Federal Budget - May 2003

freightgate · Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 12:46 pm

Guys, Did anyone hear anything about railway funding in the budget announced last night?

awsgc24 · Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 7:56 pm

The 2003-4 Federal Budget papers say this:

"The centrepiece of the proposal is the development of a National Land Transport Plan, so governments and communities can plan the new roads and railways we will need to cope with the massive increase in traffic forecast over the next twenty years."

Note that the word "railways" is mentioned.

Note that there is nothing for non-new existing railways. Bean counter are very stickly about such differences.

Thus there is is $6.3m to replace the Finke River NT road bridge which gets flooded 6 times in 30 years, closed for a week, but nothing for the Menangle Bridge, closed for a month.

Thomas the tank engine · Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 8:57 pm

There was also talk of establishing a national investigation unit on interstate rail accidents....