Minister defends rail corridor alignment
IT WAS to be the decision the Darling Downs had been waiting for since May when the Federal Government pledged $8.4 billion for the Inland Rail project it says will transform Australia.
But a last-minute venue change as critics got wind of the long-awaited announcement meant it was almost derailed.
Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Darren Chester acknowledged the controversy surrounding his preferred rail corridor, a 2km wide stretch which will cross the Condamine flood plain on to Brookstead and Pittsworth before it links to the Toowoomba Enterprise Hub at Gowrie.
“I’m under no illusion about the level of concern some members of the community along the preferred alignment,” Mr
Chester said.
Those concerns relate to the impact on nearby land and businesses, as well as flooding risks across the Condamine flood plain.
“Flood mitigation is going to be a critical aspect of the detailed design phase,” he said.
“I understand what people have concerns about, what impact a project like this might have on their community until they see the detailed design work.
“I deeply respect local knowledge, and I want the
locals with generational information.
“Combine that with some of the best technical minds in the nation (I’m) sure we can resolve the issues they put forward.”
Mr Chester said the base route mapped out in 2010 was the cheapest to build, but did not take into account the Wellcamp airport and industrial precinct currently under construction.
He said the preferred alignment was the second cheapest, costed at about $180 million below that of the Leyburn route.
The line through Warwick was the most expensive, he said.
“When that base route was first developed, there was no consideration there would be an international airport at Wellcamp and very little consideration the Wellcamp industrial precinct would be developed in that area,” he said.
“It would be foolish for any government to not consider that very considerable investment that has occurred there, and the future business that is going to occur there in terms of moving the freight task in that region.
“The process has been absolutely above board; I stand by the process and I stand by the integrity of people like Bruce Wilson.”
Mr Wilson AM will lead the public consultation sessions.