CLARA Melbourne-Shepparton faster rail plan yet to see light of day

It was a bold vision: Melbourne to Shepp in 30 minutes. Here’s where it stands, three years and a share in $20 million later.

Faster rail appears to be no closer to reality in Victoria.

An ambitious rail plan that promised to cut travel times between Melbourne and Shepparton to just 30 minutes has yet to see the light of day, despite millions in taxpayer cash being spent on its business case.

Private consortium Consolidated Land and Rail Australia shared in a $20 million Federal Government grant in 2018 to develop its proposal for a northern Victoria high-speed rail line.

But since then, business groups and councils have not heard from the consortium – made up of 13 companies and headed by chief executive and former NSW Nationals vice chairman Nick Cleary – and the business case remains under wraps.

“Until we see the fruits of that government grant, we’re none the wiser as to what it (the plan) is or what it could be,” Committee for Greater Shepparton chief executive Sam Birrell said.

“If there’s not a solid productive business case that contributes to the discussion of the viability of high-speed rail in Australia, then that money should have been spent elsewhere.”

CLARA did not respond to calls or email questions from The Weekly Times.

CLARA’s pitch first emerged in 2016 for a new Melbourne to Greater Shepparton rail line, including construction of two new satellite cities. It claimed increased land values and development opportunities of the cities would fund the fast rail with “no direct costs to government or taxpayers”.

It was one of three proposals to share in $20 million in federal funding to develop a business case, which was completed in 2019.

National Faster Rail Agency head Barry Broe told a Senate estimates hearing in May that the business case “was completed to our satisfaction” and that “they (CLARA) are proceeding to see if they can take it to the next stage”.

A Department of Infrastructure spokesman confirmed the business case had informed the NFRA’s advice to the Government, and that business case would not be released publicly due to the commercially sensitive information it contained.

Mr Birell said his committee had been approached by CLARA early on but had had “no significant contact” with it since 2017.

“It would be very good to see that business case … our perspective since then is there are probably some more viable rail projects for Shepparton,” he said.

Greater Shepparton Council declined to comment on CLARA specifically; the council’s sustainable development officer Geraldine Christou said, however, that fast rail would be “a gamechanger” and that the council would work with anyone looking to progress it.

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