Australia's former Energy Security Board chair has been chosen to scrutinise the controversial 1,700km Inland Rail project. 

The Federal Government has picked Dr Kerry Schott to lead the independent review of the $14.5 billion railway plan connecting Melbourne to Brisbane.

More than $2 billion has been spent on the project already, but serious questions have been asked about its planning. 

Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King says Dr Schott, who has also been the managing director and chief executive of Sydney Water, is a “highly respected and trusted leader” with experience in both government and business.

“She will conduct a thorough and independent review of Inland Rail and make recommendations to ensure this nationally significant project is successfully delivered,” Ms King said.

“The review will give the government a clear-eyed view on what the problems are and the way forward.”

Labor promised review of the Inland Rail project in the leadup to the last election in response to years of complaints from farmers and residents along the proposed route.

Dr Schott will review the planning, governance, and delivery of the project, which is managed by the government-owned Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC).

She will also consider the process for route selection to see if the design “has considered both impacts and broader economic benefit”. 

The government has also released the final report of an independent international expert panel reviewing ARTC flood studies done on the Queensland section of the Inland Rail.

The report says there has been a “substantial amount of work undertaken by ARTC to identify existing flooding characteristics and to assess and mitigate potential impacts”. But recommended adding recent flood data into modelling and reassessing “the impacts of any waterway crossings” and ensuring “appropriate mitigation measures” are identified. The ARTC has committed to the recommendations.