The communities of Benalla, Euroa, Glenrowan and Wangaratta have banded together to fight for the best outcome for the Inland Rail upgrades to stations along the north-east line.
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And they have Federal Member for Indi Helen Haines in their corner taking their issues to Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack who is overseeing the project at a Federal level.
In parliament on Thursday Dr Haines said the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) must deliver good outcomes for Indi communities affected by the Federal Government’s $15.4 billion Inland Rail project.
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She highlighted that the government-owned ARTC had not done enough to reassure residents of Indi communities that their voices would be heard as it finalised designs.
The Inland Rail Project aims to allow taller and heavier, double-stacked trains to run on the north-east line, but Dr Haines said there were deep concerns across rail communities about the potential impact of the ARTC’s plans.
“The ARTC insists that it is constrained by lack of funds,” Dr Haines told Parliament on Thursday.
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“But this excuse doesn’t add up.
“Inland Rail was originally costed at $4.4 billion in 2010.
“In 2015 it was bumped up to $9.9 billion, and just two months ago the government announced the cost had blown out by another $5.5 billion.
“But as far as we know, not a cent of this was earmarked to do a proper job on the north-east upgrades.
“When I asked Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack on Tuesday (February 16), in Question Time, how much of this increase will be spent in these towns to deliver outcomes that meet community expectations, he did not answer the question.
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“The ARTC is also refusing to disclose their budget to complete each upgrade in Indi and insisting that good design outcomes for our communities are ‘out of budget’.
“People in Indi are entitled to ask why the government can find $5.5 billion for the ARTC, yet can’t find a few million to make sure the station and bridge upgrades in towns like Benalla, Euroa and Glenrowan are done properly.”
On Thursday evening, February 18, community members from Benalla, Euroa, Glenrowan and Wangaratta met up to form a new group - The North East Rail Alliance (NERA).
Members of Better Benalla Rail (BBR) attended alongside counterparts from other north-east line communities, local council representatives, and Ms Kate Stothers representing Dr Helen Haines.
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The aims of the group is:
● To have a stronger and unified voice about the impact of the Inland Rail project on local communities and station precincts;
● To garner the support of each council to achieve better local solutions for each town and station precinct;
● For councils, state and federal government to embrace the opportunity and synergy the inland rail project can provide for our towns;
● To provide our state and federal MPs with a stronger case in representing community concern and involvement;
● To petition the state government to take action about our station precinct design, amenity and functionality;
● For state government to provide the services of the Office of the Victorian Government Architect in the design work;
● To provide support to each community in dealing with the ARTC; and
● For each town to continue independently with their own local community engagement, planning and activities.
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Benalla's David Moore, a member of both BBR and NERA, said the groups were encouraged by Dr Haines support.
“We are pleased the Federal Government have realised the initial budgets for the project were inadequate,” Mr Moore said.
“I think that is a step forward, but I was disappointed that the Deputy Prime Minister was reluctant to indicate that some of that money would go to stations in the north-east.
“The meeting we had last night (Thursday, February 18) formalised the establishment of NERA and was very positive.
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“We have been working via Zoom for months, but we had all the groups come together and we also had the mayors of Benalla and Euroa, as well as the deputy mayor of Wangaratta.
“We will now look to forge ahead in a united way to focus attention on the importance of railway precincts for any modern community.”
In Parliament on Thursday Dr Haines said two things were clear from her consultations with communities along the north-east corridor.
“First, each town is anxious that the upgrades must deliver outcomes that create connectivity, allow small businesses to operate, are accessible and respect the heritage of their communities,” she said.
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“Second, there is a very strong feeling that the ARTC has not been fully transparent and consultative.
“I’ve been told that questions are going unanswered, staff turnover is high, and decision-making is unclear.”
Dr Haines said the depth of feeling was apparent in Euroa in January when 80 people turned up to voice concerns to her about the proposed rebuild of the Anderson St bridge.
“When the (Anderson St) bridge was built in the 1960s, it created huge physical divide, splitting the town in two,” she said.
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“House prices on one side have never recovered.
“Small businesses feel cut off from the rest of town.
“There is a real fear that a bigger, taller, more imposing bridge will further exacerbate this divide.
“In Benalla, too, people fear the government is repeating the mistakes of the past.
“In 1975, against the wishes of the community, the government demolished Benalla station’s historic tower, building the Mackellar St overpass that cut the station off from the town.”
Dr Haines said ARTC should work to make sure such decisions were not repeated.
“In its ambitions to claim a nation-building project, the government should not trample on the aspirations of the local communities in everyday places like Wangaratta, Benalla, Euroa and Glenrowan” she said.
“I'm looking forward to the Deputy Prime Minister visiting these towns, as indeed he will in March.
“Then he'll hear from the community itself about its concerns and ambitions, and I sincerely encourage him to listen and take action.
“I'm calling on the ARTC to do better in engaging with our communities.
“Tell us how much has been budgeted for each location.
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“Be upfront about your plans.
“Publish the results of community engagement so we all know what is being said.
“I've met with the ARTC and raised this directly with them, but now I feel it's time to escalate these concerns as I'm doing here today in parliament.
“We are not unreasonable people.
“We know the ARTC cannot deliver everything that everyone wants.
“But what everyone rightly expects is transparency and a genuine commitment to delivering a good outcome for our towns.”
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ARTC projects general manager Ed Walker told The Ensign it had been engaging with communities in north-east Victoria since 2018 with the goal of having all views heard, acknowledged, and valued.
“We reaffirm our commitment to working closely with members of the community and stakeholders to understand the issues, and how we can deliver Inland Rail in these towns within our scope,” Mr Walker said.
“One way we are working with the community is through the Benalla Working Group, which has met three times since its establishment in 2020, with a fourth meeting set to be held in early March.
“The group has started to focus on understanding the aspirations of the community for the Benalla railway station precinct, which included a tour of the precinct at the start of 2021 to consider its functionality and how it could be improved.
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“The Benalla Working Group has an important role to play on behalf of the Benalla as they work their way through the design options, and we have been encouraged with the progress the group is making.
“We are continuing our regular shopfront drop-in sessions in Benalla, and we are also offering additional consultation sessions in March 2021 as part of our efforts to understand what is important for community relating to the Inland Rail Project in Benalla.
“We’re encouraging any interested community members to pre-register to attend one of our sessions in March by emailing victoriaprojects@artc.com.au or calling 1800 732 761.”
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