The Hon. Matt Canavan, Leader of The Nationals; The Hon. Bridget McKenzie, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Joint Media Release, 11 May 2026
The Coalition has launched a ‘Rescue our Rail’ petition, to fight for Australia’s critical Inland Rail project.
Leader of The Nationals Matt Canavan said Labor’s decision to scrap the Inland Rail project halfway through was devastating for regional communities and must be overturned.
“The Inland Rail project is nation-changing project, spanning 1600 kilometres from Melbourne to Brisbane, and connecting regional areas through Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland,” Senator Canavan said.
“It would be groundbreaking for communities including Beveridge, Albury, Illabo, Stockinbingal, Parkes, Narromine, Narrabri, Moree, Toowoomba and Ebenezer near Ipswich, but its impact would be felt across the entire country.
“That’s why the Coalition is asking regional families and businesses to sign the petition to tell Labor to reverse the decision, finish Inland Rail and back our regions.”
It comes after Labor decided to scrap the project and instead spend another $3.8 billion on Victorian Labor’s unfunded $200 billion Melbourne Suburban Rail Loop.
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Bridget McKenzie said Inland Rail was a once-in-a-generation project to connect our regions, get freight off our roads, and back the industries that feed and power Australia.
“The Inland Rail is an investment in the future of a more productive and prosperous Australia but by axing this project the Albanese Government is more about short term spending taking priority over long-term productivity enabling infrastructure,” Senator McKenzie said.
“The Inland Rail would take 200,000 truck movements off our roads and cut freight sector carbon emissions by 750,000 tonnes per year by 2050. But Labor is treating our regional communities with contempt, in an attempt to redirect taxpayer funds to bail out the failing Victorian Labor Government.
“This is another Labor betrayal of regional Australia and we won’t accept it.
“Businesses have invested in plant and equipment to build the rail, moved their warehouses to be on the route, families uprooted their lives to work on the project and whole communities invested everything in the future it promised.
“Every business decision, every family that moved, every community that planned around Inland Rail – Labor wants to throw it all away.”
Sign the petition now to Rescue Our Rail at www.rescueourrail.com.
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