THE board of the Country Mayors Association of NSW has met with Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King to discuss the cessation of the Inland Rail project.

CMA chairman, Rick Firman, said there was a unanimous resolution passed at the latest CMA meeting to seek a meeting with Minister King to raise the many concerns members have about the decision to terminate the Inland Rail at Parkes.

“There is ample evidence of the millions of dollars that both Local Government and private enterprise have invested in anticipation of the Inland Rail’s completion,” Cr Firman said.

“The truncation of the project has left many with large investments, made on the back of Government promises, with literally nowhere to go.

“We were able to have a frank discussion with the Minister about the decision. It is very evident the budget which started with an original allocation of $8.4 billion in 2017, rising progressively since then to $45 billion deserves to be questioned.

“However, there is no getting away from the fact the Government’s decision has left many between Parkes and the Queensland border, particularly Narromine, Narrabri, Moree feeling devastated,” Cr Firman said.

The Minister advised the CMA board the focus will now be on east-west linkages from Parkes to Perth and from Parkes to Botany and Newcastle ports.

The Minister also advised the Government was aiming to preserve the existing corridor wherever possible.

“While we are very disappointed with decision, we are hopeful the Minister’s advice that the Government is looking at working with the National Intermodal Corporation on intermodals that could feed into the Inland Rail will provide a viable fallback position for some,” Cr Firman commented.

“The CMA will continue to lobby for better outcomes for our affected members and the communities they represent.

“We want to explore other possible scenarios for its completion – if it cannot provide a port-to-port freight solution, because of the cost, why not an Intermodal-to-Intermodal approach with the rail line running from Beveridge in Victoria to Ebenezer in Queensland,” he asked.

Dr Schott in her 2023 review of the projects stated Ebenezer is the best option when assessed against the ability to meet the Inland Rail service requirements, maximising rail freight competitiveness, proximity to end-user freight demand, and alignment and compatibility with surrounding land uses.

“We do not believe simply deciding to truncate the project is providing the community, transport operators or all three tiers of government with the best outcomes, either economically, socially or environmentally,” Cr Firman said.

“Given the sunk costs already incurred there must be a way to get a better return on investment.

“We look forward to continue speaking with the Minister about pathways to success for this project,” he said.