News Release:
UNE welcomes train reprieve
| Date 9/12/03 No 229/03 The success of the "Save the Train" campaign is directly attributable to the active support of the Armidale community and its leaders, The University of New England said today. Ms Ingrid Rothe, Director of Marketing and Public Affairs at UNE, was responding to NSW Transport Minister Michael Costa’s 12-month reprieve to CountryLink. Many of its rural services, including the line to Armidale, faced closure following the release of the so-called Parry Report, which recommended the cuts. “The University of New England welcomes the news that the CountryLink rail service is to be maintained,” Ms Rothe said. “Our rail service is vital to the continued social and economic development of both UNE and the region, and its continued existence was the only acceptable outcome. “The success of the ‘Save the Train’ campaign is testimony to the active support of this community and the efforts of organisations such as Friends of the Northern Railway and community leaders such as NSW Member for Northern Tablelands Richard Torbay. Communities working together can make a difference.”
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Ms Rothe had been part of a delegation of leaders who presented their concerns directly to Mr Costa when he visited Armidale earlier this year. In her submission, Ms Rothe contended UNE would be greatly disadvantaged if rail services to Armidale were cut, citing the fact that 65 per cent of the University’s 3,488 on-campus students came from outside Armidale. Overall, the annual influx to Armidale of students both internal and external contributes $49,780,000 to the local economy. “As the largest employer in the region, with 1,252 staff, even minor reductions in UNE's student numbers would have a significant flow-on socio-economic impact,” Ms Rothe said. Media contact: Ingrid Rothe, Director, Marketing and Public Affairs, UNE, Armidale 6773 3402. |
