Wed. 7 April STATE ELECTION CAMPAIGN Organisation Meeting, to initiate Electorate Campaigns - 4:30 pm, NSW Environment Centre, 263 Broadway (see p. 2 for further details).
Sat. 10 April Work Session - 10 am, 28 Nithsdale St. (near Museum Station)
Wed. 14 April PUBLIC TRANSPORT POLICY FORUM and launching of our Election Campaign - Allan will deliver a speech on "What the Public want in Public Transport" and various Parties" Spokespeople will be responding.
12:30 - 2 pm Sydney University Law School Auditorium, Cnr. Elisabeth & King Sts., Sydney
Thursday, 15, 22 & 29 April - Management Committee and Electorate Organisers" Meetings - 5:30 to 7:30 pm, 28 Nithsdale St., Sydney
Wed. 21 April Launching of "BICYCLE INSTITUTE OF NSW" at the Wheelmen's Club, 39 King St., Ashbury (phone 798-4224 for details).
Sat. 1 May --- STATE ELECTION --- If you are willing to work in one of the 7 Electorates (see News Items), handing out leaflets and collecting signatures on petitions for better public transport on polling day, please ring the appropriate electorate contact.
Mon. 3 May MONTHLY GENERAL MEETING Discussion : "Where Do We Go From Here ? " 5:30 pm, NSW Environment Centre, 263 Broadway
Saturday, 8 May to Tuesday, 18 May - Anti Uranium Bicycle Ride from Sydney to Canberra - Contact the Environment Centre (660-0960) for info.
SATURDAY, 29 MAY & SUNDAY, 30 MAY NATIONAL MEETING - Public Transport Activists, Melbourne University Union. Ring Allan or Don to arrange Billets. (It's definitely on this time - Ed.).
Sat. 5 June WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY - Part of the United Nations "HABITAT" program - Bicycle Rally in Sydney.
NEWS & NOTES Heil Sorrensen ! Allan will not now be taken out of Sydney by work commitments in the near future and will continue as Convenor to lead us into the fray for the State Election.
SIR ERIC'S BIG MONEY, HARD-ROLLIN', SNAP-POLLIN' SHOW
WELL, IT'S ON FOLKS!
Following on our call for his government's resignation on March 19, Sir Eric has rolled the electoral dice. Apart from the obligatory gerrymander, he's loaded them with 200 new buses (to be leased under an arrangement which offers earlier delivery and attractive profits to the Leasers - Development Finance Corporation and the Bank of New South Wales). He's also buying 150 new double-deck rail carriages, mainly for the Eastern Suburbs line (a wise move - the risk that at least part of it might get finished cannot be discounted)
WHAT WE'RE DOING .....
Answers to our questionnaire to parties are rolling in and we intend to produce a leaflet, summarizing the responses on one side. The other side will feature local material prepared by the Electorate Campaign Groups in the 7 electorates we intend to campaign mainly in:
| Main Localities | Electorate | Contact in Electorate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashbury, Ashfield, Croydon, Croydon Park, Dulwich Hill, Summer Hill | ASHFIELD | Alison White 61 3993 or 26 3512 (W) | |
| Abbotsford, Drummoyne, F. Dock, Haberfield, Mortlake | DRUMMOYNE | Kevin Eadie 290 4667 (W) 81 4268(H) | |
| Gladesville, Hunter's Hill, Lane Cove West, Linley Point, North Ryde, Woolwich | FULLER | Max Poole 86 1452 (W) 80 1692 or 80 1496 (H) Ian Cleland 922 7574 (H) | |
| Oatley, Lugarno, Mortdale, Peakhurst, Penshurst, Riverwood | GEORGES RIVER | Iris or Ted 771 3112 (8am-8pm) | |
| Connell's Point, Hurstville, | HURSTVILLE | ||
| Gosford, Erina, Avoca, Terrigal, Killcare Peninsula | GOSFORD | Pan Howard or Wendy Varney 660 0960 or 660 0227(9-5.30) | |
| Glenbrook, Springwood, Bringelly, Camden,Wallacia | NEPEAN | Contact Allan or Don | |
PLEASE JOIN THE CAMPAIGN GROUP FOR ONE OF THESE ELECTORATES.
The best way to do this is to come to the Special Campaign Meeting on Wednesday, April 7. We know that's 2 meetings in 3 days, but sorry, that's the kind of commitment we need from everyone over the next 4 weeks. If you can't come on Wednesday, please ring the contact for your preferred electorate, as soon as you receive this newsletter. If you can't get on to the contact, ring Alan or Don: Home 31 4986 or 95 5731 ; work 61 3993, 26 3512 or (Alan: 20962 ext266) NOTE-ALAN HAS A NEW HOME NUMBER.
Our largest number of potential helpers seems to be for Fuller - if that's your closest electorate please consider making the additional distance to help in Drummoyne or Ashfield.
OUR OTHER PROPOSED ACTIVITIES (CAMPAIGN LAUNCHING MEETING, POLLING DAY PETITIONS, WORK SESSIONS) ARE SUMMARIZED IN "WHAT'S ON" SECTION. LET'S MAKE IT ROLL!
KEEP THE DONATIONS AND OFFERS OF HELP ROLLING IN. THIS ELECTION IS A TWO-WAY CONTEST AND THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT DEPENDS ON IT ! THE MAJOR PARTIES ALREADY HAVE PLENTY OF HELPERS. THE BEST WAY FOR YOU TO WORK FOR THE ELECTION OF THE PARTY YOU THINK HAS THE BEST POLICY FOR SAVING PUBLIC TRANSPORT IS NOT TO ADD ONE MORE TO THEIR RANKS BUT TO WORK WITH THE SAVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT COMMITTEE UP UNTIL THE ELECTION. WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE SURE THAT OFFERS AND DONATIONS AREN'T ALL THAT ROLLS HARD IN THIS ELECTION ...... GUESS WHAT'S GOT TO ROLL IF OUR PUBLIC TRANSPORT DOESN'T!!
P.S. YOU CAN PICK UP LEAFLETS, POSTERS ETC. TO DISTRIBUTE FROM 28 NITHSDALE ST, CITY (NR MUSEUM STATION) BETWEEN 5.30 and 7.30 on Thursday nights APRIL 15, 22 & 29 IF THAT'S EASIER THAN GETTING THEM FROM YOUR LOCAL ELECTORATE GROUP OR AT OTHER TIMES BY APPOINTMENT. ALL PHONE NUMBERS ARE IN THE SYDNEY (CODE 02) STD ZONE UNLESS OTHERWISE SHOWN.
IN THE MOOD FOR ACTION
New South Wales transport workers are becoming increasingly militant in the face of the state and federal governments' anti-public transport and anti-worker policies which have worsened since Bruxner became minister. The AFULE had to threaten a state-wide strike in protest at Bruxner's refusal to meet with them, simply to get him to the conference table to discuss such as the one proposed sale of the Dorrigo line (the SPTC does not have such weapons at its disposal and we have still not succeeded in seeing him. He now risks being the only one of a succession of five ministers in eighteen months -he's the fourth- not to have had the pleasure of our acquaintance while in office. But he has become the first minister to publicly attack us, implying in an article in The Sun (1/4/76) that we are responsible for the public losing confidence in public transport - it's hardly a matter to April fool about, Sir!) Government bus workers in Sydney and Newcastle held a mid-day stop-work meeting on March 24 to protest at service cuts. Six unions' members in the railway industry stopped work on April 5 from 10.00am to 2.00pm.
The unions were the Australian Railways Union, the Australasian Society of Engineers, the Amalgamated Metal Workers Union, the Moulders' (Metal) Union, the Federated Iron Workers' Association and the Electrical Trades Union. At the meeting, the workers discussed action on a list of 13 claims including pay rises of $18 per week for non-tradesmen and $20 per week for tradesmen, the updating of machinery and equipment within the PTC, the right to manufacture new rolling stock and other equipment, and the application of the Shops and Factories Act to the whole of the PTC.
At both meetings, an open letter to the workers from the Save Public Transport Committee was distributed. The letter read, in part; "TO SAVE THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT INDUSTRY WE MUST FORGET THE GRIEVANCES BETWEEN DIFFERENT DEPOTS, GRIEVANCES BETWEEN TRAFFIC, MAINTENANCE AND CLERICAL STAFF, AND THE SMALL SECTION OF THE PUBLIC WHO TREAT TRANSPORT WORKERS RUDELY. WE MUST BURY ANY FEELINGS THAT WE HAVE LET EACH OTHER DOWN IN THE PAST AND FORGE AN ALLIANCE FOR THE FUTURE BETWEEN ALL PUBLIC TRANSPORT WORKERS AND COMMUTERS."
It went on to state our view that NO FARE COLLECTION is the most desirable form of industrial action.
MAN AT THE TOP
The appointment of Mr Alan Reiher as Chief Transport Commissioner is disturbing for several reasons. Firstly, the appointment was made for 7 years. Many informed critics, including the Australian Transport Officers" Federation, have expressed the hope that the PTC would not survive in its present form for anything like that long. Secondly, many railway employees had hoped that a "railway man" would get the job. This was justified in so far as putting public transport buck on the right track demands being confident that public transport can efficiently satisfy a much greater proportion of transport needs than it does now and also being enthusiastic about promoting and expanding it.
Of course, Mr Reiher may well have that confidence and enthusiasm and he deserves to be given a fair go until he has had the chance to prove it. That means that the incident in which he was charged with shoplifting should not be made a political football. But it does not mean that he is entitled to go through a seven-year term without threat of transfer or dismissal. And Sir Eric Willis did say that at the time Mr Reiher was charged, he was under very heavy pressure from work. In his new post he can expect to face heavy pressure from work to a degree he has never known it before.
ACRES MAY STAY GREEN
At the meeting between Bruxner and Planning and Environment Minister, Sir John Fuller, and local councils and residents from the area around the proposed Greenacre Container Terminal site, the residents were promised that construction would be halted pending further investigations. But they realise that the battle is far from won and will continue to press for a full judicial enquiry.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Premier and Minister for Works and Ports, Mr
Leon Punch, is continuing to make abusive remarks about opponents of
the planned Botany Bay development. A collective of residents and
workers affected by development in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong
was formed at a Seminar on March 20. The Environment Centre (Ph 660
0960) should have information about its future activities by after
the election.