Fremantle Road to Rail campaign forum

From the Wheatbelt to the Port: Rail is the Way! Trucks: No Way!

The wheat harvest has begun. About 12 million tonnes will be transported. Transport Minister Troy Buswell has been playing games with promises to keep rail lines open. Pushing grain from rail to truck will choke country and metro roads.

PUBLIC MEETING
Fremantle Council Chamber, (entrance via rear steps Town Hall)

Thursday November 10, 6:30 pm

Chair:
Brad Pettitt – Mayor of Fremantle

Speakers:
Jane Fuchsbichler – Wheatbelt Railway Retention Alliance
Sam Wainwright – Fremantle Councillor
Barry Healy – Fremantle Road to Rail Campaign

Organised by Fremantle Road to Rail campaign.


Why should Fremantle care about grain on rail?

The Wheatbelt Railway Retention Alliance (WRRA) has an important story to tell, and Fremantle residents deserve to hear it.

On July 1 three regional grain lines (known as tier 3 lines) were closed.

On September 1 Minister Troy Buswell announced a possible one year extension to these three Tier 3 lines, but money needed to make this promise reality has failed to appear in time for work to be completed for the commencement of harvest.

Shifting millions of tonnes of grain by truck will make regional WA roads dangerous and it will funnel more truck movements through the metro area.

Up to ninety-eight per cent of the harvest in the Kwinana zone is currently rail freighted to port.

The sheer scale of what Troy Buswell intends is of serious concern: tens of thousands of road train movements destroying roads and communities, creating diesel particulate pollution.

The Wheatbelt’s situation is similar to Fremantle’s, the overwhelming majority of people want the obvious solution to the freight task: rail.

Fremantle residents can be proud of the role our Council is playing by joining the WRRA.

Fremantle people can join our regional counterparts to stop the government’s view that trucks are the only freight solution.

The real answer is to move as much freight as possible onto rail.