Gowrie to Helidon project update October 2022

As part of the Coordinated Projects process, the Queensland Coordinator-General has evaluated the Inland Rail Gowrie to Helidon project’s draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and requested additional information (known formally as a Request For Information or RFI).

15 to 20 people inside a hall looking at documents on a table and talking to Inland Rail staff as part of a community information session

This means Inland Rail will need to submit a revised draft EIS.

The feedback from the Coordinator-General is commensurate with major projects in Australia and all RFI items will be addressed by Inland Rail.

Core RFI topics that have been identified include: Ground and Surface Water, Traffic and Transport, Noise and Vibration, Flora and Fauna, Flooding, Social and Economic impacts, and Sustainability.

The revised draft EIS will be subject to another round of public consultation, currently anticipated in 2023.

Next steps

Inland Rail is preparing responses to the Coordinator-General’s request for additional information and where further field studies and public consultation are required, we will conduct these to inform our responses.

Inland Rail is also working on preparing responses to the public submissions and these will be included in the revised draft EIS.

We look forward to working with the community and further engaging on the EIS, ensuring a comprehensive document is prepared for feedback.