Inland Rail has committed to working with the NSW Farmers’ Association (NSWFA) on the rollout of the project’s Albury to Parkes section, which traverses several farming properties.
Speaking at the organisation’s annual conference in Sydney, Inland Rail program delivery director for Albury to Parkes, Melvyn Maylin, said he looked forward to collaboration as works begin on the Stockinbingal to Parkes (S2P) and Albury to Illabo (A2I) sections in New South Wales.
“Inland Rail’s close partnership with the NSWFA demonstrates our shared commitment to listening and understanding our different perspectives,” he said.
“We will continue to collaborate to ensure mutually beneficial solutions that enable the safe and efficient delivery of Inland Rail for the benefit of regional Australia.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with NSWFA and local communities as construction starts on Stockinbingal to Parkes later this year.”
Initial works are expected to start on the S2P section before the end of the year with works on the A2I section expected to commence by mid-2024, pending final environmental and planning approvals.
Martinus Rail was recently awarded a $403.5 million contract to design and construct enhancement works on the S2P and A2I sections of Inland Rail, following on from the successful completion of the Parkes to Narromine section, which was completed in 2020.
In line with the recommendations of the Inland Rail Review, Inland Rail is aiming to complete the entire Beveridge to Parkes sections of the project by 2027, enabling double stacked trains to travel from Beveridge to Narromine by 2027.
The NSWFA and Inland Rail have already worked together to develop an information pack for NSW property owners, which addresses how Inland Rail is dealing with fencing standards, property acquisitions, land access requirements, and complaints management processes.
