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Farmers reach agreement with Inland Rail builder

By Steve Mudd posted 14-03-2023 07:38

  

Farmers reach agreement with Inland Rail builder

 
Landholders can expect better treatment during the construction of Inland Rail thanks to a landmark agreement between NSW Farmers and the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC).

Inland Rail and NSW Farmers have worked together to develop a joint information pack that acknowledges and addresses issues of concern to property owners – including the poor behaviour of some contractors – and spells out the rights and responsibilities of all parties moving forward.

NSW Farmers Inland Rail Taskforce chair Peter Wilson said there had been a series of open and productive mediator-facilitated discussions – in line with a recommendation from a Senate review last year – which would lead to better outcomes for landholders.

“We have had some frank and robust conversations with ARTC executives about the expectations of farmers and other landholders, and we’re pleased with the result,” Mr Wilson said.

“Our goal was to improve engagement between the ARTC and landholders to be more transparent, fair and honest.

“We’re hopeful this will provide a better way forward for Inland Rail for all parties involved.”

When completed, the Inland Rail project will connect Melbourne to Brisbane with a heavy freight line. But the project was met with opposition after many landholders along the route had raised concerns about the way ARTC and some of its contractors were operating. NSW Farmers, along with other rural organisations, were successful in pushing for a Senate inquiry that found a range of major issues in relation to the Inland Rail project, including the business case for the development, failings in community engagement and consultation, route selection issues and flooding and hydrology concerns.

The information pack provides further details on how ARTC will address issues of concern to landowners including the property acquisition process, fencing standards and Inland Rail’s complaint management process. 

Mr Wilson said there was a shared commitment to listening and understanding each party’s perspective and reaching mutually beneficial solutions, which would enable the safe and efficient delivery of Inland Rail.

“There will always be a problem of a power imbalance when a powerful, government-backed agency turns up in the country with instructions to build infrastructure,” Mr Wilson said.

“In many instances, we have seen an approach of ‘forge ahead and deal with the complaints later’.

“These projects – no matter how important or well-supported – will always have an impact on existing land use and that needs to be dealt with first, and this interaction with ARTC in sitting down together, identifying and agreeing on where there is unfair treatment of landowners, and sorting out a better way forward, should be template for how all agencies of government better deal with the real issues of building infrastructure on private farming land.”


To read the agreement, click here.



Date: Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Media Contact: Steve Mudd  | 0429 011 690 | mudds@nswfarmers.org.au
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