Greater Shepparton City Council’s Mayor, Cr Dennis Patterson, and Manager Investment Attraction, Ms Geraldine Christou, joined with representatives from Narrandera Shire, Leeton Shire, Griffith City Council and Urana Shire in a round of meetings with the Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Warren Truss, Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development; Hon Anthony Albanese, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport; and Joel Fitzgibbon, Shadow Minister for Agriculture and for Rural Affairs.
The FBIRA also met with the Department Infrastructure and Regional Development, National Farmer’s Federation and consultants Deloitte.
The FBIRA’s objectives in meeting with the Hon Warren Truss were to request that consideration of the Food Bowl Inland Rail Route option, which would take the southern portion of the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail Route through the food bowls of the Murray Goulburn Valley, and the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area within the Riverina, be given full and proper due diligence by the Australian Government.
Previously the delegation met with former deputy Prime Minister Mr John Anderson who was appointed by Minister Truss to Chair the Inland Rail Implementation Group. It was during that meeting earlier this year that a request was made from the FBIRA group to undertake proper due diligence on the two routes.
Mr Anderson had made a commitment to further consult with Councils along the Southern Alignment to determine demand and forecasted freight projections. Mr Anderson also committed to take the Food Bowl Alliance’s identified challenges relating to freight movement which would be affected by the determined southern alignment, to the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, the Honourable Warren Truss.
Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor, Cr Dennis Patterson said the support and understanding shown to the group was positive. “We did get a good hearing from the Deputy Prime Minister and the Shadow Ministers however no commitment was made to undertake further due diligence. We will continue to lobby for this additional work as the report commissioned by the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development and produced by Deloitte clearly demonstrates the projected volumes on the Shepparton route far exceed that of the Albury-Wagga route.”
According to the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, a final report from the Inland Rail Implementation Group is due to government by the middle of 2015 including the final Alignment of the Melbourne to Brisbane Rail Corridor.
Federal members for the regions, Dr Sharman Stone, Member for Murray and Michael McCormack, Member for Riverina were also in attendance.
The Food Bowl Inland Rail Alliance were pleased to have the opportunity to meet with the Deputy Prime Minister and look forward to further engagement to progress this matter to achieve the optimum route for this Nation Building Project.
