Council urges community to have their say
Now is the time to provide feedback on the Inland Rail proposal before the looming deadline.
The project is subject to the current draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and is open for comment until 23 June 2021.
Lockyer Valley Mayor, Cr Tanya Milligan said the impact of the Helidon to Calvert (H2C) line on the Lockyer Valley would be devastating for many in the region.
At its capacity, our region will experience 1.8km double-stacked freight trains up to 50 times, day and night which will have a considerable impact on the townships of Helidon, Grantham, Gatton, Forest Hill and Laidley.
Council is committed to seeking the best possible outcomes for our community and will make a strong submission, but what we really need is for our residents to express their concerns and lodge a submission of their own.
Time is running out and we need our residents to wrap their heads around exactly what this project will mean for the future of the Lockyer Valley because it is exceptionally important for our region long-term, she said.
The information in the draft EIS shows that noise from these trains will disturb your sleep if you live within one kilometre of the train line. The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) have predicted that could occur at 175 houses, however based on the World Health Organisation's statistics this figure could be up to 4500 houses in the corridor by 2040.
With construction set to take several years, the project will also have a direct impact on the region's road network, with the EIS indicating a significant increase in construction-based traffic on our roads.
We are starting to really understand the full impact across our region including noise, vibration, land use, traffic and transport.
This project will have a generational impact on our region and we're yet to see any meaningful benefits to our community.
National benefits shouldn't come at the cost of our residents, Mayor Milligan said.
The Inland Rail proposal aims to provide a rail network stretching some 1700 kilometres linking Melbourne and Brisbane using a combination of existing and new track alignments.
Although the EIS is a large document, making a submission is simple. Council encourages all residents who have concerns of their own, or are similar to Council's early findings, to make a submission to the Coordinator-General by visiting the Have your say' link here.
