There is no chance the Inland Rail’s western corridor through the prosperous Murrumbidgee and southern Riverina irrigation areas will be revived.
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Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, who now holds the Infrastructure and Transport portfolio, on Friday locked in the Albury-Wagga route when he announced an inland rail agreement with Victoria and allocated a further $135m to upgrade the North East line.
Advocates of the western corridor hoped a change in Infrastructure minister, and campaigning from the NSW Farmers could revive the Narrandera-Tocumwal-Shepparton route.
NSW Farmers president Derek Schoen last week called on the Deputy Prime Minister to “undertake an independent analysis of the work which has been used to determine the inland rail route”.
NSW Farmers’ concerns were focused on the route north of the Parkes hub to Queensland but The Food Bowl Inland Rail Alliance believe the export growth coming out of the Murrumbidgee, Murray and Goulburn Valley food bowls warranted a route rethink.
“The food bowl route runs through Australia’s major agricultural heartlands which already produce over $10 billion of the nation’s annual agricultural yield, and this infrastructure has the potential to unlock unprecedented economic growth and productivity gains,” the alliance said.
“The selection of the Albury-Wagga route recommended in the ARTC’s 2010 Melbourne–Brisbane Rail Alignment Study is flawed … The study fails to adequately assess the potential demand from the food bowl region, with the consequent benefits to the project gained through additional access and user revenues.
“In the five years since the 2010 study, the food bowl region has experienced considerable growth.”
Mr McCormack’s staff said the Shepparton option had been investigated in a 2010 Alignment Study and a 2015 study by Deloitte which found the cost outweighed any benefits.
“The 2015 study was very clear that the benefits did not outweigh the costs compared to the preferred route,” a spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the government had invested in road infrastructure in the food bowl region and was investing $24 million regionally under the Roads to Recovery Program.
Mr McCormack said on Friday once complete, the inland rail would improve freight travel times for farmers and producers.
NSW Farmers said members had “deep concern” about route selection.
