Tier 3 rally planned

Frustrated Wheatbelt growers are planning to converge at Parliament House to present the State Government and Brookfield Rail a $200 million bill to fix the roads or otherwise provide immediate access to mothballed Tier 3 lines this harvest.

WAFarmers and the Wheatbelt Railway Retention Alliance say they are making the presentation in an attempt to raise community awareness about the freight rail network issue.

Industry analysts have predicted another bumper crop for the Wheatbelt this year and many growers in the Tier 3 areas worry about the safety and cost of getting the grain to port, after fears the line closures will mean thousands of extra truck movements on crumbling regional roads, with local communities to bear the brunt of millions of dollars in extra freight costs.

WAFarmers president Dale Park said recommendation 19 of the recent parliamentary inquiry into management of the State's freight rail network stated if Government and Brookfield did not wish to operate Tier 3 lines, growers should be allowed to take over the lines.

The 2010 Strategic Grain Network Report had stated $320 million was required in road upgrades, but to date government has only spent $118 million on upgrades.

"We think the real price should be $400 million and that's being conservative," he said.

"In Kulin alone it is expected to cost growers an extra $750,000 for freight this year.

"Now we've had the Auditor General's report and the parliamentary report and still nothing seems to be happening.

"As uncovered, in 2010 the State lost its right to reclaim unused rail lines and it seemed very easy for the Government to make variations to the lease on Brookfield's behalf, so why can't they change those variations back again?"

Wheatbelt Rail Retention Alliance chairman Greg Richards said the group would be appealing to its members and other industry groups to gather on the steps of Parliament House on November 25.

"As well as presenting the bill to the Premier we also plan to demand the lease is re-addressed to provide transparency and to provide an equitable and just lease arrangement, with open competition," he said.

"The Public Transport Authority must be removed as the manager of the lease, now that we know they have a financial interest.

"But most importantly of all it is critical for people to know that in the Tier 3 affected areas there is a seven times greater chance of becoming involved in a road incident, so we need to ensure a safe path to port - road safety impact has not been addressed in any of the reports to Government.

"This will assist in development of the State's economy and assist export industries."

Mr Park and Mr Richard have appealed to growers and anybody who is concerned about the State's rail freight problems to come and show their support on the day.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Dean Nalder was grilled in Parliament on Tuesday over State Government's management of the State's rail network.

The Opposition presented a motion condemning the Barnett Government for: misleading the people of Western Australia over its commitments to Tier 3 rail, and allowing the Public Transport Authority to create a conflict of interest by entering into a commercial relationship with Brookfield Rail.

In an onslaught of fiery criticism led by Labor's shadow minister of government accountability, Rita Saffioti, Mr Nalder was hammered over his lack of knowledge of a secret profit-sharing deal between the PTA and Brookfield Rail.

Ms Saffioti accused the government of failing to provide the necessary details to Mr Nalder when he took over the transport portfolio from Troy Buswell.

But in response, Mr Nalder denied the government and the PTA had acted inappropriately, saying the deal was of benefit to the State's taxpayers.

"There is a profit share arrangement that is there on the basis that it's to protect the taxpayers because of the significant investment that they made," Mr Nalder said.

"It's not anticipated that there will be a dollar made from that as the result of the movement of grain. Because, as per the KMPG report, there is no profit expected.

"Should there be a significant mining find out in the Southwest and the agricultural sector, and hence a lot more movement of tonnage across the lines, then we have a chance to claw some of that money back."