Council gives Conditional Approval for Temporary Accommodation Facility
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Council has today given conditional approval to construct a temporary accommodation facility for Trans4m Rail workers at the Moree Gateway. The accommodation is needed for approximately two to three years while the Narrabri to North Star section of the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail project (Inland Rail) is built.
A peak construction workforce of over 300 personnel has been forecast in the second and third year of construction for this section of Inland Rail, with the number requiring temporary accommodation at the facility based on the proportion of the workforce outside the regional area. Whilst the accommodation facility was originally proposed for 352 workers, Council has set an initial limit of 300 beds to encourage local employment.
Moree Plains Shire Council Mayor, Katrina Humphries said that it was hugely exciting that Moree would be the base of operations for construction of this section of Inland Rail.
“We want to encourage as much local employment as we can on Inland Rail but we also need to make sure our locals aren’t under housing stress over the next few years while we have hundreds of workers in town. The workers’ accommodation facility is part of the solution, so is hiring locals”, explained the Mayor.
Other conditions placed on the approval by Council include:
Limiting residents of the facility to those employed on Inland Rail; Requiring residents to sign a code of conduct; Prohibiting the sale of alcohol on site; Requiring operators to develop a medical services plan in consultation with Hunter New England Health and local GP services, and a safety and crime prevention plan in consultation with police.The general feedback from accommodation providers and the community during the public meetings conducted by Moree Plains Shire Council and Moree Tourism has been positive.
Trans4m Rail’s Project Director, Jon Holmes, said this is one of the first big steps before major construction commences on the 1 April 2021.
“Our priority is to look after the local communities that we work in and the construction and operation of the temporary accommodation facility will benefit the local region through direct employment and the ongoing stimulus to local business including the provision of services for food, cleaning and maintenance,” said Mr Holmes.
The temporary accommodation facility is expected to be functional by April 2021 in time for the commencement of Narrabri to North Star Phase 1 construction which is expected to conclude by October 2023.
“This is a great time for our Shire and we’ll continue to put the community at the heart of all of our decision making”, concluded Mayor Humphries.