The Government’s bombshell decision to axe the northern half of the Inland Railway that would have taken an estimated 200,000 trucks off the road each year continues to spark anger and frustration in regional communities and beyond.
Work on the 1,600-kilometre rail route intended to link Melbourne to Brisbane via regional Australia began back in 2018 but – with the estimated cost having ballooned to more than $45 billion – the initial plan has now reached the end of the line.
The new rail line will now stop at Parkes in central NSW, with the northern half to Brisbane officially axed.
Towns which will now not see the economic benefits associated with the construction and operation of the rail route are shocked by the decision.
Some caravanners find sharing the road with large trucks offputting. PIC: Cizza
And grey nomads, of course, will also feel the effects.
Rail expert, Phillip Laird, from the University of Wollongong told the GNT that travellers on roads like the Newell Highway and the New England Highway will certainly notice the fact there will 400 or so more heavy trucks on the road every day than there would have been if the entire Inland Rail had been constructed.
But he remains hopeful that the project may one day be revived by a future government.
“To get full value of significant investment to date and to 2027, inland rail one day will have to reach at least Toowoomba,” he said.
And, writing in The Conversation, Mr Laird said the current approach to transport funding favours roads and urban rail projects.
“Rail freight – which gets trucks off the road and better connects our regional communities with our cities – keeps being shortchanged,” he said. “Until we strike a better balance, we will continue to be as vulnerable to future oil shocks as we are today.”
WIN IT-FIT CARAVAN SHEETS
Grey Nomad members are being given the chance to win some specially made caravan sheets, courtesy of competition sponsor, It-Fits.
It-Fits caravan sheets are made from soft, 100%-Australian, cotton jersey and naturally stretch and flex to adapt to different mattress shapes and sizes without needing custom-made sheets. They fit rounded corners, narrow caravan beds, bunk mattresses, and non-standard sizes while still staying smooth and secure.
Click here to learn more about the competition and how to enter.
