Rail fail ‘ stalls projects’

IN tomorrow’s Townsville Eye, meet multiskilled musician Neville Minon, who’s hanging up the trombone at 85. Plus we check out the Townsville Hindu community’s Arpan event which is taking shape for next weekend, featuring dancers including Shine Jijo, Sandhya Menon and Sumi Robin. Don’t miss our interviews with comedian Jimeoin as well as Neven Vanderzee, who’s created the menu for Cowboys star Gavin Cooper’s food venture, Suki. THE State Government has defended its decision to shelve the construction of a major rail corridor in Townsville, which proponents say has left the region in “limbo”.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said cost- benefit analysis in a business case of the proposed $ 450 million Townsville Eastern Access Rail Corridor showed it wasn’t the right time to fund the project.

“The business case is saying the need for ( TEARC) is there but not at this moment,” he said.

Mr Bailey said increasing freight volumes and widening the Port of Townsville channel had to occur first.

Townsville Enterprise chief executive Patricia O’Callaghan said the delay was “disappointing”.

“There is already a number of large- scale projects currently in the pipeline, dependent on the construction of the TEARC, with this decision now placing those projects and the potential jobs they would create in limbo,” she said.

She said the analysis was based on “low trade forecasts”.

“The cost- benefit analysis did not include future projects, which would have resulted in a very different outcome,” she said.

Meanwhile Traeger MP Robbie Katter said the “biggest problem” for freight in the region was the cost of using the Mount Isa rail line.

“The charges on that line are too high, it’s actually pushing more freight on to the roads,” he said.

“The problem now is not access or volume on the track; our problem is trying to keep people from going off the track altogether,” he said.

Mr Katter said the Government needed to “fix” price regulation on the rail line.

“Either decide whether this rail line is an economic enabler or a profit maker,” he said.

LNP state development spokesman Andrew Powell said the Government’s deci- sion not to back TEARC was a “slap in the face” to Townsville.

“Labor have turned down $ 150 million the Federal Government had put on the table for Townsville,” he said.

Mr Powell said the decision to pursue the channel- widening project instead of TEARC made no sense.

“Without an upgrade to the rail line, how does he think this freight is going to get to and from the port?” he said.