<p>A vibrant rural Australia is reliant on efficient, least cost transport connections to major markets and ports.</p> <p>Narrandera Shire Council general manager Ken Murphy told last week’s New South Wales Rail Summit that many agricultural regions suffer from poor transport links, particularly rail.</p> <p>Mr Murphy’s community is in the famous Riverina fruit-growing region, which also produces significant volumes of rice, grains and wine.</p> <p>Narrandera used to be linked by rail to Tocumwal on the NSW-Victorian border. </p> <p>This line closed and now the region can only access Sydney by rail. However, the least cost path is to export out of Melbourne.</p> <p>Mr Murphy said rail’s shortcomings mean it is not commercially competitive in the region. He wants the Tocumwal line reopened and the inland rail project developed.</p> <p>“An identified major constraint to the further development potential of the region is the lack of direct rail connections to the markets of the capital cities of Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane, which give greater access to overseas markets via the ports,” he said.</p> <br />
