Noise, dust, traffic factors send ARTC’s Inland Rail back to drawing board

The State Government has delivered a massive blow for the builder of one of Queensland’s most controversial transport projects.

Plans for the first stage of the inland rail freight line into Queensland have been sent back to the drawing board after the state government called for a second, more thorough, environmental assessment.

State Co-ordinator-General Toni Power called on the Australian Rail Track Corporation for extra information on the environmental impacts of the project from the border to Gowrie, late last month.

The move was a rejection of an initial draft environmental impact statement from ARTC.

A letter to concerned residents from the Co-ordinator-General’s department in December said the ARTC would be forced to rewrite its draft impact statement for the Gowrie section and also for the Calvert to Kagaru track.

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Map showing the Inland Rail route into Queensland. Source: ARTC

“Additional information has been sought from ARTC in several key areas including, but not limited to, noise and vibration, traffic and transport, stakeholder engagement, environmental values, flooding, groundwater, economic assessment, social impact, and air quality,” the letter said.

“ARTC is also required to provide a written response to the co-ordinator-general addressing all submissions received on the draft impact statement as part of the revised draft EIS.

“The Co-ordinator-General has also decided the revised draft EIS will be subject to public consultation.”

Work on the New South Wales to Queensland border section of the corridor will include construction and upgrading 216km of single-track rail near Yelarbon, to Gowrie Junction, northwest of Toowoomba.

Residents on the proposed section said the state was finally listening and the Co-ordinator-General’s request was reassuring.

Lloyd Stumer, who has campaigned against the track through residential areas in SEQ and whose Algester home is near the proposed track, said the move was a “slap in the face” to the ARTC.

Lloyd Stumer’s Algester home is on the Inland Rail route.

“It will be a long time before approval is finally granted, if at all,” he said.

“Hopefully, this track will never be allowed to enter Queensland, and the billions of dollars of public money diverted to projects with actual benefit for its communities.

“I hope the Inland Rail will be stopped from damaging New South Wales and Victorian residents.”

Detailed submissions from farmers and concerned locals in the Darling Downs region were made late last year and will be part of the reassessment.

ARTC was unable to give an estimated time frame for the new draft but said it was working through the Co-ordinator-General’s request.

“This sort of request is a normal step in the environmental impact statement process for a major co-ordinated project,” ARTC said.

“ARTC is committed to achieving the best environmental, social and economic outcomes for Inland Rail and the communities and individuals along the route.

“The route is locked in and we look forward to continuing to work with the community to progress Inland Rail.”

The Co-ordinator-General has advised that the revised draft environment impact statement will be subjected to a period of public consultation, providing all stakeholders with an opportunity to consider ARTC’s responses to their submissions and further comment on the project.