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Title

QUESTIONS ON NOTICE

Transport: Adelaide to Darwin Railway

Database

House Hansard

Date

03-03-2003

Source

House of Reps

Parl No.

40

Electorate

Batman

Interjector

 

Main Committee/Federation Chamber

 

Page

12064

Party

ALP

Presenter

 

Status

Final

Question No.

792

Questioner

Ferguson, Martin, MP

Responder

Anderson, John, MP

Speaker

 

Stage

Transport: Adelaide to Darwin Railway

Type

 

Context

Answers to Questions in Writing

System Id

chamber/hansardr/2003-03-03/0160


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Monday, 3 March 2003
Page: 12064


Mr Martin Ferguson asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 20 August 2002:

(1) What financial contribution is the Federal Government making to the Adelaide to Darwin Railway project.

(2) When is the Federal Government's contribution being made.

(3) If the Federal funding is staged (a) what is the proposed schedule of payments (b) in relation to payments already made, what milestones were used to determine appropriateness of payment and (c) in relation to payments not yet made, what milestones are to be achieved to trigger future payments.

(4) What projects are being funded by this Federal Government contribution.

(5) What are the anticipated contributions by (a) the South Australian Government, (b) the Northern Territory Government and (c) each member of the Asia Pacific Transport consortium to the total project cost.

(6) What contracts have been let for the project to date.

(7) To whom have contracts been let to date.

(8) What is the value of each contract that has been let to date.


Mr Anderson (Minister for Transport and Regional Services) —The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

(1) The Federal Government is contributing up to $191.4m to the Alice Springs to Darwin Railway project.

(2) Funding commenced in 2000-2001 and will continue until 2006-2007.

(3) (a) Funding is provided based on the following payment schedule:

2000-2001 $55.0 million

2001-2002 $110.0 million

2002-2003 $5.05 million

2003-2004 Up to $8.85 million on a stand-by basis

2004-2005 -

2005-2006 Up to $6.25 million on a stand-by basis

2006-2007 Up to $6.25 million on a stand-by basis

(b)

Amount

Milestone

Paid

$55 million

Signing of Project Deed

Oct 2000

$40 million

Pre-construction - 100% completeEarthworks - 100 kms completeRail Materials - sleeper factory and quarry establishedOR equivalent

Oct 2001

$70 million

Earthworks - 470 kms completeRail materials - stockpiles of ballast, sleepers, clips and rails ready for commencement of layingRail installation - tracklaying equipment mobilised, track installation commencedOR equivalent

Mar 2002

$5.05 million

Completion of Government Works OR equivalent

Aug 2002

(c)

Amount

Trigger

$8.85 million

The earlier of:- construction completion; - the third anniversary of contractual agreement; or - if a bank defaults under the current banking arrangementsunless equity is sold down by the consortium before any of these events occur.

$12.5 million (appropriated in two instalments of $6.25 million)

This contingent equity will potentially be paid in a number of circumstances in which the consortium does not have adequate funds to support its staged commencement of commercial rail operations.

(4) The Federal Government contribution goes toward the Government Works, which are the low depreciation items of the project. In summary they comprise earthworks and capping layer, bridges and culverts, and some elements of yards and handling facilities.

(5) (a) & (b) The South Australian Government is providing $150 million and the Northern Territory Government is providing $165 million. There is also a $79 million standby support package provided by the three governments on commercial terms.

(c) The AustralAsia Railway Corporation (AARC), the company established by the South Australian and Northern Territory Governments to facilitate the project, advises that the individual contributions of consortium members to the project is commercial- in-confidence.

(6) & (7) AARC advises that, as at the end of July 2002, a total of 10,689 contracts had been awarded. These include everything from major supply items down to purchase orders. Given the volume, a list of whom those contracts have been awarded to is not included here, but is available through ADrail's website (www.adrail.com.au).

(8) AARC advises that the value of individual contracts is considered Commercial-in-Confidence. The collective value of contracts awarded to end July 2002 was $758,398,576.