Inland rail head comes to Ipswich

A map of the alignment proposed by the Schott Review.

By Cameron Thompson A review of the shambolic Inland Rail project – linking Melbourne and Brisbane with high-capacity trains carrying double-stacked containers – has Federal Government approval to relocate its northern rail-head to Ebenezer, Ipswich. The northern intermodal terminal, mooted at various times for the Port of Brisbane, Gladstone, Toowoomba and Goondiwindi, will require a massive investment to unload and reload double stacked trains to the south, swapping with single-stacked trains carrying the vast bulk of container traffic to and from the Port of Brisbane.

However the planning required to place the necessary rail and road interchanges and to facilitate the hundreds of local jobs that would handle the freight load and connections to existing infrastructure, is unlikely to be complete before the end of the decade. Dr Kerry Schott reported the estimated cost of Inland Rail blew out to approximately £31 billion under the previous coalition government. The revised estimate was almost double what the Morrison government said the project would cost as recently as 2020.

The Schott report indicated that work on the northern half of the project, from Parkes, NSW, won’t be a priority until after 2027 and that the Ebenezer Terminal would be subject to a joint business case with the Queensland Government. In its statement, the Federal Government acknowledged Beveridge and Truganina in Victoria, and Ebenezer in Queensland as the preferred locations for open-access intermodal terminals and the end points for the double-stacked container service. Federal Blair MP Shayne Neumann welcomed the outcomes of the Schott review.

He said it found problems with the proposed alignment in Queensland and recommended the controversial Calvert to Kagaru section not go ahead in its current form. Mr Neumann said the Ebenezer plan was a better outcome for residents in his electorate who had serious concerns about the impact of the Calvert to Kagaru section on their properties and the lack of consultation from the former Coalition Government and Australian Rail Track Corporation. “I met with landholders along the proposed route, like the Ivory’s Rock Conventions and Events Centre at Peak Crossing, who raised concerns with me about the impacts of noise and vibrations from freight trains,” he said.

“I then met with the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King and Dr Kerry Schott to pass on this feedback, so I’m glad it has been picked up in the review. “The proposal to end the Inland Rail at Ebenezer is a good one for these residents and a good thing for the local environment and wildlife, particularly around the Purga area, where the Government has funded koala conservation projects. “An intermodal freight hub at Ebenezer would also be good for the local economy and jobs, and would complement the Queensland Government and Ipswich City Council’s plans for an industrial park in the Ebenezer or Willowbank area, provided there was a proper business case and community consultation.

I look forward to working with the State Government, and other stakeholders and local residents on this proposal. “But make no mistake, this report has found the Liberals and Nationals left Inland Rail in a complete mess, and it’s clear they can never again be trusted to deliver major infrastructure projects. The Albanese Labor Government will make sure we fix this important project and get it back on track,” Mr Neumann said.

Dr Schott’s report found that Inland Rail was an important project to meet Australia’s growing freight task, improve road safety and to help decarbonise the economy. However, it also confirmed that the project was running significantly over budget and significantly behind schedule with just over 16 per cent of the 1700km of track completed so far. “Somewhat surprisingly the project has commenced delivery without knowing where it will start or finish”, Dr Schott said.

In its response, the Albanese Government said an independent cost estimator and value engineer would be tasked to determine the updated cost and schedule for the program.

In the near term, work would continue to support the completion of existing construction activities and planning works north of Parkes.