By Jeremy Sollars
FEDERAL Maranoa MP David Littleproud says he has ensured a Warwick link to the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail (MBIR) will be investigated by the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC).
Mr Littleproud issued a statement on Thursday 6 October following an earlier meeting in Warwick on Wednesday with ARTC chief executive officer John Fullerton and Federal Inftrastructure and Transport Minister Darren Chester, where inland rail options for southern Queensland were discussed.
Mr Fullerton told the media after the meeting that a proposal put forward by Southern Downs mayor Tracy Dobie for an inland rail “loop” to go through the Leslie and Toolburra districts just to the west of Warwick was definitely “off the table”.
Mr Fullerton did commit to looking into two other options for the inland rail to go through Karara – much further west of Warwick – and to Toowoomba either via Leyburn or Wyreema but said the plan put forward by Cr Dobie was too expensive and added too much travel time to the MBIR.
The ARTC’s preferred route is to go into Toowoomba via North Star and Millmerran, an alignment that does not include Wellcamp Airport – which they have been slammed over, along with poor consultation of potentially affected communities and landholders.
Mr Littleproud has taken the ARTC heavily to task, bluntly stating they “got it wrong” when they dismissed the potential Warwick loop suggested by Cr Dobie.
“They (ARTC) came here on Wednesday in an attempt to provide confidence to us in the process and I am extremely disappointed that Mr Fullerton failed to confirm the clear direction of yesterday’s meeting that ARTC will assess all three options, including a Warwick deviation,” Mr Littleproud said.
Mr Littleproud said following the ARTC’s “embarrassing error” he had ensured that the Minister gave an undertaking to Cr Dobie that all three route options near Warwick would be investigated, including the mayor’s preference for the Leslie and Toolburra route.
“I can assure the Warwick community that I will acutely monitor this review process to ensure that all options are thoroughly considered and that the community gains confidence in ARTC’s management of this key nation-building infrastructure project,” he said.
“I am extremely disappointed in ARTC and I will be closely watching this review process and have requested that ARTC brief me regularly.”
Mr Littleproud said he had written to the ARTC to “re-affirm” the outcome of Wednesday’s meeting that the three alternative route options to Millmerran route will be “considered and assessed and that all material associated with the review will be made publically available”.
The Free Times is seeking comment from Cr Dobie and the ARTC.
If it proceeds, the MBIR is expected to take 10 years to construct at a cost of more than $100 billion.
