Tasmanian Liberals want disclosure of rail freight talks

<p>The Tasmanian Liberal Party urged the State Government yesterday (Tuesday, April 29) to fully disclose the details of its negotiations with Pacific National over the rail operator’s threat to end its freight services.</p> <p>Shadow infrastructure minister Peter Gutwein told <em>Lloyd’s List DCN</em> that Tasmania’s new Bell Bay pulp mill would put extra strain on a network that was not prepared for it and the withdrawal of Pacific National would be a disaster.</p> <p>He said the current deed of agreement struck between Pacific National and the State Government 12 months ago did not prevent other rail carriers from operating on the network. </p> <p>&#8220It is vital that this Labor Government does not stand by and just wait for Pacific National to make a decision about its future in this state,&#8221 Mr Gutwein said. </p> <p>The Government should actively pursue other operators to work alongside Pacific National just in case the rail operator decided to withdrawal.</p> <p>&#8220Pacific National hasn’t come out and unequivocally given a guarantee that it’s intention is to stay in Tasmania &#8211 actually quiet the opposite,&#8221 Mr Gutwein said.</p> <p>Pacific National’s parent company, Asciano, recently said in a statement that its Tasmanian rail business was under review.</p> <p>Mr Gutwein said this was an indication that the rail operator could be on the way out.</p> <p>The Midlands Highway, a major Tasmanian freight corridor, was in dire need of funding as well as most of the rail network, he said.</p> <p>Since the departure of Steve Kons from the infrastructure portfolio, the Government’s management of the state’s road and rail network had deteriorated, he said.</p> <p>Mr Kons had been sent to the backbench after it was revealed he had been lying to Parliament earlier in the month.</p> <p>Mr Gutwein said since then, the Government had not been ferocious enough with the Federal Government in securing money for road and rail upgrades.</p> <p>He said $442m had been promised to Tasmania for infrastructure projects during the last Federal election, with $100m designated for rail upgrades, yet the State Government had not yet received it.</p> <br />