The community-engagement sessions (late September to early October) form the final section of the feasibility stage before assessment and approval by the Australian Rail Track Corporation.

Residents have the chance to provide feedback and input into the Albury-to-Illabo section, which is about 185km of the 1700km Melbourne–Brisbane route.

However, Stockinbingal farmer Tony Hill, has continued to criticised the planning of the project, saying there had been a lack of “proper dialogue” between the Federal Government and communities.

“It’s a disgrace how it’s [consultation] been handled,” Mr Hill said.

“In the beginning, they weren’t very forthright with details about their planning – it seems they already made up their minds about corridors and just doing the bare consultations.”

Mr Hill has been in favour of the Inland Rail, but he said the feasibility should have considered use of the existing corridor along Narrandera rather than the current proposal of Albury to Stockinbingal via Wagga.

“The Narrandera Council is singing out for it and the route would benefit that region more” he said.

He said the current corridor to run through Illabo and Stockinginal would “split us [residents] in half”.

“It affects our operations and how our farms work,” he said.

“It’s also been affecting some of our farmers’ mental health in running their private enterprises.”

In response, Inland Rail CEO Richard Wankmuller said regular and ongoing community and stakeholder input “is vital now and will continue to be important as the project progresses”.

He said the current study corridor was optimal.

“The current study area best meets the Inland Rail service offering, which includes a travel time between Melbourne and Brisbane of less than 24 hours,” he said.

Inland Rail CEO Richard Wankmuller was in Southern NSW for about one week beginning September 17, meeting communities and landowners and spending time at the Henty Machinery Field Days.

On September 19, Mr Wankmuller met landowners who live and work between Illabo and Stockinbingal.

“Since April we have been working hard at reducing the width of the study corridor from two kilometres wide to a final corridor that will ultimately be in the order of 60 metres wide,” said Mr Wankmuller.

Following these drop-in sessions, ARTC will continue one-on-one consultation with landowners, councils and other stakeholders.

Information about future sessions will be provided.

Albury-to-Illabo project update: September 2018

Meanwhile, Michael McCormack – Riverina MP and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development – said the community sessions were vital to maintain relationships between ARTC and communities.

“Whilst I will not be able to attend the sessions due to prior commitments, I will be briefed on the information obtained from these meetings and I urge and encourage anyone who has any questions about the Inland Rail project to attend a session close to them and put forward any ideas and concerns,” Mr McCormack said.

“For the Illabo to Stockinbingal section of the Inland Rail, we need to get the corridor nearer to 40 to 60 metres.

“At the moment, in some parts, the study area is two kilometres wide but we need to get that final alignment sorted.

“I’m pleased that Warren Truss, the ARTC chair, and Richard Wankmuller, the CEO of the ARTC, are working with stakeholders and working with communities; and they’re listening to the concerns and the issues.”

Mr McCormack cited the Federal Government’s investment of $9.3 billion into “this once-in-a-generation infrastructure project”.

"Now we are doing the hard yards to make this longstanding vision of a freight corridor between Melbourne and Brisbane a reality,” he said.

“The Federal Government is committed to making sure that the first train will leave the station in 2025.

“But this isn’t about the train, this isn’t just about a line – this is about a piece of nation-building infrastructure that we’re getting on and building.”