a bad way. Chloe Fox is a discrace.

In my response I have basically told her just that. She hasn't even answered any questions, either. She obviously has no idea what goes on outside the boundaries of Gepps Cross and the Heysen Tunnels.

Mr Pellekaan is also going to the Media about her cringeworthy response as well, I and another bloke will be joining him.

Why are you not writing to Pat Conlon or whomever his successor will be? Isn't he the minister responsible for infrastructure? Chloe Fox is AFAIK just responsible for the services.

I wrote to both Conlon and Fox. Pat Conlon's PA responded by saying that because it falls under Transport "Services", his copy of the letter was forwarded to Ms Fox. I know the real reason why he doesn't want anything to do with it, is because he has been caught redhanded before on this issue.

This is the personal response I received from State Shadow Transport Minister Duncan McFetridge. He is the only one so far that has taken the time to respond to me personally, and the only one that has actually responded at all. Goes to show the attitude that the Labor Party has.

"Dear Mitch

Thank you for your extensive letter, regarding the South Australian regional rail system and the need for rail revitalisation to country areas. Your correspondence has been sent to me for my consideration and response as the Shadow Minister for Transport.

I acknowledge your comments and appreciate the detailed information you have provided. I will take into consideration your comments as part of the policy development process in the lead up to the next state election in 2014. However, you need to keep in mind that under Labor’s mismanagement South Australia now has a $14bn state debt, the worst in our states history, and $2.2m per day interest bill. Without considerable Federal Government funding any provision of country rail at this point in time is completely cost prohibitive, but I do recognise the State’s need to plan for the future.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to inform the Liberal Opposition of your views regarding the South Australian rail system.

Yours sincerely

Dr Duncan McFetridge MP
Member for Morphett"

I plan to send him some other details as well as some of my own personal opinions and ideas in regards to not just Regional Transport in this state but also in the Metro area especially Rail and Tram.

Dont get your hopes up from the Libs Heardy. They are extreamely road centric and will fund a road over rail anytime. (see Isobels recent comments re making private car use a bigger priority). From the response you got from the libs it seems they are hell bent on blaming the "Labour" defecit for everything ...fair enough after the most prolific period of growth in history we are further in debt..but instead of finding new revenue streams they will cut back public spending from already exisitng proposals (ie further electrification). Any expansion of rail will not happen on their watch. Would be better if either party had the guts to come up with a fully costed, comprehensive plan, and ways of raising revenue ie tolls/fuel levies etc. Good luck with that!

Don't worry I am well aware of their attitude. They are being made well aware, mind you, of this campaign and it would do them well to follow it closely. Dan van Holst Pellekaan is fully supportive of this campaign as well and is also conducting his own investigations as well I am being led to believe. Rowan Ramsay has expressed similar interest as well.

This is the second letter I have sent to Chloe Fox. As you can see, I have come out all guns blazing. She will not ignore me this time.

Dear Ms Fox,

First of all I cannot express how disappointed and disgusted I am with your response to the Burra Railway Petition, tabled by Mr Dan van Holst Pellekaan on September 4, 2012. Not only have you shown a lack of detailed understanding but also complete ignorance and total arrogance that is reminiscent of you predecessors, in particular that of Mr Conlon and Jane Lomax-Smith. Before responding to such a petition, please have some knowledge and detailed understanding of what you are talking about. I refer to your comments about the Burra line being a “different gauge to the Metro lines”. This is false; the Burra line (as well as all of the Mid North lines), and the Metro lines, are all in Irish Broad Gauge (5 foot 3 inches). So can you please explain to me how the gauges are different?

It is also worth noting that, in the Lease Agreement that Genesee & Wyoming Australia have with the South Australian Government in regards to the Mid North lines (Including Burra, Kapunda and Balaklava), they must:

“Keep the Lessee's Property clean and in good repair and condition"… “keep any buildings on the Land clean and in good condition…”

So far, there is no evidence of this part of the lease being upheld. Stations that are not privately owned are being left to rot, along with the Railway lines themselves. In all retrospect, according to the same lease agreement, if GWA don't run a loco along the lines every 12 months then they must surrender the lines back to the Government. Trains of any sort haven't run along the Mid North lines since 2004 (Balaklava) and 2007 (Burra line). So according to the lease agreement, then the lines are, or rather should be, under Government control again, not under GWA, and therefore, it is the Government's problem, not GWA's.

Second of all, I am even more disappointed and annoyed by the fact that you have taken the time to respond to others in regards to the matter, but have ignored me. Why is this? Do you think the matter will go away? Wrong.

All I ask is that the Government provide proper, detailed answers to the following questions in regards to rail in this state, in particular with GWA and the Regional lines.

1) Has the Minister given consent to demolish the Nuriootpa and Saddleworth Railway Stations, and been satisfied that they are no longer required for safe, efficient and effective use of the railway line and have the reports been prepared and laid before both Houses of Parliament? Are these publicly available?

2) Was there a detailed and proper investigation/survey conducted by the Rann Government into Passenger Rail to the Barossa? And if so was this survey/investigation paid for by public taxes? And in what year (s) were the surveys conducted? Is this also publicly available?

3) If such a survey was properly conducted and paid for by us the public of South Australia, why has there been no publication of the results including the costings of the passenger rail to the Barossa? How was the survey conducted and how many people were surveyed?

4) Why has GWA not followed though on the lease agreement when it states they must “keep the Lessee's Property clean and in good repair and condition...keep any buildings on the Land clean and in good condition...”, and why has the Nuriootpa, Angaston, Burra buildings and other railway infrastructure been allowed to fall into such a state of disrepair in some cases to the point where they now have to be demolished or can’t be operated on?

5) When will GWA (or the DPTI) be made accountable to uphold the lease agreement and repair or replace if need be stations and the rail lines to Angaston, including the station itself, Nuriootpa station, Burra including the line and buildings that GWA hold a lease agreement for these railway corridors and properties as well?

6) Why does the State Govt allocate tax payers money to a private bus company (Barossa Valley Coaches) bus services, by making a “substantial contribution to the local public transport by funding all concessions to the private bus operator”, but refused to help the Barossa Wine train, which in itself was a privately owned business?

7) Why does the (now former) transport minister the Patrick Conlon refuse to release any reports into a Barossa railway? Including the reports on the survey that the Govt have claimed to investigated? And why does this STATE Government allow tax payers dollars to go towards making a substantial contribution to the local public transport by funding all concessions to the private bus operator, yet refuse to put in place a regular public rail service to regions such as the Barossa, Burra, Mt. Barker and Murray Bridge?

Why does the SA Government also refuse to answer any questions to the manipulated forced sale of our regional rail services such as Whyalla and Broken hill when it was clearly stated by Chris Hall in a document in 2007 that in a newsletter by Chris Hall from Bluebird rail that states that: “The AN Board was not happy about the positive Performance of the passenger business. The Board’s aim was to get rid of the business at any cost and for political reasons it was considered that the electorate would oppose the sale of a profitable government Owned business. The aim therefore was to make the passenger business appear unfavorable and to be Making a substantial loss. When an advertising campaign was launched over a Christmas period, Chris was called in to explain why the Business was being advertised. The Board made it clear that there was not to be any advertising of the AN Passenger trains.”

9) Why was the public of South Australia not given the true facts regarding these issues, and are we also now to assume the reason why the transport minister the Hon. Patrick Conlon refuses to release any reports into a Barossa railway.” Is because once again, the Government maybe covering up the true facts to returning a public passenger railway to the Barossa Valley? Including to the reason why the state and local heritage listed buildings and Infrastructures such as the railway lines to our regional areas of the state, that are leased by GWA, why GWA have not been made accountable to the deterioration of many of these infrastructures as stated in the lease agreement?

10) When will GWA or DPTI be held accountable (whoever is responsible) for the demolishing of the Nuriootpa and Saddleworth stations after motions were made to have them restored by local volunteers? Why were they destroyed so suddenly in the knowledge that such local groups wanted to restore them?

Again, I will also remind you Ms Fox that you are part of the SOUTH AUSTRALIAM GOVERNMENT. Not the Adelaide Government, the South Australia Government. South Australia does not end at the Heysen Tunnels or Gepps Cross, either.

I look forward to receiving a proper, detailed response and answers to the aforementioned questions. I am also sending a copy of this letter to a few other individuals, namely MPs, so that they are also aware of this as well.

Kind Regards,
Mitchell Heard.