OURIMBAH STATION AT RISK OF LOSING ALL STAFF

Submitted by Cathy Brown on Fri, 24/02/2012 - 9:08am

Media Release Friday, 24 February 2012

OURIMBAH STATION AT RISK OF LOSING ALL STAFF

GOVERNMENT COST-CUTTING ENDANGERS SAFETY AND PLATFORM ACCESS FOR ELDERLY AND DISABLED

Ourimbah Station risks losing all staff under the O'Farrell Government's cost-cutting review of RailCorp – which will lead to unsafe stations and no special assistance for the disabled and elderly, Opposition Leader John Robertson said today.

Mr Robertson was joined on a visit to Ourimbah Station today by Penny Sharpe, Shadow Minister for Transport and David Lord of the Central Coast Commuters' Association.

"The O'Farrell Government has to come clean and rule out cutting staff at Ourimbah station as part of the RailCorp review," Mr Robertson said.

"Barry O'Farrell is considering removing all staff from stations like Ourimbah which handle less than 2,000 daily passengers. This is completely unacceptable. Station staff provide security. They assist mothers with prams, the disabled and the elderly and act as a deterrent to vandalism and graffiti.

"Eliminating all station staff may sound like a clever efficiency to Barry O'Farrell sitting in Macquarie Street – but it's just unworkable on the ground."

Labor has launched a community petition calling on the O'Farrell Government to immediately rule out eliminating station staff at Ourimbah.

Shadow Minister for Transport, Penny Sharpe said: "Labor's petition will give the O'Farrell Government a wake-up call – once it reaches 10,000 signatures the Premier will be forced to debate this issue in the Parliament."

"Barry O'Farrell cannot use cost cutting as an excuse to cut vital services from Central Coast train stations. We already have problems with vandalism and crime on our rail network. Removing high visibility staff from smaller stations will only make things worse.

"I'm worried cuts to station staff will see people with disabilities and the elderly being unable to catch the train. Without special assistance, they could be forced to catch taxis or miss out altogether."

David Lord from the Central Coast Commuters' Association said: "Staffing at train stations gives people the confidence to travel on our rail network."

"Some of the most vulnerable people in our community should not be forced off our rail network because an absence of customer service makes it more difficult for them to use."