Councillors are concerned the community isn’t taking the Inland Rail project seriously, with the project moving full steam ahead

“Unless they die in the next couple of years, it’s going to happen”: Councillors concerned about community’s “blinkered” approach

Lockyer Valley Regional Councillors say Inland Rail will be coming to the region. File image.

Lockyer councillors are concerned that residents are “wearing blinkers” when it comes to Inland Rail and the speed the project is developing at.

During Wednesday’s council meeting, the environmental impact statement was hotly discussed by councillors who felt the community didn’t believe the project would come to fruition.

Councillor Jason Cook was astounded by the number of people that think Inland Rail is a passenger rail.

“I don’t know if it’s the engagement they’ve had or people wearing blinkers and not wanting to know or believe,” he said.

“I had someone sit beside me and say, ‘we will never see this will we?’. We still have people in the community that think it’s not going to happen.

“Unless they die in the next couple of years, it’s going to happen. That’s a concern.”

Councillors were unanimously concerned about the community’s understanding that the proposed major freight line would also include a passenger service.

Mayor Tanya Milligan said council had “copped some flack” recently for information shared to the community but made no apologies.

“The community are talking, and they need to be, because if they’re not it will be too late,” she said.

“People are just a bit worn down because the conversation has been happening for so long, (but) we have a sense of responsibility.

“We all live here, we are part of the community, this is our home and we will be affected and so will our children’s children.”