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From:
Philip Johnston [mailto:scribepj@bigpond.com] Matt I have paid for the SMH on-line for yonks and likely first read the old SMH broadsheet well over 60 years ago when the late, Alan Clarkson, wrote on Rugby League. Below are three of a myriad of articles about recent NSW Rail Transport cost blowouts due to poorly justified rail tunnel projects: a) Secret report reveals $1 billion-plus cost blowout in bungled NSW trains project - SMH - Matt O'Sullivan February 6, 2023b) Bungled NSW trains project blows out by $826 million - SMH - Matt O'Sullivan September 19, 2023c) Sydney’s metro rail line under harbour blows out by $6b - SMH - Matt O'Sullivan and Tom Rabe June 21, 2022Below are three of a myriad of articles about recent Victorian Rail Transport cost blowouts due to poorly justified rail tunnel projects: a) Metro Tunnel blowout to cost taxpayers extra $840 million – The Age - Patrick Hatch and Kieran Rooney - Sept 26, 2024b) Suburban Rail Loop on track to cost $125b – The Age - Caroline Schelle and Paul Sakkalb - August 18, 2022c) Victoria’s four biggest Big Build blowouts - AFR - Gus McCubbing and Patrick Durkin - Nov 29, 2024NSW and Victorian Transport finances would be immeasurably better off, if State Govts were req’d to publish a Conforming Cost-Benefit Analysis before expending zillions of taxpayer dollars on fanciful light rail projects too often requiring massive deep tunnelling with all its completion delay problems and costs not understood, nor budgeted for. A Conforming Cost-Benefit Analysis is –
This Writer explained this in considerable detail to Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, in A4s, USBs and DVDs dated 20 January 2023. 1st Attached email is the Writer’s group email to the Prime Minister sent 23 Jan 2023 that explained that the Writer had posted the above detailed submission on A4, DVD and USB three days earlier. The Writer’s email sent 23 Jan 2023 was c.c. to richard.marles.mp@aph.gov.au ; jim.chalmers.mp@aph.gov.au; stephen.jones.mp@aph.gov.au ; FSDPDMSItems@TREASURY.GOV.AU 2nd and 3rd Attachments are email acknowledgements of receipt (of 1st Attachment) by the Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles MP and the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. Below is an extract of most of the title of this Writer’s letter to Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, in A4s, USBs and DVDs dated 20 January 2023: The below explained '16 Reasons' behoove the Commonwealth Parliament to rely upon SECT 96, SECT 97 Audit and SECT 98 of the Australian Constitution to enact parliamentary legislation to halt Australia’s six States continuing a costly 'learn from your mistakes' infrastructure project stratagem to further waste $2.5 billion circa of the 46% of Australia’s six States revenue expenditure (funded by the Commonwealth annually). New Commonwealth legislation is warranted to obligate Australia's six States to submit a Conforming Cost-Benefit Analysis to Australia's 'productivity expert' at least six weeks prior to Financial Close for each prospective transport and communications infrastructure project with a forecast Capex exceeding $20 million, initially limiting this obligation to rail infrastructure projects. A seminal July 2009 publication "6. Evaluating major infrastructure projects: how robust are our processes? - Henry Ergas and Alex Robson - (largely republished on the Productivity Commission website in Aug 2009) as THE SOCIAL LOSSES FROM INEFFICIENT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS: RECENT AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE offered for the Commonwealth Productivity Commission "to be a centre of excellence for cost–benefit analysis within the Australian Government" (bottom of page 162) Completing and submitting a Conforming C-BA for appraisal at arm's length by a specialist, objective third party is a lot cheaper than charging into demolition/construction and learning from often exceedingly costly project management oversights, thereby enabling appreciably more of the Public Purse to be directed to aged care, child care, youth allowance, teachers, nursing, flood relief, road repairs, homeless accommodation et al. The problem (pork-barreling / grey crime / conflicted Govt decision making) is deep rooted, unfair, wasteful and longstanding. The solution is swift, simple and steadfast because the Commonwealth Constitution enables decisive corrective action. Below are some vital State services that are at breaking point: · Train drivers and guards
There should be a large table/chart in the public domain, as well as at NSW State Govt, that shows the relative movements in wages over the last 15 or 20 years, not limited to the above public service employment categories: The Grattan Institute and The Guardian are two reputable publications that have advocated tax reform, namely a higher corporate tax rate above a prescribed corporate income threshold for very large corporates like BHP, Coles, Woolworths, ANZ, Westpac, CBA ‘et al’. because they enjoy economies due to massive scale and high barriers to entry facing effective competition due to entrenched ‘supply chains’. Their CEO’s also receive ‘phone book salaries’ and huge employee stock options grants..
Phil Johnston aka Bank
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