This letter is in response to Mark Coulton’s letter in The Courier, July 1.
His unwavering support for the Inland Rail line to stay in its proposed position is hard to understand.
His limp explanation of ‘X’ number of jobs and ‘X’ number of dollars spent and ‘X’ number of dollars in future savings is all just blabber.
If the rail line is shifted to the new position, exactly the same numbers apply, but savings of several hundred millions of dollars of infrastructure cost with no noise or flooding issues for Narrabri.
Money that you and I will have to pay back.
The Narrabri Inland Port will not be affected; if anything there will be more room for the north/south access.
Regarding the timeline solid plans still have not been drawn up from Boggabilla to Millmerran line, let alone to Brisbane.
As our Prime Minister said the other day ‘this is not a race’.
The rail line route no doubt was a desktop (computer) generated route by some person in Canberra or Perth, or wherever, with no idea of a better route.
Where was the local input?
Noise and flood modelling appear to be flawed and at present new modelling is being done.
Narrabri Shire Council has for years advocated with Inland Rail for local jobs and local contractors.
There have been many meetings and promises that we would be in the running – but no, just a handful of jobs with no great benefit for the town.
So in the end ‘public consultation’ is only lip service to say that it has been done and the box has been ticked.
It means nothing. Not one outcome has resulted from the consultation.
In the long term (up to at least 200 years) the well being of Narrabri residents from noise and possible flooding has not been taken into account.
Our politicians are not listening, and seem to be relaxed about wasting public money on a more expensive and inappropriate route.
This approach leaves me in despair.
Ron Campey, Narrabri
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