Logan council backs residents against Inland Rail with Senate inquiry letter
A southside council has defended residents whose properties will be affected by the proposed national Inland Rail line metres from their back fences – and they have some rare bipartisan support on the controversial issue.
Logan
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SOUTHSIDE residents who have been fighting for more than three years to stop a proposed national freight train line on their back doorsteps, have finally found an unlikely champion.
A council on Brisbane’s southside has stepped in to defend households from Kagaru to Bromelton which might be affected by noise, dust and vibration when the national freight line is built.
Logan City Council this week planned to write to a Senate standing committee demanding it ensure accountability from the parties building the 1700km track.
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In a letter to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport committee, Logan administrator Tamara O’Shea said a section of the track through Logan should be co-ordinated under the state government’s Co-ordinator-General’s Office.
“This is the only section in Queensland that is not subject to the more rigorous process that is associated with a co-ordinated project,” Ms O’Shea said.
“Council considers that this is the preferred approach in light of the complex and various impacts that need to be considered.
“Council will continue to lobby on behalf of the Logan community for an Inland Rail solution that will minimise noise, emissions and dust impacts on residents.
“It will also continue to advocate for the Salisbury to Beaudesert passenger rail project to be delivered concurrently with Inland Rail.”
The letter also outlined council concerns about future congestion on the Mt Lindesay Highway and called for a plan to upgrade the highway, if the rail line went ahead via a transit hub at Bromelton.
The highway currently carries about 40,000 vehicles daily from Bromelton and the council said it expected that number to increase to 63,900 by 2031.
The letter said public engagement on Inland Rail had been inadequate and led to community angst and pointed out the route was selected without consultation.
Queensland Senator Murray Watt (Labor) and federal MP for Forde Bert van Manen (LNP) both backed the council letter.
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Senator Watt said the federal government and the ARTC “needed to start respecting locals along the route”.
“They’ve finally admitted they need help, after revelations last week that they spent $190,000 on consultants to help ‘develop empathy’.
“I encourage all stakeholders and communities affected by the project to make a submission to the Senate inquiry. The committee will listen to concerns from all sides and propose recommendations to improve the project.”
Mr van Manen also said he believed there had not been enough consultation with residents and said he would continue to discuss the Inland Rail track with colleagues.
“I don’t believe the ARTC has done anywhere near a good enough job with consultation and I think the ARTC definitely needs to lift its game and I’ve spoken to the deputy prime minister about the matter.
“I’ve made my concerns known to the ARTC and to date I haven’t seen any evidence the community concerns have been addressed.”
Forestdale residents Suz and Stan Corbett welcomed the council submission and said they would put in their own calling for the line not to go to Brisbane and to terminate at Dalby.
“It is good to have support from council and at the federal level at long last but it would have been appreciated had they discussed this with those fighting for their rights for past three years,” Mrs Corbett said.
“We have tried to discuss this with the ARTC, and state and federal governments in many letters and also written to the council that we don’t want this line, with all of its health impacts, through our suburbs.
Inland Rail
Inland Rail CEO Richard Wankmuller welcomed inquiry and chance to hear different perspectives about the project.
“This is a regional infrastructure project that has gone through 15 years of route analysis, engineering design and business case development,” he said.
“We are very sensitive to landowner and community concerns. This is a difficult project to build – far larger in scale than any other in terms of its geographic footprint.
“And we are working through those concerns as sensitively and detailed as possible while also remembering we have been asked to build this project within a certain scope, budget and timeframe.”
He said it was important the community was engaged on the K2ARB project which is why we they up the Community Consultative Committee.
He said there was also a program of environmental investigations under way, with geotechnical, hydrology and survey work now completed.
“Studies will continue over the coming months, including for air quality, noise and flora and fauna.”
The Senate inquiry, which was set up on September 17, will finalise a report by September 30, next year.
Submissions were due on November 8 this year but that has been extended to November 29, 2019.
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