The federal government’s nation building Melbourne to Brisbane inland rail project – aimed at helping farmers to get their produce to ports quicker – is currently planned to bypass the MIA, and instead go through Wagga and Albury. 

Shooters candidate for Murray Helen Dalton said she wants the NSW state government to get involved in helping to build an alternative route from Narrandera to Melbourne, taking in agricultural towns like Tocumwal, Shepparton and Finley.

“Our party’s two votes in the Legislative Council will give the state government the support they need to remove any legislative barriers in place stopping this from being a reality,” Ms Dalton said.

“While we have to credit the National Party’s Murray by-election candidate Austin Evans for the idea, but we’ll support it”.

National Party candidate Austin Evans accused the Shooters of being opportunistic, saying “for the record, of course I support the Inland Rail coming through the MIA”.

Mr Evans said he voted for the federal inland rail project to come through Narrandera at a Local Government Conference in 2016. 

A rail route passing through the the “food bowl” regions of the MIA and Shepparton would pick up much higher volumes of freight than an outer Wagga route. 

The Shooters say there is a need to lobby both federal and state governments to ensure the agricultural hubs of the MIA have an efficient rail connection to Melbourne, from where farm produce can be exported. 

“Will the National Party stand up for Australia’s food bowl, or just do whatever the Liberal Party tells them to do?” Ms Dalton said. 

When asked whether the NSW Nationals prefer the federal inland rail route to go through Wagga, or the MIA,  leader John Barilaro said:

“Ultimately, the Inland Rail route is a decision of the Federal Government but we will fight to make sure our local communities grow of the back of this massive, once-in-a-lifetime project”.

Ms Dalton said that if the National Party can get their Liberal Party colleagues in the state and federal government on side, her party will back them in Parliament.

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