Westrail to continue hauling coal from Collie to Bunbury power station

10/5/95

Transport Minister Eric Charlton said today that Westrail would continue to haul coal from Collie to the Bunbury power station.

Mr Charlton said negotiations between Westrail and Western Power would result in a bulk freight agreement to haul 150,000 tonnes of coal per annum.  The key to negotiations was Westrail's ability to offer freight rates that matched the road alternative.

"This is an excellent example of the competitive marketing of Westrail as they factor into their freight rates the gains that will be made under the Right Track modernisation program," he said.

Mr Charlton said speculation by Labor MLA David Smith that there would be a trial period during which the coal would be trucked from Collie to Bunbury was inaccurate and Mr Smith should in future check the facts before trying to score cheap political mileage.

"He should now apologise to the residents in the South-West for his irresponsible scaremongering by trying to raise undue public concern," he said.

The Western Power coal contract using Westrail was an excellent example of moving bulk freight off the roads and on to rail, thereby reducing expenditure on country road maintenance and increasing road safety.

"Members of the Labor Opposition would do better directing their time and energy to extracting more Commonwealth Government money for Western Australian roads," Mr Charlton said.

The total Budget allocation for national highways was $834 million of which Western Australia was apportioned a mere $60.7 million. This was despite WA's overtures in the lead-up to the Budget that $116 million was needed each year over the next five years to fix important stretches of the national highway system in this State.

The allocation to WA represents a return of only seven per cent of the total funding pool for national highways while WA road users contribute 10 per cent of Commonwealth revenue derived from the Federal fuel excise.

"The massive increase in WA exports which now account for 25 per cent of the nation's total exports once again have been highly underrated by a penny-pinching Commonwealth Government," Mr Charlton said.

Media contact:  Ian Hasleby 321 7333