Inland Rail has shared an update on Narrabri to North Star Phase 2.
Inland Rail’s approvals team is working with the New South Wales Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) to complete the tasks required to achieve the primary environmental approvals for this phase of the project.
Recent work has involved reviewing and responding to draft conditions of approval from DPHI and completing the final request for information related to a road and rail interface.
Utility investigations are being completed across private and public land, looking for Telstra and NextGen sites.
The data will inform preliminary designs and help determine if any utilities will need to be lowered, protected, removed or relocated.
Inland Rail anticipates that its contractor MinStaff will complete this work by the end of August.
Soil erosion testing been completed, and hydrology specialists are now analysing the samples collected to determine water flow speeds in different locations and this information will guide the design of drainage structures.
All floor level surveys were completed in mid-June. This data will be used in Inland Rail’s hydrology modelling and give a clearer understanding of any potential flood impacts around properties and structures.
Last week, design consultants Arcadis BG&E JV were appointed to progress preliminary engineering designs for Phase 2, building on the EIS reference design and incorporating new information from recent studies, including the investigations mentioned above.
Members of the engineering team recently completed a site inspection and met with Moree Plains Shire Council to provide an update.
Inland Rail said that throughout the design development phase, it will engage closely with affected landowners, Moree Shire Council, and relevant agencies and incorporate feedback into the design refinement process.
Inland Rail is a 1600 kilometre freight backbone that will connect Melbourne and Brisbane via regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
