REVELATIONS land deals have been locked in with southern Riverina farmers is a major game-changer in the high speed rail debate.
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Rather than the pie in the sky pontifications of a succession of plans regarding fast rail being rolled out over the years, private company Consolidated Land and Rail Australia has taken the debate to a level not reached before.
The company’s plan to have high speed rail operating between Sydney and Melbourne has been brought forward with deals locked in with farmers between Culcairn and Henty and Tocumwal and Finley.
CLARA plans to put a proposal for stage one, a Melbourne to Shepparton link, to the Victorian government by early next year with the southern Riverina leg to be be completed at a later date.
Under CLARA’s plans stations would be located near Henty and Tocumwal which would lead to the creation of towns on essentially greenfield sites.
The towns would be roughly the size of Wangaratta’s present population of around 26,000 people with the Berrigan and Greater Hume shires to be among the biggest beneficiaries.
CLARA is banking on the project being through the “value capture” of land translated from largely farming land to new city developments.
Land bought for $1000 a lot could be sold for housing for up to $150,000, allowing the profit margin to developers to fund the rail and civil infrastructure needed.
There will remain some scepticism about fast rail coming to Australia with the critics arguing our country simply doesn’t have the population or critical mass support to make it a reality.
But if the CLARA plan does become reality Albury-Wodonga and Wagga won’t be the biggest beneficiaries as mooted in the many previous plans which have been tabled.
But the spin-offs in construction jobs and other associated industries already well established in those centres would be massive.
The project has some heavy hitters behind the scenes.
An advisory board includes former NSW premier Barry O’Farrell and former Victorian premier Steve Bracks.
Recently retired federal trade minister Andrew Robb is also on board as are US personnel.
The $200 billion project is exciting and fingers crossed it can remain on track.