Labor stands by its Inland Rail promise
DARLING DOWNS landholders with farms along the proposed Inland Rail route are hopeful the newly elected Labor Government will come good on its campaign promise to review the project.
Millmerran Rail Group spokesman Wes Judd said Labor infrastructure spokeswoman Catherine King announced during the election campaign that a Labor Government would “speak to communities along the route to see what some of the better options are”.
He said it was a repeat of statements made by the Australian Labor Party after the Senate handed down its scathing report into the Inland Rail and the Australian Rail Track Corporation.
The 2021 report found the ARTC did not adequately account for local knowledge of flood levels on the Condamine flood plain when planning to build the rail line across it.
It also found the ARTC based decisions on hydrology studies that lacked crucial information and called for changes to its environmental impact statement.
This finding was backed up by an independent panel of experts that reviewed the ARTC’s hydrology data.
It found the data was flawed and that the proposed route would exacerbate flooding in the area.
Mr Judd said the Morrison Government knew the project would be stalled if it lost power.
“They were trying to bulldoze as much of it through as possible before the election, to get it to the point where (the route) was locked in,” he said.
“The review was done by the Senate committee and its findings were absolutely damning of the Inland Rail project and the ARTC’s mismanagement of it.
“Instead of acting on the Senate committee findings about the flooding risk of the flood plain crossing near Millmerran, the former Morrison Government pushed on.
“Now is the opportunity with a new government that knows the flaws of the Inland Rail route to find a better option.”
While there is no guarantee Ms King will be sworn in as Infrastructure Minister, a spokesman for her office said the party was committed to its election promises.
He added that those promises included being guided by the Senate report, which was championed by the Australian Labor Party.
Mr Judd said the affected farmers were cautiously optimistic.
“We look forward to meeting with the new minister as soon as possible,” he said.
“They are welcome to meet with farming families affected by the proposed flawed route.”