Detail needed on rail corridor
THE fight against the proposed Galilee Basin twin rail corridors is moving forward with the announcement that QR National and Adani will work together on a single corridor east to west.
Monday's announcement was welcomed by the LNP Government. Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jeff Seeney said the government had sought a co-operative approach when they originally announced there would be two corridors instead of six.
"By declaring two rail corridors for future mines in the Galilee Basin, we hoped to facilitate this sort of progress," Mr Seeney said. "Adani and QR National's decision to jointly evaluate an integrated rail project and accelerate work into the feasibility stage is good news for the companies and the state."
But landholders were still sceptical - musing over why it had taken so long to reach a solution. "You presume that would be the sensible thing to do," said Shontae Moran, whose cattle property was going to be cut in four.
"They've got four or five different places they're going to put a line. We need a little bit more information to see what they're actually planning to have any assurance."
Adani chairman Gautam Adani said the joint project would improve cost-effectiveness.
"The joint evaluation will draw on the significant work done to date by both parties on logistics solutions - Adani with its mine and port developments and QR National through its Central Queensland Integrated Rail Project."
The announcement said preliminary work between the two companies under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) would now move into a feasibility stage, assessing rail infrastructure and haulage services for 60-80 million tonnes of thermal coal a year from Carmichael Mine to the Abbot Point coal terminal and/or the future Dudgeon Point terminal.
