CONDAMINE River floodplain farmers say they are concerned that a review of an alternate route for the Inland Rail will amount to little more than a whitewash.
It follows growing concern that a promised study of the so-called 'forestry route' will be conducted internally by the Australian Rail Track Corporation, rather than by an independent body.
The route under review would see the Inland Rail head north from Whetstone, east of Yelarbon, to Cecil Plains, enabling the Inland Rail to utilise the existing Queensland Rail-owned corridor into Toowoomba.
That route would go across mostly state-owned forestry country, but would impact on both grazing and farm land closer to Cecil Plains.
Millmerran Rail Group chair Wes Judd said the forestry route would have incredibly less impact on farmland compared to the route that has been selected across the Condamine floodplain.
However, the process was about genuinely identifying the most appropriate route for the Inland Rail, he said.
"Given what has gone on to date, the review must be robust and independent from the bias of Australian Rail Track Corporation," Mr Judd said.
"We do not want a once-over-lightly examination, a pat on the head and told it's all too hard.
"That would be an insult to everyone involved in this process and forever leave questions.
"The Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has promised a review and it must be done properly.
"It must give the community confidence that the most appropriate route is being selected for the Inland Rail."
Mr Judd said the engineering project that ARTC was proposing for the Condamine floodplain still subjects farmers and businesses to major flooding impacts.
"ARTC is starting behind the eight ball with trust from people along the Condamine," he said. "That's why we want an independent, open, transparent process."
ARTC advised Queensland Country Life that the review was being handled by Mr McComack's office.
