Maldon-Dombarton railway enigma !

Decades ago work started on the Maldon-Dombarton railway intended to link Port Kembla with western Sydney. At that time, the main reason for the project was the movement of coal from the western coalfields to the newly constructed coal loader at Port Kembla.
The line with it's expensive viaducts crossing rivers was half completed when a change of state government introduced new priorities - and the project was abandoned.
From time to time pressure has mounted to resurrect the rail line but economic feasibility studies have shown that it is not viable based on the transport of coal.
But - times are changing. Port Kembla has been designated as the major port for car imports and much of the Sydney container terminal traffic will be redirected there in the near future.
Completion of the Maldon-Dombarton link would not only take many coal trucks off Wollongong roads, but would also eliminate a catastrophic increase in truck movement if car imports were cleared by road. It is undeniable that the existing Sydney/Wollongong rail line is at capacity and could not cope with such an expansion.
A decision has yet to be made as to whether Maldon-Dombarton will ever see trains running it's length, but at least a new feasibility study has been funded.
Unfortunately a new factor has arisen that brings two important matters into opposition - the need for transport infrastructure to service Port Kembla - and the need for the expansion of the regions coal mining industry.
Efficiency in coal mining relies on the use of long-wall equipment. Long-wall mining is faster than conventional methods, but it results in huge caverns when the coal has been removed.
These underground caverns greatly increase the area subject to mine subsidence - and therefore introduce restrictions of what can be built on the surface above.
In western areas of the Sydney basin housing is severely restricted in subsidence areas. Brick and tile structures are barred and only light timber/metal housing on a wide slab is possible.
Unfortunately, the mining industry plans to extend long-wall under the area over which the Maldon-Dombarton link will travel - and if that happens it will become technically impossible for the rail project to proceed.
The new line will carry extreme weight - and it will be impossible to safely run a rail line across viaducts and even flat terrain subject to unpredictable subsidence movement.
Commonsense dictates which of these two requirements should prevail. Coal is a villain in global warming and it's use will decline in the decades ahead, while imports and exports of manufactured goods and agricultural products will continue to expand.
Under this scenario - completion of the rail line should take precedence !