LNP voters will express their anger with the Morrison Government on May 21

Inland Rail was hailed as key infrastructure that would provide a much needed economic boost to the region but farmers are angry they were sidelined during the planning phase and will make their anger felt on election day.

Rusted-on LNP voters in the Groom electorate are looking to move their support to an independent candidate as payback for the Morrison Government’s handling of the Inland Rail.

The Chronicle spoke to several LNP branch members and long-term supporters who said farming communities in Pittsworth, Millmerran and Brookstead were unhappy with how the Australian Rail Track Corporation had dealt with landholders affected by Inland Rail.

They are concerned the rail line will cut properties in half, rendering them worthless, while also endangering vital wildlife habitats yet failing to provide the promised economic pay-off.

They are angry the ARTC disregarded local advice and set a proposed route that would exacerbate flooding in the Condamine.

Vicki Battaglia from Biddeston said she made more than 20 attempts to have meetings with LNP officials about Inland Rail.

These concerns were backed up by a Senate report released in 2021 that found the ARTC based its plans on faulty hydrology studies.

Kev Loveday said he had voted for the National Party and later the LNP his whole life but would back an independent this time around.

“There is an arrogance to how the government has behaved,” he said.

“You can’t presume that just because you are in government that everything you do is right, you need to listen to people, there needs to be more consultation and greater attempts to truly address their concerns.”

Kev Loveday of Pittsworth, said he would walk away from a lifetime of supporting the LNP.

It was a sentiment echoed by Biddeston landholder Vicki Battaglia who walked away from a lifetime commitment to the LNP at the last election.

She said she made more than 20 attempts to meet with LNP officials but was met with silence.

“People think it is just some farmers whinging, but the impact of the rail line will be massive in terms of flooding the environment,” she said.

Ms Battaglia said residents near Blue Mountain Heights and Prince Henry Heights would be impacted, just as farmers would be, after the Inland Rail was built.

“They can’t complain about the outcome later if they didn’t help the outcome change,” she said.

Groom MP candidate Garth Hamilton is up for re-election.

For his part Groom MP Garth Hamilton said he shared the landholder criticism of ARTC and pushed for the corporation to buy back any farms that were severely impacted by the rail line.

“How people will vote is not a consideration, this is not a political play,” he said.

“This is a piece of nation-building infrastructure with benefits for the nation and something we have been talking about for a hundred years.

“This is something I have said I want to deliver and I have been working hard to deliver it.”