Report into a regional NSW fast rail network yet to be tabled two years after announcement
More than two years after it was announced a report into a fast rail network for NSW is nowhere to be seen. Also, two Ministers reprimanded by the Premier. It’s all in The Sauce.
NSW
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It was billed as the project that would “transform NSW unlike any other project”. But more than two years on, the long-awaited report into a fast regional rail network connecting major regional towns to Sydney is still nowhere to be seen.
In announcing the appointment of British rail expert Professor Andrew McNaughton to investigate the most appropriate routes, Premier Gladys Berejiklian declared the proposed rail network would make it easier for people to “consider moving to regional NSW”.
Given the pandemic has already begun that shift, it seems even more timely that the taxpayer-funded report be made public.
What we know is McNaughton investigated four potential high-speed rail routes, including one in the north that would include the Central Coast and Newcastle; southern inland including Goulburn and Canberra; a western route including Lithgow, Bathurst and Orange-Parkes; and a southern coastal route including Wollongong and Nowra.
It is understood the junction for the lines would be in Parramatta or Sydney Olympic Park.
The delayed release of the report — which was announced in the lead-up the last state election — has triggered concerns the government is no longer serious about pursuing the project. There have also been rumours that some ministers were unhappy at the preferred routes identified in the report.
The Sauce was told by government sources that the report was “with premiers”, but had not yet gone before cabinet, nor was it listed for a time to be presented.
Upon making inquires, The Sauce received a response from the office of Transport Minister Andrew Constance which blamed the delay on the government wanting to “get this right”. “We will update the community as soon as we have more to say,” it said.
It is understood the whereabouts of the report is set to be raised by the NSW Shooters when Budget Estimates resumes next week.
LATE MARKS
They are regarded as the “good boys” of cabinet.
And so when Premier Gladys Berejiklian reprimanded Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello, Planning Minister Rob Stokes and Better Regulation Minister Kevin Anderson for being three minutes late to a meeting a few weeks ago, there were chuckles all around.
The trio claimed the lift on their floor on Level 18 had either malfunctioned or was being used for their tardiness.
However, the Premier — a stickler for punctuality — was not copping it. The Sauce has been told she delivered to her cabinet colleagues what was described as “a sermon” about the importance for being on time. But it seems one minister has a permanent get-out-of jail pass.
At the following cabinet meeting, The Sauce was told Health Minister Brad Hazzard turned up his “customary 10 minutes late” — and copped not a peep from the Premier.
We’re guessing its hard to chastise a minister that’s successfully guided the state through a pandemic. Or as one minister said: “You don’t attack the grandpa of politics.”
CAPTAIN COURE
Liberal MP Mark Coure received the ultimate endorsement on Twitter last week.
The Oatley MP had been involved in a Saturday afternoon Twitter discussion about his favourite Star Trek movies when one of his tweets was responded to by none other than Captain James T. Kirk himself. Coure, who has now outed himself as a diehard Trekkie, had stated his favourite films had been “5 & 6”.
“Just brilliant”, he tweeted, before Kirk — aka Canadian actor William Shatner — replied: “Everyone vote for Mark!”
Everyone vote for Mark! 🤣 https://t.co/WuLA7AAZ8S
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 6, 2021
YOU CAN’T BE SIRI-OUS
The old “new phone” excuse was pulled out in Budget Estimates last week. Education Minister Sarah Mitchell had been answering a question by Greens MLC Abigail Boyd about why the state government was taking so long to shut down school banking programs in public schools when the unmistakeable voice of Siri could be heard.
“We’ve found what you’ve been searching for,” the phone assistance declared.
Unable to resist, Education Department secretary Mark Scott who had also been participating in the session stated “Siri backs up our view” before Greens MLC David Shoebridge ruled an order: “Siri has not been sworn in, so we have to scrub that (from Hansard).”
A slightly embarrassed Ms Boyd owned up to the interjection.
“My apologies, new phone,” she said.
One Nation MLC Mark Latham, who was chairing the meeting, suggested Siri was behind all the questions posed by the Greens: “I knew you had a researcher there.”
“It’s all from Siri, Mr Chair,” Ms Boyd declared. “Oh my goodness, now it’s calling someone,” she said, before passing the phone to adviser, presumably to switch it to silent.
ODD COUPLE
They’ve been dubbed the ultimate odd couple. But it seems even arch rivals can patch things up as appears to be the case with federal Liberal Party vice-president Teena McQueen and Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s right-hand man, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke.
The pair are the headline act on an upcoming luncheon at the Mingaroo Recreation Club in Tumbi Umbi within the federal seat of Dobell.
Held by Labor MP Emma McBride, the Liberals have begun manoeuvring to take over the Central Coast seat with McQueen keen for the party to preselect former cricketer Nathan Bracken as candidate.
However, McQueen, a right-winger, will no doubt need the support of Hawke, a centre-right powerbroker, if she’s to get her man.
WHAT FIRE?
There are three golden rules in NSW politics: cover-ups are worse than the crime, details matter, and always read The Sunday Telegraph.
Unfortunately, NSW Better Regulation Minister Kevin Anderson broke the latter two rules in one Budget Estimates hearing on Friday when being grilled by Labor MLC Courtney Houssos, according to Sauce correspondent Ben Pike.
She was asking about a complaint to Safe Work NSW by the Electrical Trades Union, lodged on May 28 last year, about 2000 substandard circuit-breakers installed in the trouble-plagued $3bn NorthConnex roadway.
The Chinese- manufactured electrical items — not made to Australian building standards — caused a significant fire in the tunnel. Asked if he was aware of the debacle, Mr Anderson said “no, I’m not”.
“This is the first that it has been brought to my attention,” he said.
Ms Houssos shot back: “The electrical fire was actually reported by The Sunday Telegraph on the 31st of May. Do you regularly read the newspapers minister?”
“Ms Houssos I do a lot of reading,” the Nationals MP for Tamworth replied. “But in terms of the amount of reading that my staff do, I’ll ask around and see if they did read the article.”
Naughty, naughty, naughty.
For the record, ETU NSW branch secretary Justin Page raised the issue with the distribution companies on May 28. NSW Fair Trading eventually made contractors replace the faulty switches in August 2020.
And a spokesman for Mr Anderson said: “The Sunday Telegraph is his favourite paper.”
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