RESIDENTS Suzanne and Stan Corbett have waged an eight-year battle against the ARTC – a long, and at times lonely, fight to stop coal trains from motoring through the heart of Logan.
“Our campaign commenced in 2015 when we heard rumours,” Ms Corbett said.
“Stan, as an engineer, had the opportunity to attend a meeting where ARTC were attempting to engage with consulting groups who could assist with their project.
“At this stage inland rail had not been publicly announced and we didn’t at this time have all the details.
“We started investigating and asking questions and Googling as much information as we could, trying to pin the dots.”
Mrs Corbett said construction of the rail started without completion of the “necessary studies”.
She and the Inland Rail Action Group wrote “hundreds of letters… to all levels of government and all-party politicians”.
Few listened.
And up until about three years ago, none had taken action until now-mayor Darren Power took up the cause.
“We acknowledge we have succeeded in stopping the double stacked freight trains rumbling through our suburbs, however, we believe there are still many unanswered questions,” Mrs Corbett said.
It was projected that 40,000 Logan residents would live within 1km of the rail corridor in the next two decades.
Meanwhile, federal member for Forde, Bert van Manen, said he was relieved the 1700km inland freight rail route will not intersect the city of Logan.
Mr van Manen said he was not surprised by the findings of an independent report that deemed the inland rail proposal “chaotic, regrettable, late and over budget”.
The report findings led to the Federal Government decision to cease construction of the inland rail in Logan.
Mr van Manen said he had “never been a supporter of the project extending the rail corridor to Acacia Ridge”.
“I was only a supporter of the proposal provided the rail line went to Toowoomba and not any further,” Mr van Manen said.
“I also supported the project having a rail line going up to Gladstone, but not coming into Brisbane.”
The report claimed the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) lacked the skills to appropriately manage the rail, and Mr van Manen agreed.
“The ARTC has not listened to the feedback given to them from the local community,” he said.
Mr van Manen pushed for community consultation years prior to the report.
“Inland Rail is critical for the future of the country, but equally it must be built in way which minimises the impact on local communities,” he said in 2018.
He said there were many positives to come out of the damning report.
“The major positive is that the rail corridor can now be used for a passenger rail which is needed in the western parts of Logan,” he said.
