Canberra the missing link in Greens VFT Plan

[Buzz Killington]

Greens MLA Amanda Bresnan must demand from her federal leader Bob Brown that he includes the nation's capital in his proposal for a Very Fast Train (VFT) from Melbourne to Sydney, ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope said today.

"The Greens Party federally has today jumped on the fast-train bandwagon championed most recently by the ACT Government.

"But in a bizarre and short-sighted move, it has omitted Canberra from its 'grand vision', insisting instead that the first stage go from Melbourne to Sydney.

"Greens Leader Bob Brown has conceded in his media release that Newcastle and Canberra 'could be connected' to the network, but frankly that is not good enough," Mr Stanhope said today.

"It would be absurd if the ACT was merely linked to a fast rail network, rather than being integral to the route right from the start."

Mr Stanhope said it was astonishing that local Greens MLA Amanda Bresnan had actually called for the ACT Government to support Dr Brown's proposal.

"I can tell Ms Bresnan right now that I will certainly not be supporting anyone who proposes a fast rail project that skirts Canberra. Moreover, I call on Ms Bresnan to demand of her federal colleagues that they clarify their apparent position, which seems to ignore that there is such a place as the national capital.

"The fact is that I am the only head of Government in this country who has been actively advocating for a VFT in recent years. I have written to all the relevant State Premiers regarding a joint feasibility study and have also included the VFT in the ACT's list of infrastructure projects of national importance that ought to be considered for Infrastructure Australia funding.

"I would very much have liked the loud support of local Greens - and of Dr Brown for that matter - for my own efforts to get the idea on the national agenda."

Mr Stanhope said he looked forward to clarification from Ms Bresnan on the Greens' Melbourne-to-Sydney VFT proposal, and said it was astonishing the Greens would imagine the ACT Government would support any proposal that by-passed Canberra."