Two in-principal rail corridors have been approved by the Qld Government to connect future mining projects in the Galilee Basin in western Queensland with eastern sea ports.
Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney told State Parliament last week that the Government had re-affirmed its June 2012 policy position that only two multi-user corridors were necessary to service the needs of the Galilee Basin.
“Since that announcement, the Coordinator-General has conducted extensive community and industry consultation on the proposed declaration of a Galilee Basin State Development Area within which the Government’s powers of compulsory land acquisition may be exercised,” he said.
“Overwhelmingly the view of the community is that the area covered by the State Development Area must be minimised to reduce impacts on landholders.
“Consistent with our views in 2012, our clear policy is that there needs to be one corridor to service the southern end of the Galilee Basin and one corridor to service the central part of the Basin.
“It has become increasingly evident that the corridors best-placed to service the region are the rail corridor approved in the Alpha Coal project joining into the Aurizon network, and the rail corridors being developed in the Carmichael Coal Mine and Rail project and the North Galilee Basin Rail project.
“My clear view is that these two corridors reflect the projects that are best placed in their approval processes, they have pit-to-port capability and they continue to progress in a manner which suggests they are serious about moving forward.”
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