The Senate Inquiry into ARTC’s management of Inland Rail reconvenes in Brisbane today

The Millmerran Rail Group has reiterated its concerns over Inland Rail to the Deputy Prime Minister, ahead of the Inland Rail senate inquiry resuming today.

The Deputy Prime Minister has been urged to travel to the Darling Downs to meet with families whose lives will be impacted by the proposed Inland Rail route over the Condamine flood plain, as the Senate Inquiry into the Management of Inland Rail reconvenes today.

Millmerran Rail Group chairman Wes Judd said he spoke with Mr McCormack, who has responsibility for Inland Rail, over the weekend, after the Australian Rail Track Corporation submitted its draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Border to Gowrie section of the Inland Rail.

Mr Judd said he raised farming families’ concerns over potential flooding impacts with the DPM, and urged him to instruct ARTC not to proceed with the route until both an independent panel of flood hydrology experts and the senate inquiry had reported their findings, an assessment of alternate routes were updated to include additional costs following the Government’s pre-Christmas announcement Inland Rail would cost an extra $5.5 billion to deliver, and all affected landholders had been consulted and agreed to ARTC’s proposals and compensation offers.

Today’s senate inquiry hearing will take place in Brisbane, starting at 11.45am.

The inquiry is scheduled to hear from the Queensland Trucking Association, SCT Logistics, the Central Queensland Region Organisation of Councils, the Kagaru to Acacia Ridge and Bromelton Community Consultation Committee, Logan City Council, National Trunk Rail, Formation Consulting, and the “father of Inland Rail”, Everald Compton.