199307Jul16CCM

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TOP QUALITY SMASH REPAIRS

Capricorn Coast Lm ONE

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ISSUE 518 FRIDAY, JULY 16, 1993 — Thursday, July 22; 1993

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HenzeII: rail closures must New faces in have been planned cast of 50. • BY JACK INCE, who wrote this series of articles about the rail-link closure and its effect on the Capricorn Coast.

FEDERAL member for Capricornia Marjorie Henzell has questioned the speed in which the Yeppoon-to-Rockhampton rail closure was announced - two weeks after the Premiers' conference. She said she was concerned the State Government was using the Federal Government cut-backs to implement an already planned decision. State Transport Minister David Hamill announced on Monday the rail link would be but the Yeppoon Railway Station would stay open. "I'm very concerned the cuts were introduced so quickly. It could not have allowed time for any consultation or consideration," she said. "Otherwise these closures must have been already planned and the Commonwealth funding-cuts been blamed. "It seems to be very hard to escape that conclusion." Mrs Henzell said it was for the State Government to be responsible for its own budget and

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that in fact it had fared very well in the recent fund-allocation. "Queensland received $5.7 billion from the Federal Government this year. which worked out to be $320 more per head than NSW and $318 more per head than Victoria," she said "The State Government is trying to be responsible and it must have an efficient railway but it does seem to be a very fast decision. "I think the government is working on the principle that if it is losing money in one direction it cannot spend it in another. "That is efficient in the short-term but in a developing area like Yeppoon it will have a long-term effect. "When towns lose a rail connection it usually has a devastating effect on the economy and that becomes a problem for the government. "In a growing area like the Capricorn Coast. those problems will only expand. "Mt Morgan is a classic example of a town losing its railway link and then being held back by it. "Tourism could have really blossomed at Mt Morgan if the rail was still there."

$115m. shortfall blamed

• ABOVE: Yeppoon Choral Society's newest production, Waltzes of Vienna, premieres in Yeppoon Town Hall next Saturday night at 7.45pm and continues with performances on July 28 and 31. Some of the cast members practising a scene are Nola Vaughan, Susan Head, Duncan Stewart, Lvn Stewart and Wilma Vaughan.

YEPPOON'S railway link will be closed after a $115 million shortfall in Federal Government funding from the Premiers' Conference two weeks ago, according to Transport Minister David Hamill. On Monday. the Transport Department announced 29 of Queensland's 46 rail-links would be closed as soon as possible. The Yeppoon line is expected to cease operating by January although the station itself will continue as a Q-link depot and continue to sell rail tickets. A railway source said $140.(X)0 worth of tickets were sold from the Yeppoon station each year. He also said the formula for calculating the cost of maintaining the Nerimbera-to-Yeppoon line was based on $8000 a kilometre. On that basis the annual maintenance cost of the 42km Yeppoon branch is $336,000. The source said it cost $900 to run a train from Rockhampton to Yeppoon, including staff and fuel. According to Queensland Rail, none of the six employees affected by the Yeppoon closure would be retrenched.

A Transport Department spokesman, Steve Rous, said the 500 employees throughout the State affected by thecut-backs would be offered voluntary early retirement or be relocated. Mr Rous also said it would be a QR decision whether the existing Yeppoon line would remain where it was or. if required elsewhere, be removed. "However the corridor for the line will be kept in case of future changes," he said. Mr Hamill said the branch lines cut had been those which had been unable to pay their way. "These 29 lines account for one percent of the QR's income but eight percent of its costs." he said. "Despite our best efforts to change that situation in recent years. these lines were simply not receiving the usage they required. "The Yeppoon line for example was being used by enough customers to warrant only one return service a week." QR's railway management spent most of the week working out an implementation plan. It is expected the overall closures will save $4 million this year and $40 million a year in the long-term.

THE Capricorn Coast's pineapple growing industry has been stunned by the Queensland Transport Department's shock announcement to close the Rockhampton-Yeppoon rail service. Farming communities have been rocked by the closure which will affect the transport of 1 5.(X X) tonnes of cannery-bound pineapples each

year. The Coast's 30 farmers are now faced with the prospect of road-transporting all their product to either Rockhampton or beyond. The fresh-fruit pineapple market, which accounts for almost half the produce from the Capricorn Coast, is already road-transported. The expected increased trucking costs will

affect an estimated $4.5 million worth of cannery crops. Yeppoon Fruit Growers and Local Producers Association spokesman Dave Vaughan said the entire farming community on the Coast was in a state of shock after being given an undertaking by Transport Minister David Hamill on April 21 that the railway would not close.

"We had no prior warning whatsoever of the axing and there seems to be absolutely nothing we can do to change it." he said. "At a meeting with Mr Hamill only a few months ago he assured us everything was alright." Mr Vaughan said 10 of the area's 30 pineap• CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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LAVISH STAGE PRODUCTION THE Capricorn Coast is gbout to be treated to one of the most lavish and popular stage productions in the Yeppoon Choral Society presentation of the Great Waltz (or Waltzes from Vienna) for a three night season. This comic opera's previous success has prompted the society to repeat the delightful musical. Set in the mid 1840s. the play is centred around a musician - Johann Strauss junior affectionately known as Schant. His ambition is to become a famous composer like his father Johann Strauss senior. The story-line reveals dreams and visions, success and sacrifice, romantic entanglements and unfailing friendships. Furnish this with enticing costumes and scenery, and you have a evening of delight. Principal roles are Countess Olga Baranskaya (Betty McLucas), Lina (Nola Dunstan), Mitzi (Sharyn Black), Johann Strauss (Aub Pedwell), Strauss Senior (Ron Donaldson), Ebeseder

(Duncan Stewart), Vogl (Peter Green), Leopold (Sam Vaughan), Vronski (David Beasley). Drexler (Ron Deasy) and Dommayer (Tom Edmistone). The large cast of about 50 also includes several new faces: Frances and John Coll, Ron Deasy, Ron Donaldson, Susan Head, Beth Knowles, Sally Nellen, Desley Rial and Cheryl Watts. The musical will be staged on Saturday. July 24. Wednesday, July 28 and Saturday, July 31, starting at 7.45pm. Bookings are available at Stewart and Brumm Chemists. Admission is $10 adults. $8 pensioners. and $6 students. Concessions are given to groups of 10 or more. "The society is fortunate to have the Rock Building Society Limited sponsor the show, but one lucky patron on opening night, July 24, will be the proud owner of a locally made wall clock crafted and donated by society member Sam Vaughan of Vaughan's Furniture," the spokesman said.

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