t is the mega infrastructure project that has been promised by the Coalition to deliver an economic boom for Australia’s regions and rural communities: the 1,700km rail route to be built between Melbourne and Brisbane.
In this major investigation, Guardian Australia spoke to community representatives, businesses and individuals up and down the proposed rail route. Australian politicians have been talking about a national rail line since before Federation. John Howard took up a proposal in 1996 for However, within three meetings of the ARTC’s community working group, those options were taken off the table. ARTC was adamant that the only option would be an overpass an additional 12m higher, in a town where buildings are typically one or two stories.
They deployed the skills of local architects, lawyers, logistics firms, artists, designers and engineers to advocate for the feasibility of an underpass. The aim was to open up the vistas and create a visual connection from one side of town to the other.
“I really hope this is not just about getting a white T-shirt sent overnight from Melbourne to Brisbane,” he says. “I hope it’s got more credibility than that.” But Parkes is also central to the inland rail project, as it’s where the east-west line from Perth to Sydney intersects with the Melbourne to Brisbane line. Think of it like a big rail roundabout.
There is no doubt the rail will add value to Parkes, thanks to the luck of its geography and relentless work to secure the project. But contrary to Scott Morrison’s promise that the line would benefit “all the regions along the route”, Keith says if the train stopped everywhere, it would lose the benefit of speed.
“And it was a lightbulb moment for ARTC that it is time-critical. And so the more towns you went to stop at, the slower that journey, and that doesn't work for the through traffic.”“We want to build heavy rail that can take double-stacked containers and do it properly. Do it once, do it well. Don't build a second grade track that can’t be used.”
“We would like answers why a professional organisation would not do their research, and change it on a whim,” Knop says. Farmers Robert and Rosemary Webb didn’t take much notice of the inland rail when it was first proposed for the western side of Narromine, as they live and farm on the eastern side. But when the decision was made to change the route, they quickly got involved.Robert has lived in the area his whole life and he particularly worries about the flood risk. It is flat country, and he has known the devastating effect of floods since he was a boy.
Coalition economic management as usual.Completely designed for political election purposes this unplanned disaster is simply costing the taxpayer big time. Who knows they might even announce before this upcoming election the secret stating point as Kooyong & finishing in Dickson.
Worth a read. Turns out this LNP $project, if ever completed, will do little to help the communities it passes through & is now focussed on moving coal or getting freight from one end to the other in 24 hrs (for the likes of Woolworths.) Ignoring environmental & flooding risks.
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