NARRABRI Shire Council has expressed deep disappointment following the Federal Government’s decision to withdraw funding for the remaining northern sections of the Inland Rail project beyond Parkes, New South Wales.

Narrabri Shire mayor Darrell Tiemens said funding for the project was announced nearly 10 years ago in Narrabri.

“Billions of dollars have already been committed by businesses that would have played a role in its delivery and long-term operation,” Cr Tiemens said.

“To walk away now represents an extraordinary waste of opportunity and investment.”

The Narrabri community has long supported Inland Rail, with Council investing significantly in the project, including the purchase of 240 hectares of land earmarked for the proposed Northern NSW Inland Port.

Despite the setback, Cr Tiemens said Narrabri Shire Council would continue to focus on economic growth opportunities and advocating for critical infrastructure investment.

“We are fortunate in Narrabri to sit at the intersection of major highways and to have existing rail access to the Port of Newcastle that our Inland Port can continue to drive major economic benefits through,” he said.

“We will continue to advocate strongly for projects that strengthen inland Australia, improve freight connectivity and support future generations.”

Cr Tiemens said Inland Rail was always about more than freight.

“This project represented jobs, investment, freight efficiency, road safety and long-term economic growth for inland communities like ours,” he said.

“One of the original drivers behind Inland Rail was reducing heavy vehicle movements on our roads and lowering emissions through greater use of rail freight.

“Those benefits now appear far less achievable,” he said.

The Inland Rail project was expected to create more than 450 jobs across northern New South Wales, increase regional economic output, support local businesses during construction, and help attract future industry to the region.

Cr Tiemens said uncertainty and changing priorities at a federal level were difficult for regional communities that had planned for growth around major infrastructure commitments.

“Regional Australia needs certainty, long-term vision and nation-building infrastructure,” he said.

“Communities like Narrabri are ready for growth, ready for investment and ready to contribute even more to the national economy. We cannot afford to keep shifting the goalposts on projects of this scale and significance.”

He said Narrabri Shire Council will continue engaging with government and industry stakeholders regarding future freight, logistics and economic development opportunities for the region.

Meanwhile, figures released last month from Inland Rail show total spending with local companies on the project exceeded $660 million at the end of December, with $130 million spent during 2025.

The spend delivered a major boost to regional economies and communities on the Inland Rail alignment.

At end-December, 2025, Inland Rail had spent $406 million with 543 local businesses in New South Wales, including $40 million with 39 First Nations businesses, and employed 5528 people, with 1872 of these being workers local to their areas.