The WA Labor party has pledged $30 million to keep the ‘Tier 3’ grain rail lines open and trucks off the roads if it wins the election in March.
Opposition leader Mark McGowan made the commitment today, with the funds to be rolled out over the next three years.
The state government late last year made a surprise backflip announcement to keep the Tier 3 rail lines in the Wheatbelt open to the end of October in 2013, following widespread protest from the agricultural sector that road safety would be at risk with a massive increase of trucks on country and metropolitan roads.
Mr McGowan today said the Wheatbelt region already had the highest road death toll in WA, with 740 killed or seriously injured between 2001 and 2010.
“The Wheatbelt Rail Retention Alliance has estimated the rail closure will put between 57,000 and 85,000 extra truck movements on our roads annually,” he said.
“$30 million over three years will help the rail network operator and users of the lines to reach a commercial agreement to keep the Tier 3 rail lines open.”
The election pledge was welcomed today by the WA Farmers Federation, however president Dale Park said it was not enough.
“I applaud WA Labor for their support of Tier 3 rail, it is the best offer on the table at present, however with the current situation with leases and agreements, more funding is required to ensure the long term future of Tier 3,” Mr Park said.
“This funding will need support from other companies involved in the freight of grain in Western Australia.
“WAFarmers hopes that this election promise will bring the parties involved in Tier 3 rail together and they can develop a solution to the long term commercial viability of the network.”
