The joint body, Namoi Councils, representing eight regional councils including Tamworth, Moree and Narrabri, has applauded the federal government’s announcement of a $594 million budget spend on researching and acquiring land for the project. 

The rail link will connect Brisbane to Melbourne and south-east Queensland with Perth and Adelaide. 

Namoi chair councillor Col Murray described the inland rail project as a “significant game changer” in the movement of freight transport off our congested road network with an accompanying productivity hike in the use of an integrated and widely expanded rail freight network. 

“The Inland Rail Project is without doubt a key piece of national rail infrastructure that will significantly enhance and integrate the existing national rail network, serve the interstate freight market and be an important contributor to higher national productivity by reducing train operating costs and improving service standards,” Cr Murray said. 

“The Inland Rail Project will, over time, increase Australia’s international competitiveness by opening Australian ports connected to the Inland Rail Network to the fast and efficient movement of containerised cargo to overseas markets. 

“While none of the $594 million will actually go towards laying new track and improving existing track, which may disappoint some, the money will be used to buy land for the 1700 kilometre freight inland route and for other pre-construction and environmental assessments which are essential to successful delivery of the project.” 

Both Moree and Narrabri, directly located on the Inland Rail Route, will see the upgrading of existing track and the construction of new track north and south of each town to connect with Narromine and Parkes to the south and Brisbane to the north, Cr Murray said. 

He said the two centres would not only see enhanced local opportunities during the construction and upgrading phase but each town will also see added opportunities to grow and prosper from being in that rail corridor.