Beveridge to Albury approvals

ARTC Inland Rail has received Victorian and Australian Government planning, environment and heritage approvals for the Beveridge to Albury section, paving the way to progress plans to build Inland Rail in Victoria.

Community and stakeholder input and feedback has been an important part of the approvals process.

We’ve considered and incorporated, where possible, this feedback as part of the project design and complied with requirements from the Urban Design Framework, Planning Scheme Amendment, Environment Report and Heritage Permits.

Environment

The Australian Government approved the project under the  Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) 1999 in September 2022.

This approval followed the Victorian Government’s endorsement of the Environment Report and approval of the associated Environmental Management Framework.

The framework ensures Inland Rail meets regulatory requirements to manage the environment within project areas across North East Victoria.

It identifies potential impacts on native vegetation, habitat and biodiversity values associated with listed threatened species and communities and sets out conditions that must be met to mitigate these impacts.

The approvals are subject to ARTC meeting these conditions so that Inland Rail can be delivered in Victoria.

View the Environmental Management Framework

View the EPBC Act Offset Management Plan

Planning

The Victorian Minister for Planning approved and Gazetted the Planning Scheme Assessment (PSA) applicable to Inland Rail in Victoria in March 2022.

The amendment is a change to the relevant planning scheme of each Local Government, within the project area. It applies a project-specific planning control that removes the need for separate planning permits, subject to conditions being met.

The planning schemes amended include:

  • Whittlesea
  • Mitchell
  • Strathbogie
  • Benalla
  • Wangaratta
  • Wodonga

Urban Design Framework

Following the Victorian Government’s approval of the Planning Scheme Amendment, the associated Urban Design Framework (UDF) was approved in October 2022.

This framework is a requirement of the PSA and sets out an integrated design vision for future development of urban places. It takes a holistic approach that integrates the technical needs of Inland Rail with heritage, biodiversity, transport planning and amenity aspects.

Community and stakeholder consultation of the UDF is supporting the shared vision that helps inform Inland Rail detailed design.

View the UDF Framework

Heritage

Heritage Victoria granted heritage permits for works that impact the Glenrowan Heritage Precinct and the Wangaratta Railway Station Complex, which are both state listed heritage places.

The Wangaratta heritage permit was approved in September 2022 and the Glenrowan heritage permit was approved in August 2022. Visit Heritage Victoria for more information. Both permits are subject to conditions.

Compliance monitoring and auditing

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) requires a compliance monitoring and auditing program to be in place for projects referred under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

View the EPBC Annual Compliance Report 2023