INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF INLAND RAILSCHOTT REPORT

On 7 October 2022, the Australian Government announced the appointment of Dr Kerry Schott AO to lead an independent review to assess the governance and program delivery approaches of the Inland Rail Program.

The review was to help inform the future delivery of Inland Rail and considered of the scope, schedule and cost of the program. It also assessed options for the new Inland Rail intermodal terminals to be built in Melbourne and Brisbane, and considered a range of matters outlined in the review Terms of Reference.

The review was informed by targeted consultation with industry and governments and an open submission process.

Dr Schott met with stakeholders across the freight sector, regulatory bodies, peak industry bodies and state and federal Government departments.

Dr Schott additionally sought submissions from interested parties to share their views, experience and expectations on key themes relating to the delivery of the Inland Rail program.

Submissions closed 23:59 AEDT, Friday 11 November 2022. The review attracted more than 140 submissions to the online consultation platform.

Dr Schott delivered her report to Ministers on 13 January 2023.

On 6 April 2023 the Australian Government released the findings of the Independent Review of Inland Rail and agreed to the 19 recommendations in full or in principle.

Some of the 19 recommendations to improve the delivery of Inland Rail include:

+ Strengthening the governance arrangements and establishing a subsidiary company to deliver Inland Rail

+ Reviewing ARTC’s risk management and reporting systems, with a view to addressing issues experienced with approval processes

+ A further assessment of the scope and cost of Inland Rail, conducted by an independent specialist in conjunction with a cost estimator/value engineer

+ A revised delivery that prioritises sections of Inland Rail that allow revenue to be generated earlier

+ Deciding and developing intermodal terminals in Melbourne and Brisbane, and

+ Maximising regional opportunities available from Inland Rail, including through intermodal opportunities in Parkes and prioritising delivery of the enhanced rail capability to enable double stacking through to Beveridge.

A full copy of the report can be accessed here: https://www.inlandrail. gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Independent%20review%20 of%20Inland%20Rail%20Report_0.pdf

Community Celebration In Wilcannia

In Wilcannia last week I was pleased to attend the Community Celebration to launch the Central Darling Shire Heritage Trail. As part of this project the Central Darling Shire Heritage Trail Tourism App has been created. This app provides self-guided driving and walking tours of towns such as Wilcannia, Whitecliffs and Menindee featuring podcasts and interviews from locals.

Initiatives such as this are a wonderful way to engage visitors to these areas, and while the ground-breaking for the Baaka Cultural Centre has been delayed, the future of the Far West continues to look brighter than ever.