ATTENDING the Rail Revival Alliance Groups Rally at the Old Newstead Railway Station on April 6, I would like to congratulate them and the large gathering of local residents supporting the need for the return of a rail service to their town.
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Even to the point that they have been chasing grants to revamp the old station which is still in good condition and has escaped the vandalism of many others that have finished up ruined beyond repair.
From my observation this station could be refurbished just like the Kangaroo Flat station was to something like its former glory.
An election promise by the Coalition prior to the last state election was to look into rebuilding the service from Bendigo through to Ballarat and on to Geelong.
But just on four years later the proposed service is as far away as ever.
I suppose one must give the Coalition credit for undertaking a study into costings for the return of a train service. But it was of no surprise they come up with a ridiculous costing to dismiss this pre-election promise.
From my understanding and looking at the reports from both proposals, one is a Rolls Royce service with all the bells and whistles. The other a service that gives the user a service to meet their needs at a far less cost to everyone. But as time goes on this service can be updated and improved but there has to be a starting point in everything - it is much simpler and easier to start smaller and expand the service.
The first step could be to join the line between Maryborough and Castlemaine. This would allow the communities along this line the opportunity to get to regional cities and even Melbourne with a lot of people wanting to get out of the big city sprawl and move to better lifestyles in regional areas and commute daily to employment that’s around.
This could result in these communities to rebuild and create a better financial outcome and employment, allow people to get to medical appointments that have trouble getting into buses.
It also offers tourist opportunities. The Victorian Goldfields Railways could expand their services to Maryborough or who knows where, but are restricted by short-sighted visions failing to be given the opportunities by the people we trust our futures in, making decisions to benefit the greater community at large.
To return these services to rural and regional areas can open up a lot of avenues once more, things they had in previous years taken away by governments supporting multi-Nationals.
It’s an area for all political parties to have a good look at themselves.
Start giving back something to the rural and regional communities, listen to the people on the street and act accordingly.
We are not going to be living in a sustainable society because the longer you fail to act on these decisions the longer these communities and the whole state is going to continue to suffer.
IVAN KITT
Bendigo