Round two project proposals
A further 18 project proposals are proceeding under the second round of the Interface Improvement Program (II Program). Announcements from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development and subsequent announcements from Federal Member for Calare, Andrew Gee outlined a range of proposals to receive expert and technical support from the program.
The II Program provides access to specialist business advisors from EY Australia to support regional organisations, governments and communities to develop their project ideas into robust feasibility studies and strategic business cases that will enable proponents to evaluate the economic viability of their project ideas.
A total of 38 project proposals across two rounds are navigating the II Program gateway assessment process.
The II Program does not guarantee funding for projects to progress to a design and construction phase. By providing business case support, the Program helps local organisations, governments and communities make a case for further investment.
Building on the success of the II Program, the Australian Government allocated $150 million in the 2022-23 Budget to fund the delivery of priority infrastructure projects through the Infrastructure Investment Program. This funding is restricted to projects that have completed a Strategic Business Case through the Inland Rail Interface Improvement Program. Read more on funding the eligibility.
Proposals submitted through the second round of the Expressions of Interest process
The following project proposals have been assessed as meeting the program’s principles for productivity enhancement or country lines improvement and to be eligible for development through the program’s gateway assessment process.
The list below is in alphabetical order according to the proponent.
A downloadable map of project proposals from round one and two is also available:
Project proposals map (PDF, 2.1MB)
| Proponent | Location | Proposal and potential benefits | Program | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Australian Food and Fibre (Formerly Auscott) |
Narrabri, NSW | Proposal to lengthen two sidings at the Auscott Narrabri Siding and incorporate two additional turnouts to increase the efficiency and rail loading capacity of the yard to handle longer and more frequent bulk and intermodal trains in line with Inland Rail. The proposal identifies the potential to maximise regional economic growth by increasing competitiveness of supply chain, as well as rail competitiveness and capacity thereby reducing trucks on the road subsequently improving road safety. | Productivity Enhancement Program | Underway |
| Central NSW Joint Organisation and Regional Development Australia Central West | Central West, NSW | Proposal to investigate options for re-positioning or re-organising local infrastructure and supply chains to deliver access to markets for Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) local producers in Central West NSW as a result of Inland Rail. The proposal indicated it will consider alternative options for consolidation centres and has the potential to support more producers to access Inland Rail as a viable option for distributing their produce and support a mode shift to rail. | Productivity Enhancement Program | Pre-feasibility study completed |
| Cootamundra Gundagai Regional Council and Coopers Couriers | Cootamundra, Stockinbingal, NSW | Proposal to explore the development of a rail Interchange and freight handling facility in the South West Slopes Region in NSW. The facility could include storage and supporting infrastructure to move freight from the Stockinbingal - Griffith line onto Inland Rail. The proposal indicated that it has the potential to unlock the region’s capacity to maximise throughput on Inland Rail by moving freight from road to rail. | Productivity Enhancement Program | Underway |
| DB & NJ Mattiske Family Trust | Back Creek, near Forbes, NSW | Proposal to extend the existing Back Creek rail siding to significantly increase its grain loading capacity. The proposal also includes an additional storage silo and mobile uploading plant. The proposal indicated it has the potential to allow the facility to be used by other large capacity grain producers in the region and make it more efficient and cost effective to transport grain by rail. | Productivity Enhancement Program | Strategic business case completed |
| Gilgandra Shire Council | Curban, NSW | Proposal will investigate the feasibility of converting one of the anticipated Inland Rail construction compounds in the Gilgandra Shire, to become a multi-user rail access facility post construction. The proposal indicated it would seek to maximise the Inland Rail construction investment by developing a facility that has potential to increase access to rail and throughput on Inland Rail for local producers and businesses. | Productivity Enhancement Program | Feasibility study completed |
| GrainCorp Ltd | Brookstead, QLD | Proposal to dual gauge the GrainCorp Brookstead rail siding to access the higher Tonne Axle Limits on Inland Rail. The proposal indicated that it has the potential to enable larger train sets to move grain and pulses for export, and offers the potential to unload trains from NSW or Victoria for distribution to Queensland domestic markets. The proposal identifies the potential to increase freight volume to rail and enhance connectivity to Inland Rail. | Productivity Enhancement Program | Underway |
| Lachlan Shire Council | Condobolin, NSW | Proposal to develop the viability of a warehousing and logistics centre near Condobolin. The proposed warehousing will allow freight to be stored and hold goods for collection within the region. The proposal identifies the potential to better service a growing volume of specialty crops being grown in the region and utilise Inland Rail to get products to domestic and export markets. | Productivity Enhancement Program | Underway |
| Lockhart Shire Council | Boree Creek, NSW | Proposal to upgrade the country line from The Rock to Boree Creek to meet national heavy rail standards that would enable wagons to be loaded to a higher axle load weight. The proposal indicated that it has the potential to increase rail transport productivity and reduce the amount of grain transported on local roads. | Country Lines Improvement Program | Feasibility study completed |
| Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) | Moree, NSW | Proposal to expand and upgrade the existing LDC intermodal facility at Moree, including increasing the area of hardstand, improving access for containerised freight exports as well as 24 hour siding access. The proposal indicated that is has the potential to enable better use of the Inland Rail network by providing more efficient intermodal facilities. | Productivity Enhancement Program | Underway |
| Narromine Shire Council | Narromine, NSW | Proposal to develop a containerised goods facility and freight exchange at Narromine to service the Inland Rail route and the regional rail network. The proposal indicated that it has the potential to take advantage of the opportunities presented by Inland Rail and cater for the intermodal needs of Narromine and the surrounding area. | Productivity Enhancement Program | Underway |
| Pacific National | Junee, NSW | Proposal to construct an additional holding/marshalling road to allow for the attachment and detachment and loading of longer trains at the proposed major regional terminal at Junee, NSW. The proposal indicated that it has the potential to supplement the already planned passing loops and other enabling infrastructure and has the potential to increase the efficiency of rail freight movements and thereby encourage a modal shift to rail. | Productivity Enhancement Program | Pre-feasibility study completed |
| Pacific National | Toowoomba, QLD and Moree, NSW | Proposal to construct an arrival road (supplementary crossing route) and a loading road (rail siding) at Toowoomba and Moree. The proposal indicated that it has the potential to facilitate more efficient loading and unloading of freight trains by allowing through trains to stop and attach or detach sections of the train with either outbound regional freight or inbound empty containers. The proposal indicated that it has the potential to better integrate Inland Rail to the future Moree Special Activation Precinct. | Country Lines Improvement Program | Pre-feasibility study completed |
| Queensland Transport and Logistics Council | Toowoomba region, QLD | The proposal will investigate the opportunities associated with transporting hydrogen by rail and explore potential benefits for Inland Rail. The proposal has the potential to contribute to work being led by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) on emerging technologies related to the production and consumption of hydrogen and completion of the National Hydrogen Infrastructure Assessment in 2022. | Productivity Enhancement Program | Pre-feasibility study completed |
| Scenic Rim Regional Council | Bromelton, QLD | Proposal for a study of the local road connections to the SCT logistics terminal and broader Bromelton State Development Area (SDA) in the Scenic Rim region of South-East Queensland. The proposal indicated it has the potential to provide an assessment of how local regional businesses and allied services can better connect to Inland Rail, and in doing so, improve local community amenity and economy. | Productivity Enhancement Program | Pre-feasibility study completed |
| Transport for NSW | Gulgong, NSW | Proposal to complete the construction of a greenfield line between Maryvale to Gulgong at 25 Tonne Axle Load (TAL), including the construction of passing loops at Castlereagh Loop, Goolma Loop and Bodangora Loop. The proposal indicated it has the potential to optimise the route between Dubbo (and Central West) to the Port of Newcastle and maximise freight connectivity and efficiency between Country Regional Network (CRN) branch lines and the ARTC network including Inland Rail. | Country Lines Improvement Program | Feasibility study completed |
| Transport for NSW | Junee, Temora West, Trangie, Griffith, Nevertire NSW | Proposal to investigate upgrading mechanical turnouts with motorised turnouts and associated signalling infrastructure at five key locations adjacent to Inland Rail on the Country Regional Network (CRN). The proposal indicated that it has the potential to enhance the productivity of grain loading sites including improving links from Northern NSW into the Darling Downs, divert traffic to Inland Rail away from other congested networks and optimise train operations from a wider network perspective. | Productivity Enhancement Program | Strategic business case completed |
| Transport for NSW | Dubbo, Narrabri West, Parkes, NSW | Proposal for network interface improvements between Inland Rail and the Country Regional Network (CRN) at three strategic locations including: the development of a siding near the Dubbo Regional Rail maintenance facility; upgrading of the Narrabri West yard including sidings to cater to 25 TAL freight trains; and a Greenfield passing loop to cater for 1.8km long trains east of the Parkes Junction. The proposal indicated it has the potential to improve traffic flow on the Inland Rail mainline and improve access to Inland Rail from adjacent regional and interstate rail lines. | Productivity Enhancement Program | Strategic business case completed |
| Wagga Wagga City Council and Riverina Oils and Bio Energy (ROBE) | Wagga Wagga, NSW | Proposal to develop a grain terminal and dedicated rail siding at the Riverina Intermodal Freight and Logistics (RiFL) Hub. The proposal indicated that it has the potential to provide rail connectivity for Riverina Oils and Bio Energy (ROBE) to the Inland Rail network. The proposal has the potential to support more efficient handling of freight and increase Inland Rail throughput. | Productivity Enhancement Program | Underway |