Address by Antoinette Gray before Glen Innes Severn Council – 19th December 2024

Thank you Mayor and Councillors for giving me this opportunity to address you today. I speak against the recommendations listed under item 7.13 – New England and Northwest Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan. I refer to the report prepared by Infrastructure services. “The purpose of this report is to provide a response by Councillors regarding opportunities to provide feedback on the draft New England and Northwest Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan”. This is an excellent opportunity for the council to make a new submission reflecting the transport needs of our residents. 

There are many such needs as residents have communicated to the council. I have previously sent a copy of our Trains North survey results indicating an overwhelming desire for the train services to be extended to Glen Innes. Yet the recommendation is for you to only note the previously provided information to tfnsw? I believe this information was included in the letter that GM wrote in April 2024 (Annexure A). 

That letter does not reflect the current transport needs of our residents. Under Train Services, it states that “many residents accept that there is no direct train and are satisfied that there is a bus that connects with the Armidale train”. This is based on verbal feedback. How did the council collect this verbal information? Is there a record of this? Or is it simply hearsay? 

The information collected from our survey and through other sources like personal communication is that many residents are not satisfied with the bus. Some complain that it does not have facilities necessary for differently abled people. Others who visit Armidale for health and other reasons like shopping complain that they have to wait all day in Armidale until the return bus in the evening. Residents that I speak to think that the council can prepare a better submission or letter to the transport review with a more representative statement that includes the situation relating to the dire needs existing in our community. 

The April letter also states that ‘The Council does not view the return of a rail service to be economically viable and is progressing with a rail trail on the corridor”. On what basis that the council makes this judgement about the economic viability of rail service return? Has it conducted a feasibility study or a cost benefit analysis? Or is it again another statement that cannot be substantiated? Council needs to leave such matters to TFNSW which is the proper authority to assess economic viability or otherwise.

There is a lot of opposition to the rail trail in our community as it requires the removal of train line. The online petition organised by rail advocate Dr. Siri Gamage through change.org has 4524 supporters. Council’s own telephone survey conducted early this year showed a majority do not support a rail trail. I also remind the council about the 10740-signature community petition submitted to NSW parliament in November 2022 and debated in February 2023 seeking the restoration of train services from Armidale to Jennings/Wallangarra. The minister advised us that she is willing to have another look at this train line on an evidence-based manner. 

Current process for collecting evidence for the NENW regional Integrated transport plan is the main vehicle for collecting evidence. I urge the council to make a submission to this process because the letter sent in April is totally unsatisfactory.

Furthermore, TFNSW recently announced a new 10-year program for regional rail renewal. It is a new strategic initiative called the Regional Network East/West Uplift Program (RNEW Program) designed as part of the NSW Government’s commitment to providing rail networks across NSW that are effective, efficient and reliable”. Here lies another opportunity for us to advocate better train services to Glen Innes.

Under bus services the April letter talks about the need for an expanded bus service between Armidale and Stanthorpe connecting with a bus that goes to Brisbane. However, it does not talk about bus services between Armidale and Glen Innes? I believe we should be asking for more bus services between Armidale and Glen Innes until the government considers future extension of train service to our town.

Let me now refer to recommendation 3. It “Acknowledges that Council has an advocacy role with regard to public transport and advertises the opportunity for community members to provide input into the New England and Northwest Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan via the TfNSW “Have your say” portal”. This only requires the council to advertise the opportunity for community members to provide input into the plan but does not mention any responsibility for the council to make its own inputs? This is quite irresponsible. 

We have elected our representatives to make representations on our behalf to the government on matters important to us. Transport is a matter that is important to us. It is even important in terms of future viability of our town, human well-being and growth. It is important to attract more population, businesses and also for better mobility and connectivity. We deserve better connectivity between our LG area with population centres to the north as well as south. In this regard I commend the notion of wanting a second train from Armidale to Sydney mentioned in the April letter.

Finally, GM’s report mentions only about the interactive map available from the TFNSW web site for community members to have their say. It does not give the email address to send submissions. Many residents not familiar with new technology are unable to access the interactive map. The email address is engage.sritps@transport.nsw.gov.au

I thank you for listening.