Inland Rail has shared an update on the New South Wales/Queensland border to Gowrie section of the project, saying it has made “solid progress” on the environmental approval process in recent months.
One of 12 sections of the new freight railway Inland Rail, the New South Wales/Queensland border to Gowrie section connects to the North Star to New South Wales/Queensland border section in the south and the Gowrie to Helidon section in the northeast.
It involves building approximately 149 kilometres of new track and upgrading approximately 68 kilometres of existing track from the New South Wales/Queensland Border to Gowrie Junction, northwest of Toowoomba.
When finished, the section will link the existing narrow-gauge track in Queensland with standard-gauge track in New South Wales, significantly boosting freight connectivity.
The revised draft Environmental Impact Statement for the section was on public consultation from May to August this year.
The Queensland Coordinator-General has shared the submissions received and these will guide potential design refinements.
Inland Rail is currently reviewing and addressing these submissions and preparing a response report to the Coordinator-General.
The Queensland Coordinator-General will then prepare a final evaluation report for the project that will detail its conclusions regarding the project’s environmental impacts and proposed mitigation measures.
Following this, the Australian Government will prepare an evaluation of the project on specific environmental matters, which concludes the assessment and approval process for the project.
Meanwhile Inland Rail is completing field surveys and investigations across various locations along the New South Wales to Gowrie section through to the end of the year.
“In October, we’re continuing cultural heritage surveys to assess for areas of significance within the project footprint,” an update reads.
“The surveys are carried out by our specialist cultural heritage officers and involve walking over the proposed corridor to identify cultural heritage sites and objects.
“We’re committed to best practice preservation and management of cultural heritage throughout all stages of project delivery.”
Inland Rail is a 1600 kilometre freight railway that will connect Melbourne and Brisbane via regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
