Train Siding Location and Process Not Acceptable
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http://www.tarago.org.au/tarago_community_times.php October 2018 The Tarago Times is a non-profit community service, published monthly by the Tarago Sporting Association Inc by a team of volunteers. It has a circulation of 525 copies distributed throughout Tarago, Lake Bathurst, Mayfield, Boro, Taylors Creek and the surrounding district. View online at http://www.tarago.org.au/tarago_community_times.php Train Siding Location and Process Not Acceptable The new train siding for Tarago is controversial and residents should make themselves aware of all the facts behind the grant of $7.7 Million by the NSW Government under the Fixing Country Rail program to extend the current siding primarily for use to manage the Veolia Waste Train traffic. Read the full report by TADPAI on page 4. Above Left: The story made the front page in the Canberra Times on 21st September. Above Right: A container at the Tarago Station leaking leachate. Right: The second train with full containers is currently parked at the Tarago Station for periods of 2 hours awaiting access to the Crisps Creek Intermodel. Veolia is a proud sponsor of The Tarago Times Report all incidence of odour to the Woodlawn Bioreactor Community Feedback Line: 1800 241 750 or the EPA Hotline on 131 555 Option 1 Tarago Times October 2018 Page 1 http://www.tarago.org.au/tarago_community_times.php Get Ready Weekend a Success We had a great day showing everyone over the fire trucks and through the Tarago Fireshed and checking their bushfire survival plans in preparation for this years fire season. If you didn’t come down on the day ask yourself right now Are You Ready? Left: Tarago Bushfire Brigade Junior Anthony and Aydan show some of our locals how to operate the hoses. Below Left: Local girls Maddie and Bella McNally enjoying the get ready day. Below: Part of the display for residents to check their Bushfire Survival Plans. Below Right: Tarago Bushfire Brigade driver Gill Shepherd checks seatbelt fit for our very important passengers before departing the fireshed. Photos from the Tarago Bushfire Brigade facebook page. Goulburn 4822 2970 Tarago Times printed by www.revolutionprint.com.au Page 2 Tarago Times October 2018 http://www.tarago.org.au/tarago_community_times.php Road, Tarago with canteen facilities available at both venues. Thanks to the Tarago Sporting Association for allowing us to have the Friday Night raffle at the Loaded Dog hotel at which we raised $319 for our club. We have purchased our first set of equipment with the funds that we received from the Infigen Energy Capital Community Committee Fund Grant and will be applying for more grants for the remaining equipment that we need for the season ahead. Great news also that the grant application Registrations for the 2018/19 season are open and you that Goulburn Mulwaree Council made on behalf of the can either register online at www.actlaa.org.au or at villages has been successful and this means that the any of our Friday afternoon events. Our first event will Windellama Progress Association’s application for a new be held on Friday 12th October 2018 at 6.00pm at the shed to house our equipment has been approved. Many Windellama Hall grounds, cnr of Windellama and Oallen thanks to all involved and we look forward to our new Ford Roads. Registration Fees for the 2018/19 season for shed appearing in the near future. our club have been set as $105 for each child. We are still If you would like to be a part of the Club or have any waiting for our application to Service NSW to be a service questions please contact our registrar (me) on 0419 provider for the Active Kids voucher to be approved for 639 254 or email [email protected] for more use for the registration fees and will report our progress information. Come and join us for lots of fun and fitness. on this via our facebook page, Southern Tablelands Athletics Club. Gill Shepherd Registrar STAC Senior Athletes are welcome at our Club too. To register go to Athletes ACT website www.athleticsact.org.au/ Participation/Membership and nominate Southern Tablelands Athletics Club as your local club. Events are held on Friday afternoon between 6.00pm – 7.00pm at either the Windellama Hall grounds on Oallen Ford Road, Windellama or the Tarago Recreation Area, Braidwood Solar Power Off Grid Phone Martin on On Grid 4849 4225 Or 0421 196 021 Hybrid www.cjsolar.com.au Clean Energy Council Accredited Installing Solar since 2004 Licensed Electrical Contractors (241654C) Tarago Times October 2018 Page 3 http://www.tarago.org.au/tarago_community_times.php environmental disturbance required of a greenfields site and to utilise existing infrastructure. In addition, this location ensures the loop is in a location such that will provide benefits to all users of the rail line and would remain a public siding/loop.” And goes on to advise “We Tarago and District Progress Association appreciate this has only been raised as a concept as yet but funding needed to be confirmed under the Fixing TARAGO RAIL SIDING EXTENSION Country Rail budget (this only occurred in very late May) Shhh it is a secret! Myself and others have been seeking before designs could be confirmed and delivery of the answers as to who decided that the best way forward is project programmed.” So who has scoped and priced the to extend the in-town Tarago Rail Loop rather than to work to be done, how was the $8.6m required to do the build a new rail siding or loop outside of town to park work calculated, and where are all the other planning up waste trains, and on what justification. Oops sorry, and development documents. And what of community freight trains! Here is our status quo and understanding consultation? as of writing this article today (20 th September). The Hon Pru Goward has advised that she does not recall Veolia has advised that extending the Tarago Rail Loop the extension of Tarago Rail Loop ever being a Cabinet- is a Transport for NSW initiative under the Restart NSW in-Confidence project, and is seeking answers to her own (Fixing Country Rail) Program and that they applied for queries with similar success to us in our queries. The Hon the grant to extend the Tarago Rail Loop on behalf of Pru Goward has convened a meeting for 26th September Transport for NSW, but do not know why Transport for with all the relevant parties involved, but the outcome of NSW wanted them to submit the grant application. Veolia this meeting will need to be conveyed in the next edition is also advising that should the Tarago Community want of the Tarago Times. any further information on the subject, then we should contact Transport for NSW directly. Infrastructure NSW The office of the Hon Angus Taylor is advising that this grant guidelines are very specific in that the owner of issue is a State issue and that we should consult with the the facility is to apply for the grant. relevant State authorities, despite the Hon Angus Taylor now being the Commonwealth Minister for Energy and For the record. $7.7m has been granted to Transport for Woodlawn being and energy production facility. NSW by Infrastructure NSW, and Veolia has contributed a further $900k, thus $8.6m in total to extend the Tarago TADPAI has written to Minister Pavey asking her if she Rail Loop. is the person who gave development approval for the extension, and if so why? TADPAI is yet to receive a Transport for NSW has advised that “The extension is response to its letter. being put in place to provide an area for trains to wait for a short period to allow other trains to pass. As funding The Goulburn Mulwaree Council is advising that they has already been granted, I encourage you to consult with knew nothing of the Tarago Loop’s extension and do Veolia Pty Ltd directly if you have any further concerns not support the extension; despite the grant guidelines about how this extension will be used.” Transport for advising that all work has to be consistent with local NSW staff also continue to advise people contacting government strategic planning, including its endorsement them directly that the extension of the Tarago Rail Loop and partial funding. And one must ask the obvious, why is is a Cabinet-in-Confidence project and therefore cannot there no mention of the extension of the Tarago Rail Loop provide any additional information. in the Tarago Village Plan, noting that Veolia sponsored and funded the development of this Plan. Infrastructure NSW is advising that while Veolia applied for the grant to extend the Rail Loop, it has passed the We have also noted in our research that in 2016, money on to Transport for NSW and that it is they who Infrastructure NSW through Transport for NSW has granted should be contacted for information. $1m to Access Recycling in the ACT under the Pilot Program of the Restart NSW (Fixing Country Rail), which according Department of Planning has advised that Transport to one NSW Government website is an unincorporated for NSW can undertake the extension work without organisation, to build in Fyshwick a waste Intermodal consultation with the Department of Planning, because Facility to transfer waste to Woodlawn. A project that the relevant Act provides an exemption for Government has gone nowhere, has bankrupted the local rail heritage Departments not to follow the same processes and association, and that the ACT Government has revoked procedures as private companies who develop and its planning approvals on, which Capital Recycling is maintain State Significant Infrastructure and/or State now seeking to overturn the revocation through the ACT Significant Developments, but they must produce all Supreme Court.