THE Australian government has welcomed the set up of a community consultative committee for the Kagaru to Acacia Ridge-Bromelton section of Inland Rail project.
The committee is the fifth set up in Queensland and gives a voice to 50,000 people in the mushrooming south west where populations are set to near treble to 130,000 over the coming decades.
The 52-kilometre Kagaru to Acacia Ridge /Bromelton section is part of ARTC’s interstate freight rail network. It will one day carry coal.
The Inland Rail Action Group’s Suz and Stan Corbett, who lobbied long and hard to see a committee established have confirmed they have submitted a nomination.
The four MPs – the Deputy Prime Minister, Treasurer and two local MPs, issued a joint release. It said Inland Rail would create an estimated 16,000 direct and indirect jobs during construction and add $16 billion to the economy in its first 50 years of operation, contributing to the nation’s economic growth and prosperity of the regions. It said in Queensland alone, Inland Rail would boost the Gross State Product by $7 billion and create about 5,750 direct and indirect jobs during construction.
Deputy Prime Minister, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Michael McCormack said the Australian Rail Track Corporation committee was a chance for residents in the southern suburbs of Brisbane, Logan and parts of the Scenic Rim area to contribute local knowledge to the project.
“The government understands strong working relationships between ARTC, local communities, stakeholder groups and councils are critical to the success of this project. CCCs help ensure community issues are brought to the fore and addressed during the planning and design of each Inland Rail section,” he said.
“CCCs provide an important mechanism for local communities to be listened to, delivering on the Government’s commitment to ensure strong relationships are developed with local landowners and community groups along the route.
“An important role for the Kagaru to Acacia Ridge and Bromelton Community Consultative Committee will be to provide community input on aspects of the studies required as part of the project approvals process.”
Finance minister Mathias Cormann said the government was committed to deliver Inland Rail in a way that genuinely engaged with the communities along the route.
“We are investing more than $9 billion to make this longstanding vision of a freight corridor between Melbourne and Brisbane a reality,” Senator Cormann said.
“With Australia’s freight task set to almost double over the next 20 years, this is a critically important investment into Australia’s freight infrastructure for the future, with every dollar the government invests forecast to return $2.62 to the Australian economy.”
Forde MP Bert van Manen said community consultation was critical to ensuring the government delivered the project so it minimised impact on local communities.
“Inland Rail is critical for the future of the country, but equally it must be built in way which minimises the impact on local communities,” Mr van Manen said.
“I have no doubt that ensuring noise and coal dust are adequately managed will be an important focus of the community consultative committee.”
Wright MP Scott Buchholz welcomed the establishment of the final community consultative committee for the south-east Queensland.
“This gives the people of Beaudesert, Jimboomba and the wider region the opportunity to have close consultation on the Inland Rail. I know this has been really important in sharing the feedback of the community in other parts of the region, including through the Lockyer Valley,” Mr Buchholz said.
“Inland Rail is vital – it will bring jobs and opportunity to the region, but as a local member I remain committed to working with the ARTC to ensure the local community is listened to.”
Nominations for the ARTC committee opened on July 28. They close on Friday, August 31, at 5pm.
Those who want to nominate can find more information here
