Interviewed for an Inland Rail video (featured below) ahead of the forthcoming opening of the new bridge in Glenrowan, Cr Rees emphasised the importance of the Inland Rail project in creating local jobs and driving economic activity that rural cities often can't do on their own.
To date, Inland Rail has spent more than $35 million with 176 local Victorian businesses and employed 650 locals on the Victorian section of the project.
Local businesses provide earthworks, accommodation and catering, environmental consultancy, cultural heritage services, equipment hire, electrical services, workforce training, labour hire, office supplies, PPE supply, precast concrete products, signalling equipment supply and equipment hire.
Inland Rail is a nation building project that will transform how goods are moved around Australia, first connecting Beveridge to Parkes, NSW, by 2027 before later connecting from Narromine, New South Wales, to Ebenezer, Queensland.
In Victoria, work will take place at 12 sites, including Wangaratta and Glenrowan in the Rural City of Wangaratta, to enable double-stacked freight trains to pass safely and ensure everyday products can be delivered faster and more reliably around Australia.
Cr Dean Rees, Wangaratta Rural City Mayor said:
"We've been very fortunate to have Inland Rail come through Wangaratta and improve some of the infrastructure that the rural city just can't afford to do on our own without partnering with a group like ARTC.
"Inland freight is always a super important thing, it's all about creating jobs. We look forward to this continuing, growing quicker and further.
"This new [Glenrowan] bridge is going to be magnificent. It's going to offer a greater connectivity with people with the pedestrian access across the bridge.
"I believe ARTC will leave a great legacy with the reconstruction of new infrastructure that has been badly needed over the last 20-30 years here in the Rural City of Wangaratta and Glenrowan."
