Council seeks clarity after Inland Rail project axed

NARRABRI Shire Council is seeking clarity from the federal government in relation to the recently axed Inland Rail project and its impact on the district.

The Inland Rail project was a multibillion-dollar Australian infrastructure initiative designed to construct a 1600km freight rail line directly connecting Melbourne and Brisbane.

Work had previously been completed on the section of the rail route between Narrabri and North Star, but had not begun on the 306km section between Narromine and Narrabri.

In a mayoral minute tabled at the May council meeting, mayor Darrell Tiemens said the council would seek information about what the decision to cease the project meant for land purchased along the corridor.

“We’re seeking clarity from the minister [Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King] around what the actually means for our council,” Cr Tiemens said.

“There are a lot of question marks.

“Even the local staff are not all over this kind of issue.”

Cr Tiemens said there is a seething anger along the rail route.

“I attended a meeting … with 42 mayors,” he said.

“That’s a lot of mayors, that’s a lot of opinions.

“But for Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland … there was a huge amount of concern around this.

“Country mayors put a motion to all the mayors … about this expressing concern and really wanting to know what’s next.

“And what are the consequences in terms of support for impacted communities … contractors and businesses that have bet big on this Inland Rail project right up and down the length of this railway.”

Cr Jocellin Jansson spoke in support of the mayoral minute and said many suppliers had geared up in preparation for the Inland Rail project.

“They geared up in response to Inland Rail’s engagement with local suppliers and providers,” Cr Jansson said.

“They geared up in order to have the capacity to deliver.

“We need to understand about what happens for those and there will be many here in Narrabri Shire who will be impacted significantly.

“The government engaged through Inland Rail … very, very strongly from the outset … encouraging them to gear up, to be able to supply, whether it be services or products.”

Cr Jansson said the decision to abandon the project comes at a great cost to businesses.

As part of Cr Tiemens’s mayoral minute, the council will support a NSW Country Mayors Association resolution regarding the cessation and scaling back of the project.

The council will express its disappointment regarding the cessation and the uncertainty it has created for rural, remote and regional communities.

In an update on the project in May, KMinister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherineing said the federal government had taken the decision to consolidate the Inland Rail project by completing construction between Beveridge in Victoria and Parkes in New South Wales by the end of 2027.

According to the minister, independent cost assurance work had confirmed the cost estimate for the entire project had exceeded $45bn to deliver the full project from Melbourne to Brisbane.

“The 2023 independent review found major deficiencies in the governance and delivery of Inland Rail by the Liberals and Nationals,” King said.

“We are taking sensible decisions to realign the future of Inland Rail and build a safe, efficient and reliable network for the future.”