Inland Rail

LANDHOLDERS affected by the proposed Inland Rail project have been quick to commend the Hon. David Littleproud following his announcement that the rail line route across the Darling Downs will be reviewed.

Ben and Sarah Eisel of “Woodspring” just north of Inglewood say the business interests who now complain about further delay to the project should have been actively campaigning in recent years to make sure that Inland Rail was following best practice in its route planning.

“Inland Rail only went through the motions looking at its own issues and never stopped to properly and realistically consider the enormous impacts and risks of interfering with flood patterns, or the devastating effect of the line cutting through a large area of strategic cropping land”, Sarah Eisel is quoted as saying.

“The business interests apparently didn’t bother to check that Inland Rail was properly investigating the project and all of its impacts on the land and the community.

“If it were built to the present faulty design, in future it would be a lasting monument to bad government and poor design.

“We wholeheartedly support the objectives of reducing transport emissions and contributing to prosperity of the region and we’ll appreciate an opportunity in the review to help identify and address how best to protect the strategic cropping land, avoid the flood risks and social impacts.

“Hopefully the business interests who stand to benefit from the Project will also contribute to that effort,” she said.

GEORGE HOUEN, Toowoomba