Minutes of the LRTC Meeting 11th August 2018 at Murrumburrah

LACHLAN REGIONAL TRANSPORT COMMITTEE

Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held in Murrumburrah at the Barnes Store Cafe on Saturday 11 th August 2018

Chairman Dom Figliomeni opened the meeting and welcomed everyone present. Chairman introduced Mayor of Hilltops Brian Ingram to welcome members present.

ATTENDANCE: As per attendance sheet Total 21

APOLOGIES: Rita O’Connor, Judith Hannan, Philip Laird, Warwick Erwin, Anthony Durkin, Michael O’Leary, Eddy Wilkinson, Rob Fisher, Stephen O’Byrne. TOTAL 9 MOVED: Maurice Simpson That apologies be accepted. SECONDED: John Heatherington CARRIED.

MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING: Held at Grenfell 19th May 2018 accepted as read MOVED: Bill West SECONDED: Ken McGrath CARRIED.

BUSINESS ARISING: Nil

CORRESPONDENCE IN:
ARTC re: Harden Railway Station
Philip Liard: Parliamentary report on Illawarra up grade Inland Rail Social Impact Assessment.
Terry McSweeney Transport for NSW: Harden Railway Station. ATO: GST Hilltops Council: Confirming Venue for August Meeting

CORRESPONDENCE OUT:
Hilltops Council re; Venue for August Meeting
ARTC John Fullerton, Andrew Constance, Hon Dr John McVeigh MP, Hon Michael McCormack MP re; Harden Railway Station.
MOVED: Bill West SECONDED: Ray Morris CARRIED.

SECRETARY REPORT: Dennis to send out relevant correspondence by email as it comes in or out.

TREASURERS REPORT: Presented by Dennis Hughes Opening Balance as at 1 st May2018 $ 14074.38 Income 50.74 Expenses $150.00 Closing Balance as at 30th June 2018 $13975.12 Opening Balance as at 1 st July 2018 $13975.12 Income $13.01 Expenses $50 Closing Balance as at 31st July 2018 $13938.13 ( Books closed at the 30th June and are at the Auditors.) MOVED: Dennis Hughes That the Treasurers Report be accepted and A/Cs be paid SECONDED: Maurice Simpson CARRIED.

REPORTS:
Hilltops Council John Horton: Progress has been made since letters to relevant ministers informing them of the state of the Harden Railway Station. Maurice Simpson made a comment of arriving at the station during the night noting the condition in which the station was in.

Lachlan Valley Rail Ray Morris: Things are moving along at the depot at Cowra but it is slow but are working well with the Cowra Council and are hoping to run trains from Cowra to Woodstock to raise the tourism in the town and to generate interest in the Cowra to Blayney line. Working hand in hand with Cowra Council to try and make something happen in the next 12 months.

Ian Gray: Met with Dennis Toohey of the Regional Rail Action from Albury and some members from Orange and Canberra. Trying to sway the Government to improve services when they upgrade the XPT which will be serviced in Dubbo. So services may improve into Dubbo as the trains have to be serviced there. But for the rest of the state who knows. We need to keep an eye on this situation. Dom to include this in the discussion with the Ministers.

Weddin Craig Bembrick: New Bridge over the Lignum Creek made possible by the Bridges to Bush program, the Medical Centre is well on its way, and the new Ambulance Station and the new TAFE have started construction.

Wollongong Council. Gordon Bradbery: This Committee is still very much part off the Wollongong ports progress. Noting that an angle to pressure the Government is to relocate some of the population from the metropolitan areas, if there was better transport services to the regional areas to take the pressure off the populated metropolitan areas. The pressure on both ends is most significant as the population is growing at a rapid rate.

Hilltops Council Brian Ingram: Spoke to Stef Cooke regarding the Blayney to Demondrille line and to Ken Gillespie who is keen on this project. David Aber General Manager Hilltops has met with Ken Gillespie at Canberra to discuss freight and the problems of moving it and stated that it is on the table in a big way and to provide links back to ports

Temora Dale Wiencke: The new operating theatre and new wards in the hospital have been completed. A number of grants have been received to renovate the closed railway station, into a museum, a youth centre and a new kitchen to teach cooking. The bypass is still on going.

Cowra Bill West: He acknowledged Parkes on the contribution and the effort that council have put into freight and transport issues for the Inland Rail and other regional areas. This organisation (LRTC) is important to the connection with Wollongong, Cowra and regional areas, talking together on how to improve transport and freight to port from western regions. The Governments lack of commitment, for the Bells Line of Roads and the Castlereagh corridor is evident, but are now looking to improve the Great Western Highway. Ken Gillespie has been appointed to chair a task force into transport infrastructure in the central west area of NSW and the Canberra rock as well. Bill suggested a delegation from this committee arrange a meeting with Ken Gillespie to talk about all the issues in the region and the congestion in Sydney. There is support for the Blayney Demondrille line to upgrade to 25 ton axle weight as they see it as an alternative route to a connection between the eastern and western lines. There is a significant push from Newcastle to get freight from Dubbo and west of Dubbo to the Newcastle Port. Council is still looking at the bypass around Cowra and the low level bridge over the Lachlan River is ongoing.

Parkes Ken McGrath: The Inland Rail Conference held in Parkes on the 18th -19th July attended by 400 people. Michael McCormack announced that the Signing of the agreement had been made between the NSW, Victoria and Australian Governments, but not with the Queensland Government. John Fullerton CEO of the Inland Rail from ARCT and Warren Truss attended and said that the first train will run in 6 years time from Melbourne to Brisbane but there are thousands of farmers to be spoken to about rail corridors which will take time but this is one of the biggest things the Government has ever done. The CEO of Australia Post stated that they run 350 B-doubles ever night. The next year’s conference will be held in Toowoomba QLD. The Radio Telescope 50th anniversary next year of the Apollo Moon walk.

General Business:
Water infrastructure for the increasing population Talked about the importance of the Maldon Dombarton line for the western area freight but was not mentioned at the conference at Thirlmere. Maurice Simpson will be attending a meeting at Parliament House on the 7th September as part of the committee for the Inland Rail.

General discussion on a floating gas terminal at Port Kembla which is on a ship and can be moved at any time and will be in production for around 20 years. Vacant areas at Port Kembla which could be used. The number of ships in the port at the moment is around 8oo.

The east and the west branch line to link to the Inland Rail.

Dom to put together a list of matters to be discussed with the Minister for Transport. Hold a rail summit to discuss all the items mentioned at this meeting sometime in the future may be around Goulburn.

The upcoming elections next year.

Keeping pressure on the two levels of Government and prioritise a number of projects.

The Bell Line of Road and the Great Western Highway.

The need to get the backing of all our member councils to endorse the decisions made at this meeting e.g. different projects from other councils.

Feedback from our council and private members on issues to be put on the agenda. Inland Rail re: the corridors through farming land and stock movements and the time between each train.

Harden may not be a scheduled stop for the XPT in the future if we don’t keep pressure on the Government and to change the time table so that the XPT stops at Harden early afternoon to arrive in Sydney before dark. Road train assess into Temora still on going Face Book access for the public. The meeting decided to keep the access to members only.

The next meeting date be the 3rd November 2018 at Junee which will the AGM
MEETING CLOSED 12.05pm
CHAIRMAN: …………………………………………………….