Hectoria [Paradigm Shift 4zzz fm 102.1 Fridays at noon] interviews Steven Miles about Aurizon's train wreck and subsequent spill of sulphuric acid in North Queensland. Ausrizon pays very little tax yet is one of Australia's worst environmental vandals.
Hectoria (PShift): It has been an annus horribilis for Aurizon this year with the slump in commodity prices and 25% drop in share prices. How many jobs has Aurizon shed in the past three months?
Minister (Steven Miles): Well last week there were 40 jobs lost in Rocky and 34 in Townsville so it looks like 74 jobs all up this year in Queensland. But overall 800 jobs will be lost as the resources slump curbs demand for Aurizon's coal haulage services.
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Sulphuric Acid Train derails near Julia Creek (Photo: ABC)
H: Was it right to sell Queensland Rail to Aurizon, Australia's largest rail freight operator?
Minister: I have looked at all the datasets and calculate that there would have been jobs loses even if we had kept Queensland Rail in public hands.
H: But if you hadn't sold Queensland Rail workers would have had some say and the state would have the benefit of the haulage charges and royalty payments paid by the big mining companies?
Minister: Well, we are subject to federal government competition laws, so freight charges and royalties from mining companies are capped at 8%.
H: But before competition policy was introduced, royalties were 25%! Why would publicly owned freight railway have to adhere to competition policies? We could have made the big multinationals pay for the resources they are ripping out of Queensland?
Minister: Well if we did charge big royalties we would lose all kinds of commonwealth subsidies.
H: Who owns the railway line at Julia Creek?
Minister: As it happens we own the track, Aurizon owns the train, but it is under our control. We sold Aurizon the carting business from Mt Isa.
H: So they will foot the bill to fix the tracks?
Minister: Well, that depends.
H: On what?
Minister: Its complicated. We have to ask why the train derailed. We need to talk to the Aurizon drivers. Then we will have a better picture of what happened.
H: Queensland Rail say that the rail line to Mt Isa was always a basket case. Poor maintenance, always causing problems.
Minister: That is black soil country, it makes maintenance difficult after the wet because black soil is always shifting under the ballast. It washes away easily.
H: You mean that the track and the sleepers under it are under shifting sands.
Minister: Yes, it makes maintenance more costly and that is our responsibility.
H: Did you vote to sell Queensland Rail's profitable coal cartage business?
Minister: I wasn't even a member of parliament back then, I have only just been elected as Labor member for Mt Cootha ... sorry, I have an urgent call from the police superintendent at Julia Creek on the other line.
H: Just before you go, who owns the sulphuric acid spilt from the Aurizon train wreck?
Minister: Well that is the subject of a legal dispute. The fertiliser company, Incitec Pivot ... unless I am mistaken (another voice can be heard in background). A slight correction ... Glencore Plc* has an agreement with Incitec Pivot Ltd to provide sulphur dioxide from the copper smelter to the Mount Isa acid plant. Queensland Rail, sorry Aurizon, then transports the sulphuric acid to Phosphate Hill where it is used in the production of phosphate fertiliser by Incitec.
H: How will you neutralise the acid in the ground water?
Minister: Limestone.
H: Where will you get the limestone?
Minister: Not sure, but Queensland Cement Limited (QCL) can provide the limestone.
H: Isn't limestone extracted from coral? Where will QCL get the limestone? From the Great Barrier Reef?
Minister: Heaven forbid, no ... (exasperated) we do have some rules you know ... QCL mines the limestone from the coral reef off Mud Island in Moreton Bay.
NB: This interview was played by voice actors.
