[Photo: FILE]

Fiji’s sugar rail network could be saved if Government invests in repairing key tramlines and introduces cage bins to improve cane transportation.

Sugar Industry Tribunal Registrar Timothy Brown says the Tribunal has avoided permanently closing tramlines because the rail network could still be used if Government decides to invest in it.

He says the Rarawai tramline was temporarily closed after only 88 growers were using it, while millions of dollars were needed for repairs.

Timothy Brown says affected growers were fully compensated to move from rail to lorry transport.

“Basically, the process is under the Master Award, is that the Tribunal decides to close or not to close a tramline. In the Rarawai case, FSC had applied to shut the tramline. That’s the whole of the Tavua area. FSC’s proposal was then sent to the council for their submission. The council, in the details, opposed FSC’s submission.”

The future of Fiji’s sugar railway system should be decided at an industry level, with Sugar Industry Tribunal member Semi Leweniqila saying rail remains the best option for farmers because it can lower production costs, but the Fiji Sugar Corporation cannot afford to maintain railway lines that are not being used.

“But FSC does not have that luxury. And in terms of farmers trying to force the hand of the Tribunal to make a decision one way or the other, I feel is a bit overstepping the mark. And because the law really clearly states that the Tribunal is to see the overall picture of the industry and see what’s good for the industry.”

Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Chair Sakiusa Tubuna says Fiji needs a national railway system that can support the sugar industry while also being used for public transport throughout the year to reduce the high cost of maintaining the rail network.

“But we have to come up with new arrangements, maybe to have a sort of national railway system where we can have passengers also, another company can be involved. Six months you can use it for cane, and the other six months, and maybe for 12 months you can use it for other uses. If people want to know what the northern route in Lautoka is, you can go from Nadi or from Suva to go and watch the game.”

Tubuna adds that there is a need to explore a new model where the railway is used for cane during the crushing season and for public transport during the rest of the year.