Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce confirms Border to Gowrie route of $15 billion Inland Rail project

After internal Coalition posturing the Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has spoken out on a contentious section of the Inland Rail near Toowoomba.

United calls for Inland Rail - one of Australia’s largest ever rail projects - to continue as planned through Toowoomba region have been backed by Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce.

Now the likes of Toowoomba Regional Council infrastructure chair Carol Taylor, John Wagner and the region’s economic leaders have said it’s 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.

In a statement yesterday a spokeswoman for Mr Joyce assured that his Nationals colleague David Littleproud had not derailed the current plans, despite the Maranoa MP last week distributing a four-page document to change the route.

Barnaby Joyce has put to bed rumours of a change to the Inland Rail route through the Condamine flood plain. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“The Inland Rail route is locked in and we are getting on with delivering this vital infrastructure project for the benefit of all Australians,” the spokeswoman said.

“World-leading rail engineering experts have signed off on the Border to Gowrie section that includes the Condamine Crossing.

“ARTC’s flood modelling and the reference design for the crossing of the Condamine flood plain has been thoroughly reviewed by the International Independent Panel of Experts for flood studies in Queensland.

“The Panel’s draft report found that the work undertaken by ARTC to be predominantly in accordance with national guidelines and current industry best practice.

A project map of the planned route of the NSW/Queensland to Gowrie section of the Inland Rail project.

“The Border to Gowrie section has been subject to multiple studies and reviews, including in 2006, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2016-17, 2017 and again in 2020. The review in 2017 found that the current Border to Gowrie alignment which provides the best service offering outcome for the Inland Rail project in terms of; 24-hour transit, service reliability, availability and cost competitiveness was far superior to alternative routes via Mount Tyson and Warwick.

07/03/2021: A frustrated John Wagner is calling on politics to be put aside for the sake of the $15 billion Inland Rail project. Lyndon Mechielsen/ The Australian

“In the regions where the construction of Inland Rail has commenced we are already seeing benefits from the project through new economic opportunities and jobs. Getting Queensland sections into construction is vital to deliver the 11,800 jobs expected in the state at the peak of construction.”

Well-known Toowoomba businessman John Wagner, who is the chairman of Wagner Corporation that own Wellcamp Airport, said any delays could spell the end of the project, which is estimated to cost close to $15 billion.

“If they change the route, then the railway line will come to the McIntyre Line and that will put the project back by five or 10 years and we just can’t afford that,” he said.

“We will blow tens of thousands of jobs.

“Stop playing politics, stop all the political rubbish. Get on and create jobs to get the rail line built to Toowoomba.

“I’m concerned by more debate happening over changing the route, that it will delay the project and miss a fantastic opportunity for this region and Toowoomba.”

Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise CEO Ali Davenport said the project would transform the freight industry in Australia.

“It’s a really important project that will bring a lot of benefits to Toowoomba so government needs to get on with it,” she said.

“Inland Rail will give our industry and agriculture the opportunity to access new markets across the country and it’s an opportunity we can’t afford to miss out on.”

TSBE CEO Ali Davenport has backed the Inland Rail route for the Border to Gowrie section. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Toowoomba Regional Council infrastructure committee chair Carol Taylor said Inland Rail was a once-in-a-generation project.

“Council has been and continues to be supportive of the Inland Rail route coming north from Inglewood through to Toowoomba then onto Brisbane.

“This project will create job opportunities throughout our region and is expected to deliver significant economic opportunities.

“As two thirds of the freight movement on Inland Rail is for internal freight between the economics of Melbourne and Brisbane, it is a critical outcome of Inland Rail that freight can be moved in well under 24 hours between the two cities.

“The alternative route being mentioned has previously been discussed and was discarded as it doesn’t meet the objectives of the project causes other significant challenges such as the dissection of the regional towns of Clifton, Greenmount, Wyreema and Cambooya which would have the populations of their communities cut in half.

“To hold this project up for another five to ten years simply to revisit this idea would not be in the best interests of anybody and would have major impacts on the Toowoomba Region and Queensland’s economic growth.”