Without Any Consideration of Potential for Re-Use
www.tas.greens.org.au
The Tasmanian Greens today called on Infrastructure Minister Graeme Sturges to explain why his Department has paid a private company $968,000 to dispose of potentially reusable railway sleepers that could have allowed for the re-opening of a number of smaller railway lines around the state.
Greens Infrastructure spokesperson Tim Morris MP said the railway lines used by Derwent Valley Railway, the Redwater Creek Railway and the Ida Bay Railway all require sleeper replacement, and it beggars belief that the Infrastructure Minister could turn his back on these small operators and actually pay another company to dispose of sleepers that could have been re-used in these lines.
Mr Morris also said that while the bulk of the used sleepers are wooden, there are also large numbers of steel sleepers, spikes, fish plates and other rail ‘jewellery’ being sent for scrap without any consideration of potential for re-use, and the Minister is unable to explain whether this practice will continue.
“Minister Sturges refused my previous request to consider separating re-usable sleepers and using them to rehabilitate lines utilised by smaller railway operators, and now we discover that his Department has actually paid $968,000 to dispose of the used sleepers,” said Mr Morris.
“The Minister has failed to consider the Derwent Valley Line past Boyer, which requires a considerable number of sleepers before it can re-open to tourist trains.
“The Redwater Creek Railway has traditionally relied upon re-used sleepers to maintain its line, until now.”
“Ida Bay Railway missed out again and in fact the Department also failed to offer them the rail spikes that they needed to participate in a rail crossing upgrade that was proposed under the Federal Government’s economic stimulus package.”
“It is not just wooden sleepers that are being disposed of, there are also used steel sleepers, spikes, fish plates and other rail ‘jewellery’ being sent for scrap without any assessment of their potential for re-use.”
“The Greens condemn Minister Sturges and the Bartlett Government for missing a significant opportunity to enhance our dilapidated rail lines and assist Tasmanian rail tourism businesses. The Minister should apologise for his failure to act in Tasmania’s best interests,” said Mr Morris.
Tim Morris MP Greens Infrastructure Spokesperson
