The decision by the Liberal National Government in Canberra to ignore community concerns about the preferred route of the Narromine to Narrabri inland rail route is a disappointing outcome. NSW Farmers’ believes that many questions remain about the Government’s decision to back a preferred route, which rips across some of the most productive broad acre cropping areas in NSW.
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We support inland rail – but this support does not represent a blank cheque. Our members support a route which is efficient and delivers the best outcome to rural and regional communities. Inland rail is the WestConnex of regional NSW. No factory owner in Sydney would tolerate so little consultation before being told their business was being split in half – why should a farmer do the same? The ARTC is charged with building a railway line across some of the most productive cropping country in eastern Australia. Farmers have a right to understand what options are being looked at, and to suggest that alternatives be considered, which may reduce the impact on farm businesses. We have, to date, seen limited evidence that this has occurred.
The ARTC Options Report talks about the ‘extent’ of community and stakeholder consultation. Yet it appears to have ignored community requests to ‘minimise impact to cropping’ and ‘aim to utilise existing rail lines, road corridors, property boundaries as much as possible’. Without proper metrics around these consultations, these appear to be only cursory obligations aimed at ticking the consultation box.
NSW Farmers will continue to advocate on behalf of our members for further consideration of options, which will reduce the impact of the inland rail to productive farmland. We will work with other farming organisations to ensure this railway line achieves the right balance for farmers, rural and regional communities and the nation.
- Derek Schoen, who is the NSW Farmers’ president.
