Regional city hub proposal

Company includes shire in high-speed rail route plans

Berrigan Shire would be home to a new city hub if an ambitious high-speed rail plan linking Melbourne and Sydney comes to fruition.

Consolidated Land and Rail Australia is proposing to build a new smart city in Berrigan Shire as part of a fast passenger link from Melbourne to Sydney, along with seven other inland cities along the route.

Co-director Nick Cleary said the project would be funded through capturing and taxing the increased value of land along the route.

Berrigan Shire Mayor Bernard Curtin said the proposal would be incredibly beneficial to the region.

‘‘It was a big surprise to me that something like this is in planning,’’ he said.

‘‘For our part of the world, it’s extremely exciting, to be honest.’’

Cr Curtin noted the venture would be privately funded, and not through government or ratepayers’ money.

To fund it, the company would buy land at eight sites across the proposed route and sell it off at a massive profit when the rail link was up and running.

The eight sites would each become a new regional city, and would ease the growth in Melbourne and Sydney as formerly remote regions became commuter hubs.

‘‘The two major cities, Melbourne and Sydney, are becoming crowded and it’s getting to the point where people are spending two hours in traffic getting to and from work — that adds up to a day-and-ahalf in traffic every week,’’ Cr Curtin said.

‘‘High-speed transport going between the two, and taking in the Australian capital city, is something that is long overdue.’’

Cr Curtin said the flat terrain of the area made it an ideal option for a high-speed rail network.

CLARA is already looking at land options for the project, and Cr Curtin said he was aware of a number of locations in Berrigan Shire the company had already flagged interest in.

‘‘It’s a great opportunity for our part of the country in regional NSW,’’ he said.

‘‘It could be an opportunity for people to come and live in our area and make a life here.’’

Cr Curtin said CLARA’s plan already had the support of two former premiers, one in NSW and one in Victoria, as well as a number of other high-profile supporters. ‘‘I think it’s very exciting,’’ he said. ‘‘I just hope they can keep it going forward.’’

Phase one of the plan is the proposed leg from Melbourne to the Greater Shepparton region and could begin within five years, with the high speed rail connection and first stage of the new cities online within a decade.

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