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Freight Australia sale discussions amidst passenger train delayIndependent Member for Gippsland East, Craig Ingram, says the company responsible for frustrating the return of passenger rail to Bairnsdale, Freight Australia, has let East Gippsland residents down. By Craig Ingram - 23rd October 2003 - Back to News Independent Member for Gippsland East, Craig Ingram, says the company responsible for frustrating the return of passenger rail to Bairnsdale, Freight Australia, has let East Gippsland residents down further after it was revealed this week that discussions were taking place regarding its sale.
"Articles have appeared in three separate major newspapers this week, one stating that it was pretty clear that Freight Australia is potentially on the market," Mr Ingram said.
"Freight Australia owns the rights to 4000km of railway track in Victoria, including the Bairnsdale line.
"In a letter to local press recently, Freight Australia CEO, Marinus van Onselen, was critical of my statements that his company was responsible for the delay in returning Bairnsdale’s passenger train.
"In his letter, Mr van Onselen did not confirm or deny that his company was responsible for the delay.
"Instead, he preferred to use the letter to publicly pat his own company on the back for its supposed ‘dedication and investment’.
"The dedication to East Gippsland residents that Mr van Onselen congratulates himself for is yet to be seen and the $130 million investment made by the company is mostly the $35 million per year it has received from taxpayers for passenger rail access since 1999.
"The company stands to gain an $80 million premium at taypayers’ expense if it does sell.
"If Freight Australia is the good corporate citizen that Mr van Onselen makes it out to be, then I believe that working with the relevant government departments to ensure Bairnsdale’s passenger rail returns without any more delays is the least it can do," Mr Ingram concluded.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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