Media Release: Inland Rail to the Port of Gladstone is on the agenda
14 September, 2019
With questions looming over construction costs, limited Port of Brisbane expansion opportunities, already high levels of congestion in Brisbane and unsettled residents, support is quickly growing to further investigate bringing the Inland Rail connection through to the Port of Gladstone as a more viable long-term option.
Mr Tony Gambling, Director of Regional Development at Regional Development Australia Fitzroy and Central West (RDAFCW) says “We believe the $3 billion figure estimated by Deloitte Access Economics to construct a rail line from just west of Toowoomba through to the Port of Gladstone is inflated and in fact, it may be a more cost effective solution than the proposed construction of multibillion dollar tunnels to access the Port of Brisbane to effectively handle double stacked container trains.”
RDAFCW will be hosting a stakeholder roundtable in October to establish a working group to refine the Business Case for the Inland Rail to the Port of Gladstone option. “Nation building Rail and Port infrastructure needs to be viewed through a long term lens and there are limiting factors in focussing transport logistics in an already congested South East Queensland corridor when there are other parts of Regional Queensland more suited to an integrated Inland Rail and Port solution” said Mr Gambling.
“We are strong advocates for cost-effective transport of goods and services into and from regional Queensland. We will be requesting that the State and Federal Governments work with stakeholders and give the Inland Rail to the Port of Gladstone option due and proper consideration. There have been positive discussions across Regional Queensland of the need to promote the benefits of regional jobs and infrastructure investment and not rely on placing even more pressure on overcrowded capital city precincts” says Mr Gambling.
The added benefit of investing in Inland Rail to Gladstone is apart from Container freight, this rail corridor could also handle future coal shipments from the Surat Basin providing major new jobs and investment.
The Gladstone Ports Corporation, a Government owned Corporation, has the capacity and expertise to expand its already significant operations in Gladstone. International Shipping companies would see the significant added benefit of saving ships two days in travel time each way to Brisbane and four days each way to Melbourne.
Media Contact:
Mr Tony Gambling, Director of Regional Development, RDAFCW
Ph. 0447 620 688
RDAFCW is an initiative of the Australian Government to support the growth and economic development of the Fitzroy and Central West region. We build partnerships to develop strategies and deliver sustainable infrastructure and services to the region.
