Since October 2022, Inland Rail and partner McConnell Dowell have invested $118 million across 303 local Victorian suppliers for work on four initial construction sites: Wangaratta, Glenrowan, Barnawartha North and Seymour-Avenel Rd.
The project has created significant local employment, with 1279 out of 1330 jobs (96 per cent) filled by residents in the first phase.
Victorian businesses are now winning early work on Tranche 2 of the B2A project.
Twenty-two local businesses have won contracts worth almost $1 million and employed 156 locals.
Delivery director B2A Ed Walker emphasised Inland Rail’s commitment to ensuring local and First Nations businesses secured contracts, maximising economic benefits for communities along the rail alignment.
“We’re investing in regional Victorian communities and the capabilities of local businesses,” he said.
“Local suppliers are invaluable. They have local knowledge and understanding and can tap into the community expertise and talent we need to complete the project.”
Inland Rail Tranche 2 construction partner John Holland recently held a series of ‘meet the contractor’ events in Broadford, Euroa and Benalla to engage with local businesses and outline the range of services it was looking to contract on the second phase of the project in Victoria.
More than 120 businesses attended as John Holland outlined the types of services it was looking to engage, including labour, quarry material, industrial consumables, plant and equipment, non-destructive digging, road sweeping, CCTV inspection survey and waste management.
“More communities and businesses are set to benefit when we roll out the second tranche of the project in Benalla, Euroa, Wandong, Hume Fwy – Tallarook and Seymour, and Broadford,” Mr Walker said.
Inland Rail is a transformative nation-building project set to revolutionise Australia's freight transport.
It will initially link Beveridge to Narromine, NSW, by 2027, with plans to extend to Kagaru, Queensland.
In Victoria, Inland Rail work will be carried out at 12 project sites between Beveridge and Albury to enable double-stacked freight trains to pass safely and ensure everyday products can be delivered faster and more reliably around Australia.
