I am delighted to announce today that the Australian Inland Rail Expressway
System is taking another step towards becoming reality.
Should the Australian Inland Rail Expressway become a reality, it
will deliver new jobs, investment and infrastructure to regional Australia.
It will provide high speed rail links, with potential for adding a
natural gas pipeline, water pipelines in parts of rural Australia
and the laying of fibre optic cable. These additions to the railway
will be developed as soon as possible.
The railway will extend from Melbourne to Darwin, while also providing
high speed links from Brisbane to Melbourne and Sydney to Melbourne.
For the first time, Victorian, New South Wales and Queensland producers
would have access to high speed links to send their produce to the
gateway of the burgeoning Asian market.
Australian Transport and Energy Corridor Pty Ltd (ATEC), which first
proposed this visionary project, has signed an agreement with Abigroup
to take the project through to completion. They will provide a full
feasibility report to the five Governments in about a year, and seek
approval to proceed to detailed planning. ATEC and Abigroup are both
Australian owned companies.
It is anticipated that the network will be finalised by 2004. I congratulate
the private sector on getting behind this visionary project.
The Federal Government stands ready to facilitate this project, with
all Commonwealth processes to be finalised as efficiently as possible.
In addition, the Commonwealth will consider introducing legislation
to facilitate this project if the need can be demonstrated.
A project such as this comes once in a generation. It will open up
new industries and jobs throughout regional Australia, it will cut
the cost of living in regional Australia. It will signal the re-birth
of many regions in Australia. Industry estimates suggest that the
railway network will create tens of thousands of jobs throughout Australia.
Importantly, Australians will also have the opportunity to invest
in this remarkable venture in about two years time. A public company
owning the railway will be floated, allowing ordinary families to
be a part of this nation building project.
The project will build on the significant efforts the Coalition
has made to rebuild regional Australia. These include the Darwin to
Alice Springs railway, the $1.25bn Natural Heritage Trust, the $500m
rural package and reforms to quarantine.
In particular, I pay tribute to the vision of Everald Compton and
his colleagues for developing this vision, as well as the Federal
Member for Longman, Mr Mal Brough, who has given tireless support
to this remarkable venture.
23 June 1998