A Logan City councillor who lives close to where the proposed Inland Rail Project will run has spoken out against the project and said despite not being able to stop the project, locals ‘can speak out and demand answers’.
Logan City locals who will be impacted by the Inland Rail Project were invited to attend information sessions run by Australian Rail Track Corporation (ATRC), and various councillors also made appearances to ask questions and express their concern for the project.
The Kagaru to Acacia Ridge and Bromelton (K2ARB) section runs through the western side of Logan City on the existing interstate rail line.
It is expected that longer trains and double-stacked carriages will be used on the route, with the frequency of services rising from eight trains a day to up to 45 trains a day.
Cr Natalie Willcocks said she lives within a close radius to the line and she is worried about the project.
“The community isn’t getting the answers and Council isn’t getting the answers they need,” she said.
“They’re holding community sessions for locals to come and express their concerns and ask questions….but I still don’t think we’re getting any answers in these sessions.
“We’re showing ATRC that we’re here to fight and that we’re not happy.”
Cr Willcocks said her major concerns were the noise, the frequency, the vibrations, air pollution, and the dust.
“Yes the noise levels won’t change but the frequency of that noise will….so there actually will be more noise,” she said.
“We’re all on acreage out here so we’ve all got tank water. The dust is going to land on our roofs and come through our tanks and come through our water.
“Community members need to voice their objections. Talk to your councillors and your local members. We need to make sure our voices are being heard.”
At one of the many information sessions held this past fortnight, Mayor Darren Power was spotted questioning an ATRC employee over the increase in sound, as the amount of trains increases.
Cr Power took to social media to express his concerns.
“There are plans to install sound proofing to only some parts of the line, not all,” he said.
“Will we get the bargain basement barriers, being the end of the line? The sound decibel limits that are proposed are predicted to be between 60-85 decibels, yet their own figures show that the carriage wheels come in at 100?
“This is only one of my concerns. I have several others.
“A Flagstone resident today raised the issues of vibrations and how will the additional activity and additional weight impact on home foundations, structures etc?
“It was revealed that there are currently no plans to conduct any Seismic testing and no predictions are available on how homes will be impacted over the long term from vibrations.”
