Landholders can expect better treatment during the construction of Inland Rail thanks to a landmark agreement between NSW Farmers and the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC).
Inland Rail and NSW Farmers have worked together to develop a joint information pack that acknowledges and addresses issues of concern to property owners - including the poor behaviour of some contractors - and spells out the rights and responsibilities of all parties moving forward.
NSW Farmers Inland Rail Taskforce chair Peter Wilson said there had been a series of open and productive mediator-facilitated discussions - in line with a recommendation from a Senate review last year - which would lead to better outcomes for landholders.
"We have had some frank and robust conversations with ARTC executives about the expectations of farmers and other landholders, and we're pleased with the result," Mr Wilson said.
"Our goal was to improve engagement between the ARTC and landholders to be more transparent, fair and honest.
"We're hopeful this will provide a better way forward for Inland Rail for all parties involved."
When completed, the Inland Rail project will connect Melbourne to Brisbane with a heavy freight line. But the project was met with opposition after many landholders along the route had raised concerns about the way ARTC and some of its contractors were operating. NSW Farmers, along with other rural organisations, were successful in pushing for a Senate inquiry that found a range of major issues in relation to the Inland Rail project, including the business case for the development, failings in community engagement and consultation, route selection issues and flooding and hydrology concerns.
