Southern Queensland region

Expanded logistics and cotton handling, food processing and more regional airport capacity are some of the opportunities for investment between Brisbane and the New South Wales border over the first 10, 30 and 50 years of Inland Rail’s operation.

Lasting benefits for Southern Queensland

The Queensland Regional Intelligence report found Inland Rail can support another 590 full-time jobs in its 10th year of operation.

The potential boost to gross regional product in that 10th year of operation is up to $340 million.

These benefits will last the distance with modelling giving a view of how employment and gross regional product can grow in the 30th and 50th year of Inland Rail’s operations.

An info graphic with text that shows the boost to employment and uplift of gross regional product in the short term (10 years), medium term (30 years) and long term (50 years)

The total boost to gross regional product over 50 years will be worth up to $3.1 billion for the 12 local government areas of southern Queensland, and builds on the jobs and gross domestic product from construction of an enhanced Inland Rail.

Southern Queensland opportunities for investment

With the help of case studies, Australian data and planning, and regional knowledge, this research found specific investment opportunities, including:

  • Expanded logistics and cotton handling in the short-term (0-10 years).
  • Food processing hub in the medium-term (10-30 years).
  • Regional airport expansion for the supply of goods to international markets in the long-term (30-50 years).

The Southern Queensland study area

With a population of 2.8 million, including the urban area of Brisbane and regional centres such as Toowoomba, the study area for this research incorporates 12 local government areas and contributes $173 billion in gross value added to the state economy.

Approximately 484 million tonnes of road freight is transported to and from this region every year. Agriculture, mining and construction sectors generate a lot of its freight and have grown significantly since 2015, making them a source of potential demand for Inland Rail.

The 12 local government areas in this region include Brisbane, Logan, Somerset and Western Downs, with a full list available in the report.

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