Inland Rail: Not there yet, says local engineer

I read the letter to The Courier from Rebecca Pickering, Inland Rail interim chief executive, of March 1, 2022, with interest.

Reading the letter suggests that construction of the Narromine to Narrabri section of Inland Rail is about to start because:
i. The route is set; and
ii. Acciona CPB Joint Venture has been appointed for the construction and is looking for local contractors to help.

The facts:

Inland Rail, as Rebecca knows, has not received NSW State Planning approval to do any work on the Narromine to Narrabri section of Inland Rail. No approval – no work.

In fact, Inland Rail has not yet even formally responded to the 116 submissions to the environmental impact process.

The public exhibition of the Inland Rail Environmental Impact Statement closed on February 7, 2021. To date, Inland Rail has not yet even formally responded to the 116 submissions. The facts are that the flood modelling of the current route and its effects on flooding in Narrabri from the Namoi River, Narrabri Creek and Mulgate Creek has had to be redone and is also not yet submitted.

Nor has the original incorrect flood modelling of Bohena Creek been fixed and re-submitted.

Where is Inland Rail up to?

Once Inland Rail have “fixed” the errors in the Environmental Impact Statement and formally responded to the 116 submissions, The NSW Department of Planning and Environment will assess the project and Inland Rail’s responses and make a recommendation to the NSW Minister of Planning and Public Spaces for his determination. That determination by the Minister can be an approval, rejection, or a request for further information.

As well as the determination by the NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, the project must be assessed by the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment according to their accredited assessment process.

What’s next?

I think it is safe to say that there is a lot of work to be done before construction starts. I think it is also safe to say that contractors Acciona CPB Joint Venture can safely turn off their earthmoving machines and do something else for some time yet.

I believe Inland Rail also needs to explain to Narrabri residents why it is persisting with a rail route at Narrabri which needs two unnecessary bridges over Bohena Creek, and will unnecessarily cause additional flood heights, inundation periods and higher flood flow velocities on the western and north-western sides of Narrabri. This route will also cause land devaluation, noise and vibration impacts to many homes and businesses in Narrabri.

Rebecca’s statement, “I’d like to re-assure the Narrabri Community that in designing and building a more efficient and reliable rail network, safety is ARTC’s number one priority”, seems very hollow when Inland Rail’s selected route is unnecessarily impacting Narrabri and wasting $100-$150 million.

Narrabri does not need hot air, bluff, and spin; we need Rebecca and Inland Rail to do their job properly. Inland Rail needs to stop wasting time and move the last 38km section of the Narromine to Narrabri rail line.

A win-win:

Shifting 38kms of the current Inland Rail Route at Narrabri 7kms downstream to the west of Narrabri, away from the town, is a win for Inland Rail and Narrabri. The Narrabri alternative route is better for Inland Rail as well.

Perhaps Deputy Prime Minister, The Honourable Barnaby Joyce, can explain why Inland Rail needs to waste money and unnecessarily impact Narrabri when he visits on March 15, 2022.

His continued claim that the change will delay the project by two years is not accepted. Firstly, the remainder of the project will not be close to finished within two years.

Secondly, and most importantly, even if the project was delayed for two years (which is challenged), isn’t a two-year delay better than subjecting Narrabri to 100 years, or more, of unnecessary higher floods and negative social impacts.

Jim Purcell, registered professional civil engineer, Narrabri