As the chairman of Well-Being Australia, M V Tronson is involved in ministry to those in the local corporate world; so his attendance was one of courtesy and general interest in the affairs of those in his community.
However, he did also have one very specific interest in the day's proceedings.
"One of the matters raised was regionalisation, since both sides of politics – both State and Federal - support the principles of seeing industry relocated to the regions," M V Tronson explained. "With my broad background in the railways, indicated by my editing of sixteen books of railway anecdotes, I have some familiarity with the importance of country regions."
He has knowledge, for example about the contribution to the Queensland State coffers of areas such as mining at Mt Isa, tourism at Cairns, and the military influence at Townsville.
And he points out that, within New South Wales, there are recognised regional hubs such as Wagga Wagga in the Riverina, Bathurst in the mid west, Tamworth on the northern tablelands, and the extension of Sydney's economic 'central coast' north to Newcastle and south to Wollongong.
"With my background, I know some of the history and geography leading to the economic importance of these regions," M V Tronson noted. "So I directed the attention of the distinguished group to providing a mechanism whereby regional industries can rail their manufactured products to the cities."
The Footplate Padre thinks there should be a scheme whereby it is in effect a free service for such industries that have relocated to regions, otherwise it would be a case of giving with one hand a taking back with the other.
He pointed to the recognised studies that illustrate the higher costs of so many semi-trailers and B-doubles on the highways; such as the extra accidents, hospital visits, long-term care for those with permanent physical and emotional injuries, as well as the physical necessity to maintain roads more frequently and other such extra expenses.
"I gave an example of a friend in Sydney who was transporting an industrial item to Perth and the railway people told him to his utter dismay and disgust, that he would be required to hire a full container," M V Tronson explained. "For financial reasons, he had no alternative but to use a road transport company, who could happily accommodate his request."
Mark Tronson brought to the attention of those present that the railway as infrastructure is very under-utilised. In his view, Government should consider it as a community service in that all infrastructure is a community provision.
One of the delegates stated that many of the semi-trailers were only taking loads one way from capital to capital and were returning empty. M V Tronson pointed out that there were rail wagons designed to carry semi-trailers and trucks, and these should themselves be transported by the railway back to their home capital.
"It was important that I pressed home the point that the railway is infrastructure, and that as such, could be recognised as a service to the community, funded from public money. This meeting provided a forum within our democracy, where our community could give an input into where our money is spent and for what purposes," M V Tronson concluded.