THREATS TO DERAIL
Unity to protect Toowoomba’s Inland Rail plan
BUSINESS leaders have united in calling for the Inland Rail project to continue as planned, with their fury ignited by an attempt from Maranoa MP David Littleproud to derail the current proposal.
TOOWOOMBA business leaders have united in calling for the federal government’s multibillion-dollar Inland Rail project to continue as planned, warning that any route changes could set the project back by up to a decade.
The fury from Garden City powerbrokers was ignited after Maranoa Nationals MP David Littleproud attempted to derail the current proposal in the form of a four-page document outlining an alternative route through Warwick to appease angry farmers in his electorate.
On August 11 a Senate inquiry released a report on the Australian Rail Track Corporation’s 1700km, $15 billion freight rail link which found the group had fallen short on its assessment of the flood heights and on its obligation to consult with the Millmerran community.
Wagners co-founder John Wagner said any last-minute changes could kill the Inland Rail project.
“The situation is that we’ve been in the same spot for years and years and we don’t want the route changed,” he said.
“There’s been a massive amount of planning already, and the reality is if there’s an issue with the flood levels lets re-engineer the design, we don’t need to go back and shift the route and put the project back another five or 10 years.”
FKG Group CEO Grant Statton said Inland Rail had been a generation in the making, and it was critical that Toowoomba remained a part of the project’s route.
“There’s infrastructure in Victoria and NSW that’s already creating industry, and for Queensland to miss out would be detrimental on the future of industry and the economy,” he said.
“It’s a shame to see this project become political when this is a common sense process that benefits Australia.
“This type of enabling infrastructure changes states, and it’s critical that Queensland and Toowoomba can participate in a national program.
“There’s been plenty of money spent on studies and alignments and ecological reports, it’s time to get on with it.”
A Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications spokeswoman said after multiple studies the route was set.
“The Inland Rail alignment is settled and delivery is well under way,” she said. “The Border to Gowrie route has been informed by multiple studies and reviews, including in 2006, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2016-17, 2017 and again in 2020.”
“The 2020 independent assessment confirmed that, on a like-for-like basis, the Border to Gowrie Reference Design route selected in 2017 is superior to other routes proposed by stakeholders.”