Inland Rail: Deputy PM signs off on first Queensland leg of $15 billion project

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce dodged questions of Nationals infighting over the $15 billion Inland Rail project while declaring the route was ‘absolutely set’.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has confirmed in parliament that works will begin soon on the Queensland leg of the $15 billion Inland Rail project while disputing claims it has caused a rift in his party.

Last week Toowoomba’s economic and community leaders including Toowoomba Regional Council infrastructure chair Carol Taylor and businessman John Wagner said it was time to “get on with it” and start moving soil for the $1.5 billion freight link between Yelarbon at the NSW/Queensland and Gowrie Junction near Toowoomba.

The Australian has reported the Deputy PM and Infrastructure Minister Barnaby Joyce signed off on a $20 million design contract from Whetstone to Gowrie that could lead to a $1 billion construction deal for 11km of bridges, 34 individual bridge crossings, 900 culverts and 950 people working full-time starting from next year.

Deputy Prime Minister of Australia Barnaby Joyce declared the Queensland leg of the Inland Rail project was “absolutely set” during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Inland Rail is one of Australia’s largest ever infrastructure projects, made up of 1700km of freight train line from Melbourne to Brisbane.

The 145km leg from the NSW and Queensland border near Yelarbon to Gowrie Junction north west of Toowoomba has been the subject of Nationals infighting with farmers in the Darling Downs campaigning against the route through the Condamine flood plain.

A Labor-led Senate committee called for the business case for the country’s largest rail freight project to be reviewed, which recommended the ARTC “addresses all issues identified by the Queensland independent flood panel’s findings” after finding they had fallen short on its assessment of the flood heights and on its obligation to consult with the Millmerran community.

Inland Rail is a 1700km freight project from Melbourne to Sydney.

In question time this week, Mr Joyce dodged questions on infighting within the Nationals while declaring the route for Inland Rail was “absolutely set”.

“It’s been through cabinet, and we’re getting on with it. We’re getting on with the job,” he said.

“On this 1700 kilometre piece of infrastructure, each one of those trains will take 110 B-doubles off the road, and it will take more than 150 semi-trailers off the road, each one using around over 600 litres of diesel one of the great carbon abatement policies.

“That 1700 kilometre piece of infrastructure will drive decentralisation, drive the growth of the town of Parkes, drive the growth of the town of Narrabri, drive the growth of the town of Goondiwindi, drive the growth of the city of Toowoomba and assist in the further growth of the great cities of Melbourne and Brisbane.”

Groom MP Garth Hamilton has welcomed the Deputy Prime Minister’s decision to sign off on a planning contract for the Inland Rail route to Toowoomba.

Groom MP Garth Hamilton said the confirmation of the planning contract and route to Toowoomba was a weight off his shoulders.

“From day one this is what we’ve been working towards and for us this is a great win for Toowoomba with jobs and growth to be delivered to the region,” he said.

“There’ll be 400 jobs created during the length of the project peaking at about 950 jobs during construction, so there’s huge job numbers but this also secures the economic growth of Toowoomba for generations to come.

“Apart from the $5 billion that will be spent in the region, it will bring industries to Toowoomba and make us a transport and logistics hub. We will become the focal point for the distribution of goods through the entire eastern seaboard.”

Mr Hamilton said a contract had been signed for the detailed design and costing with the preferred contractor that would ultimately roll into a design and construction contract.

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, as well as Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, have been approached for comment.

Originally published as Inland Rail: Deputy PM signs off on first Queensland leg of $15 billion project