Remember when: South Coast MP Russ Hinze push for a new QLD-NSW rail link through Coast

SOUTH Coast MP Russ Hinze asked the state’s Transport Minister to negotiate the establishment of a NSW-QLD rail link through the Gold Coast.

Gold Coast History: Gold Coast Bulletin 1972, October 17.

Gold Coast Bulletin, Tuesday October 17, 1972

SOUTH Coast MP Russ Hinze asked the state’s Transport Minister to negotiate the establishment of a NSW-QLD rail link through the Gold Coast.

He told State Parliament a Gold Coast link would help to avoid losses such as the $1.2 million suffered the previous year on the Brisbane-Casino-Sydney standard guage railway.

He claimed the reason for the loss was because the standard guage railway was in the wrong place.

“It runs somewhere behind the sunset,” he said.

His call for the Gold Coast rail link triggered a number of interjections from Bill D’Arcy and at one point Mr Hinze labelled the Labor MP a “whingeing, whining Willie”.

But an unabashed Mr D’Arcy, who successfully campaign on the lack of a Gold Coast railway at the previous state election later told Mr Hinze “now you’re with me”.

Mr Hinze told the Parliament that the correct place for a Queensland-NSW rail link was through the Gold Coast.

“I suggest to the Transport Minister that he discuss this matter with his colleagues in NSW,” he said.

The state did not want to carry $1.2 million loss on standard guage each year.

Mr Hinze told Parliament if anyone should get on his knees and “thank heaven for the Queensland Government” it was Mr D’Arcy.

“We have kept him going all his life and he has done nothing but whinge and whine since he has been here,” he said.

“I call him whingeing whining Willie. He cannot help it. I suppose he is entitled to whinge. He has only been elected to represent Albert for the time being.”