Inland Rail Information

Potentially the freight-only trains on this line will be 3.6km long with two (2) shipping containers stacked on top of each other on each wagon.

The project is being delivered by the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC).

(Photo from the WSP website.)

When?

As part of the process, the Queensland Government's Coordinator-General for the Department of State Development issued DRAFT Terms of Reference for public consultation which was conducted in mid-2017.

What does this mean?

The Terms of Reference (TOR) provide the questions and issues that ARTC must provide responses to in their Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for each section of the route (known as projects).

The TOR itself does not generally provide any information on how ARTC will deal with various community concerns or project issues and impacts. It provides the detailed list of issues and concerns that will be addressed in the EIS. For this reason, the Draft TOR will not generally contain specific project designs or concepts.

The TOR for the EIS was finalised and released in late 2017.

ARTC is now undertaking the EIS investigation processes required by the Queensland Coordinator-General. This will involve various community consultation processes and opportunities.

Where are the maps of the planned routes?

• Inland Rail Project Map: https://inlandrail.artc.com.au/where-we-go/

What other project information is available?

• ARTC documents on the Gowrie to Helidon Project
• ARTC documents on the Helidon to Calvert Project

What is Council doing?

• Mayor Tanya Milligan has raised her concerns about the quality of the engagement process with both the ARTC CEO and with the media. See the TV interviews below:
• 7 News Toowoomba
• WIN News Toowoomba
• Nine News Toowoomba
• Council lodged submissions to the Draft Terms of Reference for each of the two sections affecting the Lockyer Valley.
• The draft submissions are available below as public documents.
• Council is unable to be fully aware of every community member's individual concerns and recommended that everyone with concerns make their own submissions and to share the responsibility for the future of our region.
• Council successfully requested that the Coordinator-General extend the submission period to allow the community to have a reasonable opportunity to review the Draft Terms of Reference and prepare meaningful submissions.
• Council has released a position paper to the public and directly to ARTC stating Council's expectations on how our community should be dealt with. DOWNLOAD HERE

What did Council submit for the EIS Terms of Reference?

• Gowrie to Helidon section
• Helidon to Calvert section

Please note the length of the documents above before printing.

Finalised Terms of Reference - Helidon to Calvert project

The Terms of Reference for an EIS: Inland Rail - Helidon to Calvert project (TOR) has been finalised.

For more information, check out the:

• Letter provided to Council by the Office of the Coordinator-General: Queensland Government
• Inland Rail - Helidon to Calvert project overview - Queensland Government website
• Terms of Reference for an environmental impact statement - October 2017
• Map

ARTC has also provided the following opportunities for community consultation:

Community Consultative Committees

ARTC has established a community consultative committee for the Helidon to Calvert project area. For details of the Committee and meetings, please see the link below:

• Lockyer Valley (link opens in a new window)

Community consultation is vital to the success of Inland Rail.

An overview of the EIS community engagement and consultation program, as well as the associated EIS technical studies, can be viewed here. (link opens in a new window)

ARTC has advised that they will continue to work closely with landowners along the existing corridor of the project as well as key stakeholders such as Council.

• Interactive Online map for viewing and comments - this map shows the proposed locations of crossing (passing) loops as well as other key design elements and allows community members to put questions and comments into the map at specific locations. (will open in a new window)

Contact ARTC

You can have your questions about the project answered by contacting ARTC directly.

ARTC Office
Suites 5-647 North Street, Gatton
Monday to Friday
9am - 5pm
Ph: 1800 732 761

Council's involvement in the Inland Rail Project

Inland Rail is not a Council project. Council's primary involvement is ensuring ARTC and related stakeholders treat the communities of the Lockyer Valley with due respect, including the undertaking of genuine consultation and considering alternatives that minimise the negative impact on both communities and individuals.

Council has released a position paper to the public and directly to ARTC stating Council's expectations on how our community should be dealt with. DOWNLOAD HERE