Australia introduces new nation building plan

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the government would spend A$1.2 billion (US$812 million) on rail infrastructure, the largest single investment in rail in the history of the commonwealth. He said that investment over two years in the Australian Rail Track Corp. (ARTC) was more than what the former coalition government invested during its almost 12 years in office. Rudd said. “A$580 million (US$392 million) of today’s investment will be used to expand capacity and rail corridors to service the Hunter, the Hunter Valley Coal mines and, of course, their connection to the Port of Newcastle.” He said this investment would more than double the export capacity at Newcastle from 97 to 200 million tons of coal a year. (December 12, 2008)