Mayors push back on Inland Rail decision

THE state’s Country Mayors Association has raised concerns directly with the federal government over its decision to terminate Inland Rail at Parkes, arguing communities and businesses have been left stranded after investing in the project.

Narrabri Shire is among the areas impacted along what was intended to be a rail freight corridor between Melbourne and Brisbane.

The board of the Country Mayors Association of NSW (CMA) recently met with the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, to discuss the decision.

“Following the government’s announcement, there was a unanimous resolution passed at our last CMA meeting to seek a meeting with Minister King to raise the many concerns our members have about the decision to terminate the Inland Rail at Parkes,” CMA chairman Rick Firman said.

“There is ample evidence of the millions of dollars that both local government and private enterprise have invested in anticipation of the Inland Rail’s completion.

“The truncation of the project has left many with large investments, made on the back of government promises, with literally nowhere to go.

“We were able to have a frank discussion with the minister about the decision.

“It is very evident that the budget which started with an original allocation of $8.4bn in 2017, rising progressively since then to $45bn, deserves to be questioned.

“However, there is no getting away from the fact that the government’s decision has left many between Parkes and the Queensland border, particularly Narromine, Narrabri and Moree, feeling devastated.”

The CMA’s concerns follow a motion by Narrabri Shire Council that expressed similar sentiment, particularly about the impact locally.

Cr Jocellin Jansson told a recent council meeting that local industry and business had been encouraged to get on board with the now-shelved project during its early stages.

“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.”

Mayor Darrell Tiemens, who spearheaded the council’s push through a mayoral minute, said Narrabri Shire would seek clarity from the minister about what the decision meant for the local community.

During the meeting between King and the CMA, the minister advised the board the focus would now be on east-west linkages from Parkes to Perth and from Parkes to Botany and Newcastle ports.

The minister also advised the government was aiming to preserve the existing corridor wherever possible.

“While we are very disappointed with the decision, we are hopeful that the minister’s advice that the government is looking at working with the National Intermodal Corporation on intermodals that could feed into Inland Rail will provide a viable fallback position for some,” Cr Firman said.

“The CMA will continue to lobby for better outcomes for our affected members and the communities they represent.

“We want to explore other possible scenarios for its completion. If it cannot provide a port-to-port freight solution because of the cost, why not an intermodal-to-intermodal approach with the rail line running from Beveridge in Victoria to Ebenezer in Queensland?”