The release of the environmental impact statement for the Inland Rail has produced a range of views as to whether the project should upgrade the main line through Wagga or bypass the city altogether.
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Wagga councillor Richard Foley has previously called for the upgraded heavy duty freight line to run outside the city, which he described as a better traffic and livability option for the growth target of 100,000 people.
Wagga resident Bob Williams, who worked in the valuer general's department for 38 years, attended the drop-in session held to discuss the Inland Rail project's environmental impact statement on Thursday.
Mr Williams said the Riverina Intermodal Freight and Logistics (RiFL) Hub project at Bomen would be doomed to fail if Inland Rail and its bigger and heavier freight capacity bypassed Wagga.
Wagga City Council, the NSW government and commercial partner Visy are heavily invested in the $54.8 million project, which is designed to make it easier to transfer freight between trucks and trains.
"I'm all for Inland Rail. I think it should happen. There is no alternative to going through the middle of Wagga," he said.
"If they bypass Wagga, why not go straight to Coolamon and Old Junee? It would be a lot cheaper than trying to go to Bomen."
The RiFL Hub, along with the special activation precinct's alliterated planning permission, also aims to bring 6000 new jobs by promoting industrial development at Bomen.
Wagga resident Maureen Donlon said she saw multiple reasons why Inland Rail should bypass Wagga.
"We are concerned about the impact of these trains and Wagga being used for a freight corridor that is of little benefit to anyone in our community," she said.
"My issue is the noise, the constant trains going through at all hours, the fact that these politicians have made this decision without any consultation.
"They [politicians] say they have been holding meetings but the people who will be affected by this had no real idea it was going on."
Mr Williams said he thought the noise issue could be largely abated with double glazing windows but he also thought Inland Rail should be doing more to reduce impacts.
"I've lived in Railway Street for a long time and after [the train] has been through once, you get used to the noise. You can build and modify houses to keep the noise out," he said.
An Australian Rail Track Corporation spokesperson has said the design process for the Albury to Illabo Inland Rail section "was dependent on rigorous engineering and ongoing stakeholder engagement".
"It has incorporated a range of considerations at each stage. Where practicable, ARTC has sought to incorporate stakeholder feedback directly into the design," the spokesperson said.
"The Department of Planning and Environment takes into consideration submissions received as part of making its assessment and approval of the project.
"Operational noise and vibration will be reviewed again during the detailed design phase and community members identified as being potentially impacted will be consulted on mitigation options."
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