THE TWEED SHIRE Volume 2 #05 Thursday, October 1, 2009 Advertising and news enquiries: Phone: (02) 6672 2280 Fax: (02) 6672 4933 editor@tweedecho.com.au adcopy@tweedecho.com.au www.tweedecho.com.au
LOCAL & INDEPENDENT
p10-11
State tries to sell off ‘disused’ rail land Luis Feliu
The closed Murwillumbah-to-Casino rail line is now at risk of being lost forever and the land it sits on sold off to developers, after legislation was introduced into state parliament this week. The government claims the new law will facilitate the establishment of ‘rail trails’ for cycling, walking and horse riding but opponents say it has suddenly put every rail line in NSW at risk of being sold off, describing it as a naked land grab and an act of state-sponsored infrastructure vandalism. The move has sparked the formation of a coalition of pro-rail and sustainable transport groups around the state opposed to what they say is a plan to close the railways by stealth. NSW Transport Minister David Campbell introduced the bill to parliament, saying the state had more than 3,000kms of non-operational rail lines and on some lines trains had stopped running on them for more than 30 years. But Greens MP and transport spokesperson Lee Rhiannon said the ‘rail trails’ bill confirmed that every rail line in NSW was now at risk of being declared ‘disused’ by the NSW government and sold off at the stroke of a pen. Ms Rhiannon said the bill confirmed that the ‘rail trail’ legislation ‘is a wolf in sheep’s clothing’ and if passed, the minister could declare any NSW rail line as disused, wait 30 days for a public consultation period to expire, then sell off the line and associated land to developers. ‘The bill gives no definition of what constitutes a “disused” line or any appeal process. The public consultation process involves placing an advertisement in a local paper and on the department’s website and calling for public submissions,’ she said. ‘The minister’s second reading speech on the bill tells the real story. He says where there is no community call for a ‘rail trail’ but that “there may be instances where the best outcome for the community may be to consider closing and disposing of the corridor”.
‘The bill allows for some disused rail corridors to be classified as Crown land and managed by the Lands Administration Ministerial Corporation. ‘The government says this will make way for rail trails. But there is nothing stopping the government leasing the land to a mining company or another corporation for 99 years, effectively quashing any opportunity for this precious public infrastructure to be reused for public transport. ‘The minister’s speech to this bill makes it appear as if rail is dead in NSW but it is Minister Campbell who is the dinosaur. In the age of climate change the government should be breathing life into NSW’s rail network, not closing it down and flogging it off,’ Ms Rhiannon said.
‘State-sponsored vandalism’ Tweed MP Geoff Provest said the bill allowing the government to rip up the tracks and sell off railway land was an ‘act of state-sponsored infrastructure vandalism’. ‘How can the Minister claim, as he did, that the best outcome for the community may be to consider closing and disposing of the corridor?’ Mr Provest asked. ‘Not content with taking away our trains, Labor now literally wants to sabotage the line to prevent any future government building a Casino to Gold Coast passenger service to link up with the two rail systems Queensland is building on the Gold Coast. ‘The minister claims there are safeguards, but the fine print says all he has to is declare the line closed in order to proceed with the firesale of the land and tracks.’ Trains On Our Tracks (TOOT) president Karin Kolbe said many community groups around the state were ‘united in our anger at this naked land grab so we’re working together to stop this legislation’. The debate on the legislation in the upper house continues when parliament resumes on October 20. ■ See letters, page 7
A feast for art lovers Expanding on a hitherto under-explored affinity between guppies and rhinoceroses, a smaller version of this work by acclaimed Byron Shire artist James Guppy will feature in ‘Seduction and Subversion,’ a survey celebrating the 20th anniversary of the artist’s first professional solo exhibition. It is one of a series of exhibitions opening tomorrow (October 2) at the Tweed River Art Gallery. Photo Jeff ‘Permanent Tea Break’ Dawson
Art lovers are set to be treated to a feast of some of the best modern Australian artists in a series of exhibitions which open tomorrow (Friday, October 2) for a six-week stint at the Tweed River Art Gallery. The highlight is a major touring exhibition from Victoria called ‘The Enchanted Forest: New Gothic Storytellers’, where six of Australia’s most respected artists working in a variety of
mediums explore nature-inspired fables and folklore. The exhibition features 30 newly-created and existing works from sculpture, installation and painting to digital imagery and printmaking by notable mid-career artists Jazmina Cininas, Deborah Klein, Milan Milojevic, James Morrison, Louise Weaver and Louiseann Zahra-King. continued on page 2
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On sale Friday 2nd October to Monday 5th October 2009 or while stock lasts. Personal purchases only and not available in conjunction with any other offer. See in store for further conditions. Pictures for illustrative purposes only. #This offer supersedes all other offers and is limited to store stock only and includes GST (no orders or rainchecks), personal shoppers only. Offer excludes gift cards, finance, mobile phones, recharge cards, prepaid plans, accessories, Apple, gaming and extended warranties.
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