By Jeremy Sollars
Federal member for Maranoa David Littleproud has broken ranks with his political colleagues to denounce the proposed inland rail route through Millmerran.
Warwick will, as predicted, be bypassed by the Melbourne to Brisbane inland railway, with the final route announced last week by the Federal Government.
As was expected – and more than likely decided on by the government a year or more ago – the line will run through Millmerran and across the Condamine River floodplain and on to Toowoomba, including Wellcamp Airport.
This is despite warnings from farmers about the fragmentation of prime agricultural land and devastating future flooding resulting from the building of massive embankments to carry the line over the floodplain.
David Littleproud slammed the decision, telling the Free Times he’s the only federal politician to oppose that section of the route.
Federal Infrastructure Minister Darren Chester has written to residents informing them of his decision, which he officially announced in Toowoomba last Thursday 21 September.
Mr Littleproud said neither Mr Chester’s department nor project driver the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) had an engineering solution to the floodplain issue, claiming they would have to look overseas as nothing of this scale has been done before in Australia.
“I don’t support the decision, and I’m disappointed with it,” he said.
“I was able to negotiate for the opportunity for supporters of the Warwick corridor to put their case and a route through Karara and Leyburn and then north of Warwick would have less of an agricultural and environment impact.
An announcement on the final inland rail route had been expected earlier this year, but landholder concerns prompted a Federal Government ‘review’ of the Millmerran and other proposed routes.
But many believe the review was merely window dressing, and the Millmerran route – preferred since 2010 by the ARTC – Corporation – was always going to happen, even though their original route bypassed Wellcamp Airport.
The Wagner family, which owns the airport, had promised to invest millions to create a road-rail-air transport hub geared towards food and agricultural produce if the rail corridor was shifted closer to their airport, which it now has been.
Toowoomba’s Mayor Paul Antonio has again been drawn into the issue, with farmers claiming he stands to make millions from the inland rail, thanks to a quarry he owns in the Millmerran area- claims Cr Antonio has denied.
Last year, when questioned by the Free Times he said his interests were “available for all to see on council’s pecuniary interests register”.
“The Australian Rail Track Corporation has been given a task by the Federal Government to deliver the most efficient route between Melbourne and Brisbane,” he said at the time.
“They are using international expertise in engineering and hydrology to ensure the best possible outcome.”
Minister Chester has said the relative cost and transit time of the Millmerran route were factors in making the decision, but he acknowledged “this decision will be disappointing for some“ and “has not been taken lightly”.
“While cost is not the overriding factor in decision-making for the preferred alignment, the Wellcamp-Charlton option has the lowest incremental cost,” Mr Chester said.
“It also offers the shortest transit time.”
Warwick’s inland rail proponents had favoured a loop on existing lines from Inglewood to the east through Karara to just north of Warwick – in the Toolburra Plains area between Warwick and Allora – rather than the Millmerran option.
They also argued taking the route this way would enable the existing line north of Warwick and through Clifton, Greenmount, Cambooya and Wyreema to be extended to take in Wellcamp Airport and then on to Gowrie.
Comment on the announcement was sought from the Southern Downs Regional Council by the Free Times, but none had been received before printing deadlines for this week’s edition.
