Seemingly resigned to the inevitability of a heavy rail corridor through Logan, the city’s council is tabling a list of requests to the Queensland and Australian governments in an effort to lighten the impact.
It is a list of safeguards which council says will help protect the community.
The Kagaru to Acacia Ridge and Bromelton (K2ARB) alignment will run through, or parallel to, the City of Logan suburbs of Hillcrest, Forestdale, Greenbank, Boronia Heights, Kagaru, Greater Flagstone and North Maclean.
Mayor Darren Power has objected to the route, saying it doesn’t make sense to take it through residential communities.
The latest list of concerns requests that all parties make community safety a top priority.
The concerns include:
• That all environmental impacts including air, noise and vibration are assessed using methodologies that account for long-term consequences
• Legally binding triggers that enforce mitigation measures as residential and other development occurs along the route
• That the Australian Government provides $750,000 in grant funding to Council to support future transport planning
• That the ARTC uses transport routes for site access that avoid densely populated residential areas and school zones
• The ARTC fully funds any road upgrades, road maintenance and bridge upgrades required under the project.
Council wants state Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey to hold back his approval for K2ARB to proceed until a business case for the Salisbury to Beaudesert Passenger Rail Project (S2B) is done.
Council has previously asked Mr Bailey for assurances to make the approval pathway transparent, rigorous and consultative.
A resolution to pass the city’s concerns to state and federal bodies came after the Queensland Coordinator-General decided the project’s approvals process would be determined by Transport and Main Roads and wouldn’t be called in as a co-ordinated project, which council had previously lobbied for.
“There could be up to 45 movements a day of trains, some of which will be doublestacked, up to 1.8km in length, and carrying coal,” Cr Power said.
“That will have a profound effect on the quality of life of residents who’ll be dealing with increased noise and vibration and possible air quality concerns.”
“Construction of the line will also bring its own challenges.”
Infrastructure chair Teresa Lane said: “Every family living along that corridor deserves to know what their government has planned for their future, when it will happen and what measures they will put in place to protect our quality of life.”
Inland Rail is a 1700km freight line that will connect Melbourne and Brisbane via regional Australia.
