Print Post Approved25500003-01148 - Rail, Tram and Bus Union of ...

5. Older people and people with a disability will be forced
to stand at CityRail ticket windows for long periods of
time while making bookings (where it is very difficult to
communicate through the glass windows).
Subsequently CountryLink customers queuing to get
their tickets, possibly in the elements, will further delay
CityRail commuters already disgruntled by an
unreliable service. Furthermore the sale of a
CountryLink ticket requires more detailed
communication & more time to be issued, as apposed to
a CityRail ticket.
6. With an increasing ageing population the demand to
provide rail services to this demographic will increase
while the ability to provide the necessary services is
being reduced by RailCorp through the removal of
accessible CountryLink Travel Centres.
7. CountryLink Travel Centres provide packages to local,
regional and outback destinations which assist in the
promotion of tourism in NSW. Other travel agents do
not provide this service making us a specialist centre.
8. CountryLink Travel Centres can promote and sell more
competitively than other travel agents as we are a "One
Stop Domestic Travel Shop."
9. Without CountryLink Travel Centres to promote the use
of rail the returns for the investment in infrastructure
will not be fully realised thereby reducing revenue and
increasing the financial contribution by the tax payer.
10. CountryLink Travel Centres provide a tourist
information role to overseas tourists which brings in
valuable income to the State of NSW, and RailCorp.
11. Many people in isolated regional areas depend on
CountryLink Travel Centres as they are their only
source of information on public transport and NSW
tourism services.
12. Areas such as Broken Hill, Dubbo, Moree and Lightning
Ridge which are already reeling from the economic
effects of the drought rely heavily on jobs in tourism to
sustain their livelihood. By closing CountryLink Travel
Centres this will impact heavily on these towns.
13. Students, older people, people with a disability and the
economically disadvantaged will be forced to book
through private travel agents who normally charge
booking fees.
Howard’s Razor
Taken to OHS
Workplace safety has been
added to John Howard’s Senate
majority hit list, following the
announcement of a businessled
taskforce to cut regulations.
The Prime Minister and
Treasurer Peter Costello
revealed plans to set up the
taskforce to review and remove
regulation in areas such as
health and safety and the
environment.
The taskforce will look and
suggest changes to regulations
that are "un-necessarily
burdensome" and look at
options for business selfregulation.
Members of the taskforce
include chairman of the
Productivity Commission, Gary
Banks, former managing
director of the Australian Stock
Exchange, corporate law expert
Rod Halstead, and chairwoman
of the Independent Contractors
Association of Australia, Angela
MacRae.
Unions NSW Secretary, John
Robertson said the move
proved the Howard Government
only interests were aligned with
those of big business.
"Not content with laws that will
rip away all basic rights from
workers, the business lobby is
now trying to free itself of any
obligations on safety as well,"
Robertson said.
The move follows the Howard
Government's unveiling of its
workplace relations package,
which clamps down on the right
of entry of unions to workplaces
and the ability of workers to take
industrial action.
Rail and Road - August/October 2005 11