Landmark Inland Rail agreement puts NSW on the right track
09 May 2018
Federal Government: The
Federal and
New South Wales Governments have today signed a landmark Bilateral
Agreement, which makes way for the commencement of works on the
multi-billion dollar
Inland
Rail project in
NSW.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure Michael McCormack
and NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro today
signed the Intergovernmental Agreement in Parkes.
NSW is the second state to sign up to the nationally-significant
project. The new agreement provides consent for the
Australian Rail
Track Corporation (ARTC) to deliver Inland Rail in NSW.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
Michael McCormack said the signing of the Bilateral Agreement was a
landmark moment in the delivery of the project.
“Inland Rail will be a corridor of commerce for communities along the
eastern seaboard and today's agreement in Parkes is another vital step
in making its vision a reality,” Mr McCormack said.
“Locals know how exciting this project is and—as a local MP—I know how
Inland Rail will create local jobs and investment opportunities
throughout the regions, as well as dealing with Australia's future
freight challenges well into the next century.”
Minister for Finance Mathias Cormann said the agreement provides
certainty for the delivery of Inland Rail in NSW, and includes a
commitment to negotiate a new long-term lease with the ARTC and protect
the
rail corridor.
“While construction for the
Parkes to Narromine section will commence in
the coming months, the agreement provides the guiding principles for the
delivery of new sections of Inland Rail, including the 307 km corridor
of new rail between Narromine and Narrabri,” Minister Cormann said.
“Inland Rail will provide the critical infrastructure needed to ensure
Australia remains competitive by ensuring our freight and supply chain
is modernised and productive to deal with the expected doubling of the
freight task over the next 20 years.”
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said Inland Rail will deliver
widespread benefits throughout the state, including reduced congestion
on roads and rail, and will importantly pave the way for the development
of inland ports in regional NSW.
“Inland Rail has the potential to completely reinvigorate parts of
regional NSW, well beyond the thousands of
jobs that will be created in
the construction phase,” Mr Barilaro said.
“This is all about helping NSW farmers get their product from paddock to
port as cheaply and efficiently as possible, and in turn, putting money
back in the pockets of those producers to reinvest in their businesses
or spend in their regional and rural towns.
“What today's agreement shows is that across all levels of Government,
there is a commitment to invest heavily in our regions, and a commitment
to co-operate to deliver a transformational project not just for NSW,
but for the country.”
The project will create a direct rail freight connection between
Melbourne and Brisbane capable of moving double stacked freight
containers. Once operational, Inland Rail will attract more freight to
rail, diverting traffic from the Newell, Hume and Pacific Highways, and
in turn freeing up space in the
Sydney Metro area for more passenger services.
NSW Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said the
NSW Government was excited to see the benefits of the priority project.
“Infrastructure Australia has listed Inland Rail as a ‘priority’ project
for good reason: it is a solution to the long-term freight challenge
Australia faces,” Mr Constance said.
“It will improve freight travel times for local farmers and producers,
support thousands of jobs and improve
road safety, reliability and productivity on our freight network.”
NSW Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Melinda Pavey said Inland
Rail will be a major economic opportunity for residents and businesses
throughout New South Wales.
“With connectivity to NSW's Country Regional Network, Inland Rail will
better connect our farms, cities and ports to domestic and international
markets and reduce supply chain costs. That includes farmers and freight
operators that shift goods to Asia and beyond.”
Construction works will commence mid this year once all necessary
approvals are received. More information about the Inland Rail project
is available at
https://infrastructure.gov.au/rail/inland.
--ENDS--
Source: Australian Government - www.minister.infrastructure.gov.au
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