TOOT members remind Richmond MP Justine Elliot of her broken promises outside her electorate office on Tuesday. Photo Jeff Dawson.

Campaigners wanting a return of rail services for the Northern Rivers and a commuter link to Queensland have targeted Richmond MP Justine Elliot and her broken promises over the issue.
Up to a dozen members of Trains On Our Tracks (TOOT) upset at Ms Elliot’s buck-passing on the issue staged a protest outside her Tweed Heads office on Tuesday in a bid to draw her support for the popular local cause.
TOOT president Karin Kolbe said that in the leadup to the 2004 federal election, Ms Elliot promised $150 million for rail services on the Casino-Murwillumbah line.
‘But not a penny has been forthcoming, even now, while the NSW government plans to sell of the line with new legislation due in NSW Parliament next week, Ms Elliot is silent,’ Ms Kolbe said.
‘Ms Elliot asked for our support in 2004 and on the back of her commitment to get a rail service we supported her. Since then Ms Elliot has been very quiet on the train issue. Now the NSW government is trying to pass legislation to sell the land and still she is silent. When is Ms Elliot going to stand up for the people of Richmond?
‘Ms Elliot promised to end the buck-passing and we’d like her to deliver what she promised.
‘The seat of Richmond is on the NSW-Queensland border and so she has particular responsibilities to work with the NSW and Qld governments to provide transport links across the border.’
Ms Kolbe said she wanted the federal member to comment on the state government’s controversial ‘rail-trails’ bill which TOOT fears will be used to sell off railway land to developers.
But again Ms Elliot has passed the buck on the issue, saying in a press release that it was the NSW government that closed the Murwillumbah-Casino rail link in 2004 ‘and it’s their responsibility to commit to re-opening it in the future’.
‘The public transport needs of our region are an important issue and I support an integrated public transport system that best meets the needs of local residents,’ she continued.
‘I call upon the local state National Party members to start delivering for the north coast. It is their responsibility to fight for local issues in the NSW state parliament and start getting results.’
But in her maiden speech to parliament Ms Elliot said ‘forget the buck-passing and politics, I am here to do a job, and that is to represent Richmond’ and that Labor had ‘a long-term commitment’ to the restoration of the train service closed down by the state Labor government.