Minutes of the LRTC Meeting 7th September 2019 at Greenethorpe

Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held in Greenethorpe

Saturday 7th September 2019

Chairman Dom Figliomeni opened the meeting and welcomed everyone present.
ATTENDANCE: As per attendance sheet Total 34

Chairman Dom introduced Weddin Shire Mayor Mark Leibick to welcome all attending. Explaining that Weddin was a very aggressive Shire with a new Ambulance Station and plans for an upgrade of the main street. He also commented on the work this Committee was doing to improve the air, road and rail for the future and the reopening of the Blayney to Demondrille line would be a great benefit to this area. Chairman Dom also welcomed ARTC Clementine Julian, Patricio Munoz and Heath Martin and Transport NSW Shannon Bennet.

APOLOGIES: Gordon Bradbery, Michael O’Leary, Max Duffey, Steph Cooke MP, Judith Hannan, Neil Hannan, Philip Laird TOTAL 7 MOVED: Ray Morris That apologies be accepted. SECONDED: John Horton CARRIED. A Minutes Silence was held for the passing of Hon Tim Fisher

MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING WERE READ: MOVED: Ray Morris SECONDED: Graham Dun CARRIED. BUSINESS ARISING: Ian Gray clarified his comment that more trains were to be replaced MOVED: John Hetherington SECONDED: John Horton CARRIED.

PRESENTATION ARTC:
Clementine Julian Government Relation for NSW, Patricio Munoz Stakeholder Engagement Manager NSW (North) and Heath Martin Stakeholder Engagement Manager NSW (South). Patricio area runs from Parkes to the North Star and is working on the section from Narromine to Narrabri 300ks of new track which covers 5 Councils and about 300 land owners involved and they meet with every land owner on site to work through with them the projects objectives which takes up to 4 hours which is enormous task. The Narrabri to North Star section will take 24000 tons of steel line plus sleepers which are been delivered for construction to start next year. Heath has just completed a 9 week engagement period for the Illabo – Stockinbingal section of 37kms of new line. Meeting with land owner discussing stock movements, water and machinery movements. The Stockinbingal to Parkes line which travels through the Weddin Shire is an existing line but the bridge over the Lachlan River at Forbes is a problem. With the double stacking trains are a little wider so an adjustment will be needed in some areas. Albury to Illabo there are 12 structures to be modified and in the back ground there is a lot of time planning, designing, and speaking to land owners which the community do not see. There are vigorous government standards and requirements that have to be maintained throughout this whole project. Heath asked for any questions from the floor.

Garry Braithwaite re: Narromine section. The community could have been better informed.

Ken McGrath re: Does the drought condition have any effect on the project. Yes it is challenging finding the fill and water is a problem. Joe Kinsela re: Tourism and intermodal into Wagga. Tourism is not a consideration at present but may be in the future but it will be driven by industry.

Pascale Stendell re: Timing between Melbourne to Brisbane. If the project can’t provide a 24 hour trip and on budget it may be taken off the table.

Murray Swarm re: Actual speed of the train. 115ks/H is standard but depends on the axle weights.

Dom Figliomeni re: Time frame for alignment completion. Maybe by the end of the year but the whole project to be completed by 2025.

Mayor Mark Leibick re: Any provision for Road trucks to be transported by the inland rail. Not at this stage but a good question and could be considered in future.

Chairman Dom introduced Sharon Bennet Transport NSW. Sharon is involved in Freight to ports and Fixing Country rail. Fixing Country rail is a $400m program also working with Inland rail. FCR there are 36 programs now running across the state. A number of studies are in progress and the Blayney – Demondrille line is one them and is close to been finished. When these studies are finished the report is presented to Local Council for inspection and then Sharon will go out to the Council to discuss the findings of the report. The freight required for the Blayney – Demondrille line is not sufficient at this stage to make the line profitable but if it was used as an alternative route to sea board instead of going over the Blue Mountain it would bring its rating up substantially so the idea of an alternate route is critical but it is 150kms longer and the costing for that line is around $100m. There have been about 12 studies done on this line.

Ian Gray re: Tocumwal Study. All the recent studies are done in depth but there is a degree of confidentiality.

Maurice Simpson re: the Maldon - Dombarton Line. This line is listed more midterm and at this time nothing has begun Another interesting one is Canberra to Eden study.

Peter Toole re: Freight in the future and how Road Trucks will be involved. There are quite a number of surveys and projects in progress involving road and rail freight movements and supporting the infrastructure need for both rail and road freight Sharon did accept an invite to a future meeting to discuss the results of the latest surveys. In NSW there is 118,000kms of roads and over 4,000 bridges to maintain Maurice Simpson re: Tourism. RMS are looking at passenger trains and opening short lines for tourism in different areas.

CORRESPONDENCE IN:
Alkane Quarterly Report
Independent Inquiry into Inland Rail Anthony Albanese Minister for Regional Roads and Rail
Letter to John Fullton CEO ARTC
Letter to Deputy Prime Minister
Short History on Blayney – Demondrille
Reply from Transport NSW re: Dubbo Bridge & Inland rail
Reply from Hon Gabrielle Upton MP
Central West Transport Forum re: Dubbo Bridge & Road Development
Invite to Paul Toole MP to Greenethorpe meeting
Forwarded Paul Toole MP letter to Joe Fealy ARTC

CORRESPONDENCE OUT:
CWA support inquiry into Inland Rail
Alan Channel Alternative route Inland Rail Parkes to Narrabri
Jennifer Knop Submission to NSW Planning & Environment
NSW Farmers Inland Rail the Facts
Media release from Alkane
Media release from Tim Fisher
Short History on Blayney – Demondrille
Reply from Transport NSW re: Dubbo Bridge & Inland rail
Reply from Hon Gabrielle Upton MP
Central West Transport Forum re: Dubbo Bridge & Road
MOVED: John Hetherington SECONDED: Ian Gray CARRIED

TREASURERS REPORT: Presented by Dennis Hughes Opening Balance as at 1 st May 19 $ 16,976.98 Income $86.21 Expenses $200.00 Balance 31st August 19 $16,863.19 MOVED: Dennis Hughes That the Treasurers Report be accepted and A/Cs be paid SECONDED: John Horton CARRIED. REPORTS: John Faulks Tourism for Greenethorpe and thanked all for their attendance

Temora Shire Dale Wiencke: $28m Upgrade of the line north of Temora to Ungarie. $1m Upgrade to Town Hall

Parkes Shire Ken McGrath: Allocated $169m for bypass around Parkes Preparation for the Elvis festival are well on the way

Dubbo Council Vicki Etheridge: No change on the bridge. A special Council meeting on Monday 9th Sept to inform the local community on the River Street Bridge The petition now has 6000 signatures but need 10000

Graham Dunn Cowra: Acquired maps of the Dubbo and Narromine areas

Hilltops Council: John Horton: Harden railway Station is untidy again Young investing $300m on a new swimming pool New Hospital in Harden is been built Jugiong has installed an electric car fast charger Preparation of the Kite Festival are in hand

Noelene Milliken Wagga: Attended a meeting in Goulburn 29th July 19 of the Rail Action Group run by Ian Mondon Transport NSW Area manager of Southern and Regional South. Dale Merrick stated that 44mil journeys in Sydney to 1mil in country areas. Guy Collishaw spoke on the new trains that are to be purchased in the future. Julie Gee Spoke on the Future Transport Strategy with road & rail.

Ray Morris LVR: Concerned with some of the reporting in papers and media about the Cowra Woodstock Line and the Cowra Yard and the Locomotive shed. Upgrades to the yard and the turn table is now working and with the new roads around the depot and sheds will take you to the new entrance

Cowra Shire Bill West: The Cowra Council will receive one copy of the report on the Blayney- Demondrille line. RMS to do a study on a new bridge over the Lachlan River. The upgrade of the CBD will be starting in September 2019. The wall at Wyangala Dam will be raised another 10metres.

John Hetherington Grenfell: Recently attended the Parkes show where he meet with the ARTC Inland Rail Team and was given a bag of goodies also a track welding demo and plenty of information

Maurice Simpson Grenfell: The funds distributed to city Councils in NSW are way out of proportion (low) to the country Councils. Tourism and the upgrade of the Blayney – Demondrille line.

Ian Gray CSU Wagga: Web Site needs an upgrade and we need more info from Frog Quartet All records should be in one place or on an USB stick.

General Business: Garry Braithwaite River Street Bridge. Dubbo Regional Council to provide a Councillor to their meetings. Some 300 people attended a RMS shop in Dubbo and 67% voted not to construct the bridge.

Action : Vicki Etheridge to email to Dom the full motion approved at the special meeting of Dubbo Regional Council on Monday 9 th September 2019 with a letter to Minister O’Toole noting the Committees support of the Council decisuion.

Next meeting at Oberon
9 th November 2019
MEETING CLOSED 12.50pm

CHAIRMAN: …………………………………………………….