Inland Rail Northern Civil Works Program

Project Overview

Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) engaged Bielby Hull Q Birt Joint Venture (BHQJV), comprising of Bielby Holdings, JF Hull Holdings and Q.H. & M. Birt on a Collaborative Framework Agreement (CFA) for the Northern Civil Works Program (NCWP) between Gowrie to Whetstone.

This project involved the design and construction of 162km of civil works to the top of formation and interfacing vertically with contracts at each end and horizontally with the Rail and Signal Contractors.

The NCWP was divided into three large program teams (covering the southern, central and northern region), with BHQJV assigned as the northern program team.

Following contract award, JF Hull commenced the planning, design, estimating and site investigations for the project, however a decision was made to terminate the contracts of all companies working on the northern region of the project.

Due to this, the JF Hull team completed activities including:

  • Cost planning the reference design and value engineered design including scheduling and environmental approvals
  • Collaboratively developing the packaging strategy with ARTC, BHQJV Construction Team and Design Team to recommend package breakdown, sequencing in terms of package requests and Incentivised Target Cost Deeds (ITCDs) for contract delivery
  • Developing strategies and policies with ARTC and relevant stakeholders for engagement, social procurement, workforce accommodation and training, and

Ancillary agreements to progress value engineering opportunities and site investigations.

Program Director: Warren Crowther
Senior Engineering Manager: Daniel Nordh
N2 Package Offer Manager: Warwick Spackman
Design Interface Manager: Graham Hull
SHEQ Manager: Tim Ellis
Senior Estimator: Rory Giles
Project Engineer: Andrew Pinchin
Sustainability / Environmental Advisor: Catherine Rice
Engineering Coordinator: Daniel Stitt
Senior Document Controller: Shiv Das
Project Accountant: Louise Haw
Estimator: Brandon Durston
Site Engineer: Jason Rosario
Graduate Engineer: Patrick Waller

Scope of Works:

The project required services to be completed specific to each Civil Works Package or Ancillary Activities Package, delivered during the ‘Development Phase’. The Civil Works Package included each major construction section such as bridges, earthworks, and floodplain crossings, with the Ancillary Activities Package including ‘seperable portions’ for works or services that are needed before or alongside the main construction, such as geotechnical investigations, surveys, environmental approvals and early works.

Ancillary Agreement 1 – Services Brief

The scope included program-wide design management, value engineering, digital engineering, geotechnical gap analysis, requirements management, stakeholder support, Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) support, and project management to enable future civil works packages. This agreement covered the entire Northern Program corridor (N1-N4), approximately 162km from Gowrie to Whetstone. It also incorporated 11 separable portions with various deliverables.

Ancillary Agreement 2

The scope included geotechnical and material investigations to support future civil works. This agreement covered all N1-N4 areas (Ch45km – 208.3km), borrow/quarry sites, and 35+ sites investigated for capping and fill material. Structured into three separable portions, each with specific deliverables and timelines.

Ancillary Agreement 3

The scope included corridor-wide survey, groundwater, and utility identification services to inform design and construction across the N1-N4 packages. This included survey and lidar, various specific locations for bore installation, monitoring and decommissioning, and for Public Utility Plant (PUP) locations, structured into five separable portions.

Ancillary Agreement 4

The scope focused on field trials and laboratory testing to validate pile and embankment design, construction methods, and materials performance for future works. The location covered ~150.0km pile test BR27, ~151.0km trial embankment, Ch119-122 and Ch144-150 borrow pits, and ~151.0km monitoring trial embankment, all structured into four separable portions.

Key Achievements:

  • JF Hull successfully collaborated with the Bigambul Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (BNTAC) and ARTC to develop an Indigenous Social Benefit Strategy for the Traditional Owners of the land as this section of the project traversed Bigambul land. One of the planned strategies was implemented as part of the early site investigations in which JF Hull facilitated a joint venture between Bigambul Nation’s Mob-bur-gul-la joint venture and Site Services Queensland (MSJV). Under the MSJV Traffic Management joint venture, Indigenous candidates were sourced for traineeships who then went on to provide the traffic control for the site investigations of this project.
  • The team created significant savings on the project through innovative solutions regarding the design work. This innovative approach related to designing the soft soil and reactive soil treatments such as tree lime, rip and recompact treatments, to utilise the existing material as opposed to removing and replacing it with imported material. This key achievement provided major sustainability benefits as it removed the need to move millions of tonnes of materials across various regions.
  • The JF Hull Environmental Team managed the self assessment and risk assessment process due to ARTC not yet receiving approval for their EIS and Performance Based Contract (PBC). JF Hull’s self and risk assessment had been developed to determine any impact on sensitive environmental receptors such as endangered species. JF Hull successfully undertook this process to gain approval from ARTC prior to commencement, and then provided the environmental support to the work itself.
  • JF Hull developed a value engineered optimal solution for 6km of bridges in the Condamine Floodplain to minimise cost, risk and skilled site labour requirements. A preliminary concept level design was conducted for each of the options, followed by estimating and comparing each option in order to select the appropriate result and provide the most cost effective solution.
  • During early work activities, it was decided to not undertake any works in areas where koalas were present or likely to be present due to strict legislation and the pending approval of the EIS. The team collaborated with ARTC to develop strategies to offset any impact during construction, adopting a strategy used during the Moreton Bay Rail Link (MBRL) project. Leveraging the experience of team members familiar with this approach, the BHQJV team worked with ARTC Inland Rail to improve clearing strategies for the revised EIS.
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Project Outcomes and Performance

Social

Exceeding Indigenous Business Participation Targets Through Traffic Management Initiative

JF Hull as part of BHQJV, successfully collaborated with BNTAC to implement a traffic management initiative. This initiative was developed as part of the early site investigations in which JF Hull facilitated a joint venture between Bigambul Nation’s Mob-bur-gul-la joint venture and Site Services Queensland (MSJV) providing traffic management services. Under the Traffic Management joint venture, Indigenous candidates were sourced for traffic management traineeships who then went on to provide the traffic control for the site investigation phase of this project.

MSJV successfully provided traffic management services to BHQJV between Toowoomba and Millmerran over a nine month period. This initiative was a success as it created job opportunities and work experience for local Indigenous youth, while also meeting the joint venture targets for Indigenous business participation, employment and training.

Engagement of Local Workforce and Businesses  

Prior to the termination of the NCWP contract, BHQJV envisioned working with a large workforce to complete and support the project, with an estimated 950 workers to be required at the peak of construction. In addition to this, local businesses and skilled operators were to be engaged including transport operators, fencing, quarries, earthworks and electrial companies.

Successful Customer Collaboration for the Environmental Impact Statement Resubmission

In January 2022, the Queensland Coordinator-General requested additional information on the draft EIS. BHQJV worked with the Inland Rail to inform the EIS resubmission, capturing all time and cost impacts of secondary approvals to inform the Package Offer. The Queensland Government then commenced public consultation on the revised draft EIS in May 2025.

Effective Strategy Adoption to Manage Impact on Koala Habitats

During early work activities, the project made a conscious decision not to undertake any works in areas where koalas were either present or likely to be present. At this point of the project, the EIS had not yet been approved and we were met with strict legislation regarding the impact upon koala habitats. Due to this, JF Hull worked closely with ARTC to develop strategies to help offset any impact during main works. ARTC adopted a strategy to manage koalas during the construction phase which had first been used by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) during the MBRL Project.

Using the experience of key members in our team who had knowledge of the MBRL approach, the BHQJV team were able to work with ARTC Inland Rail to provide improvements to clearing strategies that could in turn be written into the revised EIS. Key concerns included reducing the amount of clearing in koala habitats and minimising the volume of offsetting required, which would add additional expense and management to ARTC in the longer term.

Effective Collaboration and Consultation

Due to significant community concern and public scrutiny on the project as a result of the EIS phase, BHQJV worked extensively with the ARTC Engagement Team to understand the challenges presented on a linear project with varying degrees of community acceptance. Together, all parties jointly developed the Transition Plan for handing over certain responsibilities to BHQJV as and when contracts are signed.

Promptly Addressing Community Concerns

For the early works program, it was understood that the spreading of weeds throughout the region was an unacceptable risk to the local landowners who largely relied on the land for their income. JF Hull established very strict controls around the prevention of weeds in accordance with Biosecurity Act requirements. To combat this, BHQJV implemented a disciplined approach to the management of weed species which included ensuring that prior to entering any property, all plant and equipment was certified to be clean and free of weeds. This included washing down plant and machinery, and ensuring that all plant and machinery was inspected by trained and certified persons prior to the movement of any plant. Upon finishing works on any particular property, the project would implement mobile washdowns onsite to prevent spreading weeds and seed onto local highways and roads. The approach taken by BHQJV left a positive legacy with local landowners and the community, with many landowners commenting on how diligent JF Hull were with the approach to managing the spread of weeds between properties.

Successful Development of Management Controls to Combat Potential Outbreaks

BHQJV developed management controls to combat foot and mouth disease. This was following outbreaks (at the time) in Papua New Guinea, with a genuine fear amongst landowners that foot and mouth disease could reach into Australia and be devastating to their livelihoods. BHQJV and Inland Rail representatives met with local law enforcement officials and the community at forums to discuss the controls to be put in place, and these were developed into a management plan. Thankfully these were not required.

During this project, JF Hull team successfully developed a value engineered optimal solution for 6km of bridges in the Condamine Floodplain in order to minimise cost, risk and skilled site labour requirements. Various options were considered including different types of precast beams, foundation and peer designs. A preliminary concept level design was conducted for each, followed by estimating and comparing each option to select the appropriate result and provide the most cost effective solution.

The team also created significant savings on the project through innovative solutions regarding the design work. This innovative approach related to designing the soft soil and reactive soil treatments such as tree lime, rip and recompact treatments, to use the existing material as opposed to removing and replacing it with imported material. This key achievement provided major sustainability benefits as it removed the need to move millions of tonnes of materials across various regions.

“I have no hesitation in endorsing JF Hull as an organisation that supports and encourages Indigenous participation in industry and the economy and does so in a meaningful and sustainable way.”

Justin Saunders (Executive Director – Bigambul Native Title Aboriginal Corporation)