Transport and Infrastructure

From the time I first entered parliament the issue of air services to the Northern Tablelands has been continually debated. At this time we have only QantasLink operating in on the Armidale to Sydney link after Regional Express Airlines pulled out. There is now no service to Brisbane. Inverell has an air service through Big Sky Express to Sydney but Glen Innes currently has no air service. When there was competition in Armidale the number of people using air services increased dramatically and it is to be hoped that we can attract more competition on the route in the future.

We won a momentous battle to save the Countrylink rail service to Armidale with thousands of community members putting their weight behind the campaign which we won. I certainly think the service is safe from further cuts at present but it is a situation that has to be monitored. There are often complaints about trains running late and I have taken this up with the Minister.

I am also backing the New England route for the planned Melbourne to Brisbane rail corridor. The recent report    suggesting that the route through Moree would be faster and cheaper does not really stack up. There are a lot of unanswered questions about the estimates of building the line across the flood plain, the black soil and purchasing some of the richest farming land in the State.

We still have shocking mobile phone coverage in our area and slow communication services. We need fast broadband in regional areas to promote economic growth and provide services and information to remote communities. The Federal Government is not delivering on these and the National Party having supported the full sale of Telstra seems to have forgotten its rural constituents.