Mr John Watkins
Minister for Transport
Level 30 Governor Macquarie
Tower,
1 Farrar Place,
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Saturday, 13th January, 2007
Dear Sir
We the Friends of Eveleigh request The
Minister for Transport, Mr John Watkins to urgently respond to the following
still unanswered questions requested in our Media Release dated 7th January,
2007.
As you are no doubt aware, following the
return to duty of Mr Vince Graham, CEO RailCorp, The Rail Transport Museum is
now to remove heritage carriages on Tuesday 16th January from the Large Erecting
Shop at Eveleigh to be maintained and operated from Thirlmere. Approval was
given by The Office of Rail Heritage to the ATM to remove these Heritage
carriages from a nominated National Heritage Listing site despite The Office of
Rall Heritage being well aware that these carriages form part of the
nomination, they are still determined to dismantle this collection with little
consideration for the outcome. It should be noted that the State Government has
now been asked by the National Heritage body for comment on the application
(The Large Erecting Shop Eveleigh, Locomotive
Street, Eveleigh, NSW. – Place ID 105945, Place
File No. 1112/003/0016. and have arrogantly replied with this action.
Why won’t your Government stop all removal
of heritage Items from the Large Erecting Shop while this National Heritage
Listing nomination is being evaluated.
We once again ask you Mr John Watkins
Where will the carriages be stored?
There appears to be little or no space
available to even securely store from vandalism, weather and bushfire these
heritage carriages, and the availability of undercover space at Thirlmere seems
to be out of the question. Why was the original sprinkler system plan not
Instigated? Money or water pressure?
Why Is The Office of Rail Heritage removing
these carriages and placing them in a far less favourable environment? Did The
Office of Rail Heritage make this decision?
Why is The Office of Rail Heritage removing
heritage carriages from a safe, secure and enclosed Heritage building where
they have been successfully kept and maintained at little cost to the Government
for over 20 years? Did The Office of Rail Heritage make this decision?
Why Is The Office of Rail Heritage removing
these carriages when 3801 Limited has scheduled their use on upcoming
excursions? Is not the Government creating a monopoly on luxury heritage excursions
for the Rail Transport Museum?
Did The Office of Rail Heritage make this decision and why?
And finally, who is making all the
decisions at or for The Office of Rail Heritage and do they have any formal
heritage qualification relating to restoration and conservation management?
Perhaps they do not know how wind, rain, dust, and even sun exposure effects
carriages. A walk up the back of Thirlmere will show them what happens.
Mr John Watkins, the Friends of Eveleigh as
well as the people of New South Wales
deserve answers not arrogance. An urgent investigation needs to be conducted –NOW!
Yours sincerely
for Friends of Eveleigh