Benefits outweigh costs in getting Inland Rail back on track

 
Australia’s largest state farming body says fresh reports of cost blowouts and delays should not derail the Inland Rail project.
 
NSW Farmers Inland Rail Taskforce chair Peter Wilson said Australia still needed to achieve the outcomes of ‘nation-building’ projects such as Inland Rail and welcomed the federal government’s commitment to continue the project despite the problems outlined in Dr Kerry Schott’s review, which was released on Thursday. 
 
“The main goal of improving rail freight is still very much worth pursuing,” Mr Wilson said.
 
“While it was disappointing to learn about the mistakes that have been made throughout the process, I’m hopeful this report can be used to get Inland Rail back on track.
 
“Ultimately we want to get food from farm gate to dinner plate quickly and efficiently, and Inland Rail will help us achieve this goal.”
 
The 1700km railway line from Melbourne to Brisbane was envisioned as a ‘nation building’ project that would connect rural communities to logistics hubs for distribution and export. 
 
Mr Wilson said while NSW Farmers had supported the Inland Rail concept from the outset, its inaugural taskforce was actively engaged in highlighting many of the shortcomings of the planning and landholder dealings that were recognised in Dr Schott’s review. However, he noted those issues were constructively addressed with ARTC and said it was vital that better landholder outcomes were pursued.
 
The benefits of Inland Rail to farmers was clear, Mr Wilson said – a projected $10 per tonne saving for freight would help farmers make ends meet amid soaring food and fibre production costs – while a reduction in the number of trucks on regional highways would not only make travel safer for communities and visitors, it would also reduce carbon emissions and the maintenance bill for those roads.
 
According to Mr Wilson, efficient freight networks were critical to Australia’s competitiveness.
 
“Our fresh produce is some of the best in the world, but it needs to be delivered in peak condition,” Mr Wilson said.
 
“Inefficiencies in freight movements, particularly for high volume primary produce, add unacceptable costs and time imposts for farmers. 
 
“Any efficiencies and productivity gains attained on-farm will be lost without a concerted effort to establish and maintain leading edge infrastructure for road and rail.”