Responding to your Community Engagement Survey feedback
Our bi-annual Community Engagement Survey continues to provide valuable insights into what you want to hear more about at Inland Rail. Your feedback is making a difference, and we thank you for your time in completing the survey.
June 27, 2024
While people living along the Inland Rail alignment have different areas of interest, across the entire project there was a clear message that you want more information and certainty on how the Inland Rail project is progressing and its timeline for delivery.
In line with the Australian Government’s response to the Inland Rail Review, handed down in April 2023, we are taking a staged approach to deliver Inland Rail and prioritising construction between Beveridge, Victoria and Parkes, NSW for delivery by 2027.
Inland Rail progress update
On the Beveridge to Albury Tranche 1 section, our construction contractor McConnell Dowell is making good progress across four sites at Glenrowan (pictured), Seymour, Wangaratta and Barnawartha North. In April 2024, we announced John Holland as the early works contractor for the remaining eight Tranche 2 sites in Victoria, with major construction at these sites expected to start in early 2025.
On the Albury to Illabo (A2I) and Stockinbingal to Parkes (S2P) sections, our construction contractor Martinus has already completed work at several sites on the S2P section, and we anticipate NSW Government environment approval for the A2I section in mid-2024 ahead of major construction starting in early 2025.
The Illabo to Stockinbingal (I2S) section is also progressing through the approvals stage, while the Parkes to Narromine and Narrabri to North Star Phase 1 sections have been operational since September 2020 and October 2023 respectively.
Inland Rail is still going ahead in northern NSW and Queensland. In coming months, With the cooperation of landowners, we’ll be doing geotechnical investigations, cultural heritage surveys, ecology and hydrology studies, finishing our last NSW environment approvals, and continuing important land access and acquisition negotiations.
How we’re managing operational noise impacts
A common question we are asked by project communities is how are we addressing potential noise impacts when trains are using Inland Rail?
We’ve been consulting with many project communities along the Inland Rail alignment about how we’ll manage these noise impacts through our designs and options for noise mitigation treatments at properties. While we can’t guarantee there won’t be increased noise, our design of Inland Rail aims to minimise noise levels wherever possible.
We encourage you to look out for noise information sessions on your local project and invite you to read the fact sheet that explains the process we follow to address operational train noise.
Meet our stakeholder engagement teams
Survey feedback has also told us you would appreciate more opportunities to interact with our teams. You can expect to see our stakeholder engagement teams on the ground at agricultural shows and community events.
You might have seen us at the recent Coonamble and Warialda shows, or at FarmFest, in Toowoomba. In August, we will have a presence at Ag-Quip in Gunnedah and at the Narromine show.
Our regional offices in Albury, Wagga Wagga, Parkes, Narrabri, Gatton and Goondiwindi remain open for those who want to provide feedback or seek information at a local level.
If you wish to speak with our team members one on one, please email us at inlandrailenquiries@artc.com.au and we would be pleased to arrange a meeting with you.
Your next opportunity to provide anonymous feedback via the community survey will be in October 2024. You are also welcome to direct feedback or questions to us at any time by visiting one of our offices, via email inlandrailenquiries@artc.com.au, or phone 1800 732 761.
