THE Labor candidate for the Seat of Goulburn in the March State election, Ursula Stephens, will be outlining her party’s position on rail when she addresses the first Southern Tablelands Rail Users’ Group meeting of the year on Monday night.
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Dr Stephens said she would outline Labor’s view on an integrated strategy for travellers between Sydney-Goulburn-Canberra as part of a major push to accommodate “the accelerated population and economic growth along the corridor”.
“The people of this growing region do not deserve to be ignored by our state government and left to fend for themselves,” Dr Stephens said.
“They deserve a quality transport service as much as anyone in NSW.”
STRUG president Greg Price said he was delighted Dr Stephens, a former Senator in the Australian Parliament, has chosen to detail Labor’s position on rail transport at a STRUG meeting and he expected a large turnout.
Two other State election candidates, Christian Democrats’ Adrian Van Der Byl (who regularly attends STRUG meetings) and the Greens’ Iain Fyfe, were also expected to be present.
The meeting will start at 7.30pm.
Mr Price said members and visitors should note the 2015 meeting venue was now the Goulburn Workers’ Club’s Station Room and he thanked the club’s management and board for making those facilities available.
Mr Price said STRUG would be maintaining its pressure on seeking passenger rail improvements for users along the southern corridor and given this is an election year, it was important for candidates to express their respective party’s positions.
And it seems STRUG’s attitude on electrification and fast tilting trains between Canberra-Goulburn and Sydney as outlined in the Goulburn Post last Wednesday has hit a chord.
STRUG secretary Leon Oberg has been fielding positive phone calls and emails ever since from individuals and organisations over a wide area.
He will be telling the meeting how two of those contacts, including nationally-known rail advocate Dr Philip Laird, a Research Fellow and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Informatics at the University of Wollongong, were now exploring ways to formally link up with STRUG to collectively widen the conversation.
In addition, both Mr Price and Mr Oberg have a high level appointment with Wollondilly Council this Friday to further the electrification conversation of the line through to Goulburn and Canberra.
Mr Price said that council’s executives appeared to be seizing the moment and could see great benefits for their area and beyond through quieter, reliable electric trains that also offered greater capacity and versatility.
