Media Releases

Channel 10 News | Wednesday 19 December 2012 | Late CountryLink Trains

Submitted by Cathy Brown on Thu, 20/12/2012 - 10:21am

countrylink | media | OTR | penny tv | transport

Channel 10 News | Wednesday 19 December 2012 | Late CountryLink Trains from Penny Sharpe on Vimeo.

"Rural train travellers should be screaming from the roof tops about these figures. They have the right to have a good transport system and they’ve been absolutely ignored by the O’Farrell Government."

ROBERTSON LAUNCHES LABOR CAMPAIGN TO KEEP NEWCASTLE RAIL LINE

Submitted by Cathy Brown on Wed, 19/12/2012 - 11:20am

Media Release | Wednesday December 19, 2012

John Robertson MP | NSW Opposition Leader
Penny Sharpe MLC | Shadow Transport Minister

ROBERTSON LAUNCHES LABOR CAMPAIGN TO KEEP NEWCASTLE RAIL LINE

Opposition Leader John Robertson has launched Labor's campaign to keep the Newcastle Rail Line – condemning Barry O'Farrell for handing a first-rate city a second-rate public transport system.

Mr Robertson caught the 10.40am train from Maitland then switched to a bus at Wickham for the rest of the trip to Newcastle – just as commuters will have to do once the rail line is cut.

He was joined by Shadow Transport Minister Penny Sharpe, Cessnock MP Clayton Barr and about 100 rail line supporters.

The journey time from Maitland to Newcastle with a bus change at Wickham is 44 minutes – assuming a tight connection is made. This compares with just 33 minutes catching the train direct.

LIBERAL NATIONALS SHOULD REJECT RURAL AND REGIONAL FARE INCREASES

Submitted by Cathy Brown on Tue, 18/12/2012 - 1:12pm

fare increase | IPART | media | transport

Media Release | Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Penny Sharpe MLC, Shadow Transport Minister
Mick Veitch MLC, Shadow Minister for Regional Infrastructure

LIBERAL NATIONALS SHOULD REJECT RURAL AND REGIONAL FARE INCREASES

The NSW Labor Opposition has called on the O'Farrell Government to reject the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal's recommendation to increase rural and regional bus fares by 3.3 per cent.

"IPART has recommended increasing rural and regional bus fares well above the rate of inflation and the O'Farrell Government should rule it out today," said Shadow Minister for Transport, Penny Sharpe.

"Transport services in rural and regional NSW have been ignored by the O'Farrell Government.

"The Transport Masterplan released last week delivers no new public transport services for anyone outside of Sydney and not a single regional transport plan has been completed.

THE HUNTER DESERVES BETTER - FIRST RATE CITY TO GET A SECOND CLASS TRANSPORT SYSTEM

Submitted by Penny Sharpe on Fri, 14/12/2012 - 1:02pm

media | the Hunter | transport

Media Release | Friday, 14 December 2012

THE HUNTER DESERVES BETTER - FIRST RATE CITY TO GET A SECOND CLASS TRANSPORT SYSTEM

It makes no sense to spend hundreds of millions of dollars ripping public transport infrastructure out of the Hunter - at a time when every other growing city in the world is doing the exact opposite.

"It makes no sense to rip important public transport infrastructure out of the Hunter," Opposition Leader John Robertson said today.

"At the same time the O'Farrell Government is building new heavy and light rail in Sydney, they are ripping it out of the Hunter at great cost.

"This announcement will give a first rate city a second class transport system.

"The NSW Labor Opposition believes the rail line should be kept as part of the Newcastle CBD revitalisation, not pulled apart.

O'FARRELL TURNS BACK ON HUNTER IN TRANSPORT PLAN

Submitted by Cathy Brown on Thu, 13/12/2012 - 3:00pm

Media Release | Thursday, 13 December 2012

O'FARRELL TURNS BACK ON HUNTER IN TRANSPORT PLAN

SYDNEY-CENTRIC PLAN CONTAINS NO NEW MONEY FOR RURAL AND REGIONAL NSW

Submitted by Cathy Brown on Thu, 13/12/2012 - 3:05pm

Media Release | Thursday 13 December 2012

Penny Sharpe MLC, Shadow Transport Minister
Ryan Park MP, Shadow Roads Minister
Mick Veitch MLC, Shadow Minister for Regional Infrastructure

SYDNEY-CENTRIC PLAN CONTAINS NO NEW MONEY FOR RURAL AND REGIONAL NSW

Residents outside of Sydney have been forgotten by the O'Farrell Government's Transport Masterplan – which promotes a $1.6 billion new tram line in the Sydney CBD but contains no new money for transport initiatives in rural and regional NSW.

"Anyone living outside of Sydney will be furious with the Liberals and Nationals' focus on Sydney – while ignoring the significant transport issues throughout regional NSW," Shadow Minister for Transport Penny Sharpe said today.

"This plan contains no new money to improve freight corridors or enhance regional train and bus services.

"People living west of the Great Dividing Range have basically been hung out to dry."

O'FARRELL CAN'T EXPLAIN HOW HE WILL PAY FOR TRANSPORT PLAN

Submitted by Cathy Brown on Thu, 13/12/2012 - 2:58pm

masterplan | media | transport | unfunded

Media Release | Thursday, 13 December 2012

O'FARRELL CAN'T EXPLAIN HOW HE WILL PAY FOR TRANSPORT PLAN

NOT ONE NEW DOLLAR OF FUNDING

There is not one new dollar of funding allocated for infrastructure in the O'Farrell Government's transport plan announced today.

Opposition Leader John Robertson said the Premier had refused to say how much this plan would cost commuters, motorists and the taxpayers of NSW.

"Another day, another transport plan from the O'Farrell Government and yet we still don't know where the money's coming from," Mr Robertson said.

"The biggest problem with this plan is that we don't know how it will be paid for.

"Will families be hit with new tolls, charges and fares to pay for these unfunded plans?

FARE EVADERS GETTING A FREE RIDE ON SYDNEY BUSES

Submitted by Cathy Brown on Mon, 10/12/2012 - 8:41am

buses | fare evasion | media | transport

Media Release | Sunday, 9 December 2012

FARE EVADERS GETTING A FREE RIDE ON SYDNEY BUSES

The O'Farrell Government is giving fare evaders a free ride on Sydney buses - with new figures confirming there has been 88,700 fewer ticket checks performed on the bus network in the past year.

In 2011/12, the number of passengers checked for tickets was down 88,700 to just 534,000 - a 14 per cent drop on the previous year.

This is the lowest number of bus ticket checks performed in the last six years.

"Fare evaders are getting a free ride under the O'Farrell Government," Shadow Transport Minister, Penny Sharpe said today.

TRAINS GETTING LATER AND DIRTIER UNDER BARRY O'FARRELL

Submitted by Cathy Brown on Wed, 05/12/2012 - 1:05pm

Media Release | Wednesday, December 5, 2012

TRAINS GETTING LATER AND DIRTIER UNDER BARRY O'FARRELL

COMPLAINTS UP 10 PER CENT ON LAST YEAR

The Auditor General has revealed CityRail trains are getting later and dirtier under the O'Farrell Government and as a result – passenger complaints have increased by a whopping 10 per cent to 29,219 this year.

During eight peak hour periods in the past year, less than 60 per cent of the train network operated on time with train reliability at its lowest level in four years.

"Today's report confirms what train commuters already know – trains are getting later, dirtier and more crowded under Barry O'Farrell," said Shadow Minister for Transport, Penny Sharpe.

"More than six per cent of trains on the CityRail network arrived more than five minutes late in 2011/12 – the worst on time running in four years.

"Seven out of 16 train lines failed to meet the 92 percent on time running target – a disgraceful performance.

"The worst performing train lines are the Western, Southern Highlands, Newcastle/Hunter, South, East Hills, South Coast and Northern via Strathfield lines.

"Meanwhile, according to the Auditor General's report today, complaints about dirty trains and stations have increased by a whopping 26 per cent.