Inland Rail Must Steam Ahead

Moree Plains Shire Council Mayor, Mark Johnson, has called on the new Prime Minister, the Hon Anthony Albanese, and Federal Government to reconfirm their commitment to the nation building Inland Rail project.

The $14Billion project will transform freight movement between Melbourne and Brisbane and is critically important to bring logistics costs down and improve productivity.

Australian farmers on the east coast will improve their competitiveness as they trade with the world and this freight link will enable a monumental shift to innovative value-added production and manufacturing. This will be a key catalyst for job creation in regional Australia for years to come.

The Narrabri to North Star Phase 1 Inland Rail project is passed the halfway point of construction in the Moree Plains and a massive amount of work will continue around Moree in the heart of North West NSW until 2026 on the Moree to Camurra and North Star to Border sections of Inland Rail.

Councillor Johnson said “Inland Rail is essential to the growth, competitiveness and resilience of Moree and other inland communities. The NSW Government has committed nearly $200million to develop a Special Activation Precinct in Moree and the Federal Government has already announced over $40 million for road infrastructure to service the SAP and work around the Inland Rail assets.”

“The country needs this freight link. Now is not the time to pause or unwind on this project. A huge amount of design, construction and preparation has already been undertaken. One of the aims of the Inland Rail is to move freight off the road network onto rail which will improve safety and productivity.”

“We welcome the announcement of the new Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, the Hon. Catherine King MP. Our Council will be seeking a meeting with the Minister and will invite her to tour the region and get a firsthand look at the benefits this project unlocks.”

“Moree Plains Shire Council is a founding member of the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail Alliance, and for decades we have advocated across the political spectrum for the development of the Inland Rail.”

“We acknowledge the contribution and commitment of previous Labor Governments towards the development of Inland Rail and call on this newly minted Labor Government to maintain this support and deliver this project for the future prosperity of our nation”.

This region, our community, our farms, and businesses need certainty. We look forward to engaging with the new Government in delivering this generational infrastructure.