The response includes establishing a new subsidiary to govern the Inland Rail’s delivery
The federal government has announced it is beginning to work on its response to Dr Kerry Schott’s recommendations in the recent Inland Rail independent review.
The government says it’s delivering on its commitment to set Inland Rail up for success by separating its governance and delivery arrangements from the Australian Rail Track Corporation’s (ARTC’s) day to day operations.
On June 23, the federal government issued a new interim Statement of Expectations (SoE -attached) to ARTC. In it, the government has reaffirmed its objectives and expectations for ARTC and the future delivery of Inland Rail.
In line with the government’s response to Dr Schott’s review, ARTC is establishing a new subsidiary – Inland Rail Pty Ltd, which will govern the delivery of the Inland Rail.
The federal government says it is committed to ensuring Inland Rail Pty Ltd has the necessary expertise and independent oversight required to deliver on the Government’s objectives for Inland Rail.
“We are making good on our commitment to act on the recommendations of the Independent Review of Inland Rail,” federal transport minister Catherine King says.
“The establishment of Inland Rail Pty Ltd and the updated Statement of Expectations are examples of this government getting on with the job to refresh the approach to delivering Inland Rail ensure it is adequately funded and resourced.
“I am confident in the direction provided by the Statement of Expectations and in the chosen Inland Rail Pty Ltd board members, who will bring valuable industry insights and expertise to ensure the government delivers on its commitments to Inland Rail.”
Inland Rail Pty Ltd will have its own dedicated board of directors appointed by the ARTC.
The six member board includes the Chair of ARTC as a non-executive director. The members of the new board have been chosen for their skills, qualifications, knowledge and experience, including in the delivery of nationally significant freight infrastructure projects.
The board of Inland Rail Pty Ltd will be chaired by Robert Rust, with Louise Thurgood as the Deputy Chair
The three other board members are Erin Flaherty, James Cain and Vivienne King.
The federal government says it is delivering on its commitment to get on with building Inland Rail, with a focus on completing the sections between Beveridge in Victoria and Parkes in NSW by 2027. When complete, the southern section of Inland Rail will increase resilience and improve supply chain productivity between Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Newcastle, the Illawarra and Adelaide.
The federal government also thanked Mark Campbell for his leadership of ARTC over the past three years, following the announcement that he will be stepping down from his roles as Managing Director and CEO of ARTC at the end of July.