Moree Plains Shire Council Mayor Cr Susannah Pearse asks a question during the Australian Council of Local Government meeting at Parliament House on Monday, June 22. Photo: Cr Tiffany Galvin.
Moree Plains Shire Council Mayor Cr Susannah Pearse says Moree’s unfinished 23km of Inland Rail should not become “collateral damage” in the Federal Government’s decision to stop construction work north of Parkes.
Cr Pearse said Moree Plains did not need the full Inland Rail route to Brisbane to gain real value from the project, but it did need the remaining local section completed.
Inland Rail material says 23km of the Narrabri to North Star rail corridor, to the south and north of Moree town centre, is still in development.
“There is only 23km of incomplete Inland Rail works in Moree that are stopping our producers, commodity handlers and businesses from taking advantage of Inland Rail and exporting via higher capacity track to the Port of Newcastle,” Cr Pearse said.
“Ironically, those 23km support our existing bulk handling facilities and our Moree Special Activation Precinct.
“The Moree Plains does not need the full Inland Rail to Brisbane to derive and deliver real value. We just need our 23km to not be collateral damage in a much bigger decision.”
Cr Pearse travelled to Canberra on Monday, June 22, for the Australian Council of Local Government meeting at Parliament House.
She and mayors from neighbouring shires spoke directly with Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King.
“At the Australian Council of Local Government’s meeting in Canberra last week, mayors from our neighbouring shires and I made the most of the opportunity to speak directly with Minister Catherine King,” Cr Pearse said.
“What we learned is that this decision has been made purely based on the numbers and the ability for Inland Rail to deliver a positive return on investment for the Australian Government.
“This is at odds with other government decision-making, which usually takes into account more holistic economic benefit, as well as social and environmental outcomes.
“This is an incredibly short-sighted decision.”
Cr Pearse said Inland Rail could make the region’s agriculture industry more competitive and help grow the local economy.
“Not only would it make our agriculture industry more competitive, but support the growth, long-term sustainability and diversification of our local economy through attracting new businesses and new jobs,” she said.
Cr Pearse said council was “hugely disappointed” by the Australian Government’s decision.
She said more than 160km of Inland Rail had already been completed from Narrabri to North Star at a cost of $650 million.
“We know the benefits that those works delivered to our community, the sea of ‘orange shirts’ on our main street, the training and development pathways for our people, the confidence it instilled in our shire and its future,” Cr Pearse said.
Cr Pearse pointed to the scale of local agriculture, saying Moree Plains grows $1 billion in produce each year and produced two million tonnes of wheat alone in 2024-25.
“That produce needs to get to market, and Inland Rail provides a safer, more carbon-friendly, more efficient way of doing so,” she said.
“We urge the Australian Government to re-consider this call, and will continue to explore all avenues to see our 23km completed.”
Cr Pearse attended the Canberra meeting with Inverell Shire Council Mayor Cr Kate Dight, Gwydir Shire Council Mayor Cr Tiffany Galvin and Narrabri Shire Council Mayor Cr Darrell Tiemens.
Moree Online News will continue seeking answers on the status of the unfinished 23km section, including what it means for local freight, producers and the Moree Special Activation Precinct.
