Registrations of Interest (ROI) for a Public Private Partnership (PPP) has been announced for the Queensland leg of the massive Inland Rail development that will run between Melbourne and Brisbane via regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
The PPP is going to be a joint venture between the Federal Government, the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) who will manage the delivery of the project, and the private sector that will design, build and finance the construction of infrastructure related to the project as well as maintain the Inland Rail for a period of time.
“Forming a partnership with the private sector will see doubled-stacked trains travel through the ranges west of Brisbane, improving freight industry productivity and potential shared commercial returns.
“Inland Rail is a transformational freight rail line and is only possible with all levels of government and industry coming to the table and getting on board to deliver this once in a generation project,” Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said.
According to Minister for Finance and the Public Service Mathias Cormann, the announcement of the ROI is the first step towards engaging with the industry. He added that the ROI is going to be followed by an Expression of Interest and, finally, the selection of a preferred bidder.
“The ROI process demonstrates the significant progress this Government is making towards delivering Inland Rail.
“In Queensland alone Inland Rail will boost the Gross State Product by $7 billion. This will create over 7,000 direct and indirect jobs of the period of construction and the first 50 years of operation,” Mr Cormann said.
Federal Member for Wright and Assistant Minister for Roads and Transport Scott Buchholz said that this ROI process is going to progress together with the ongoing technical and environmental approval process.
“The environmental planning process is ongoing and I encourage people to engage with the ARTC and with their local community consultative committees to ensure Inland Rail is delivered in ways that maximise the outcomes and minimise the impacts to local communities,” Mr Buccholz said.
The winning private sector company is going to deliver the Gowrie to Kagaru section of the Inland Rail. This 1,700-kilometre stretch of the Inland Rail is segmented into three sections - Gowrie to Helidon, Helidon to Calvert and Calvert to Kagaru.
Works under this project will include an 8.7-kilometre tunnel that will run through Toowoomba, Teviot and Little Liverpool ranges, and it will require detailed strategic planning and investment to deliver.
The Gowrie to Kagaru section makes up approximately $3.5 billion of the entire Inland Rail project, and it is expected to generate more than 5,200 direct and indirect jobs during construction.
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Source: Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development; Inland Rail