ENHANCING the Sydney Gateway project with heavy vehicle ramps and connecting Melbourne’s Webb Dock with the freight rail network are features of the Help Us Deliver report from the Australian Logistics Council.
Help us Deliver was announced during a function at Parliament House, Canberra, this week.
Key points were:
- Enhancing Sydney Gateway by including heavy vehicle access ramps for Australia’s largest empty container facility;
- Ensuring the Fishermans Bend redevelopment permits efficient access to the Port of Melbourne, including connecting Webb Dock to the freight rail network;
- Supporting building a dedicated freight rail link from Inland Rail to the Port of Brisbane;
- Undertaking a series of road upgrade projects that will enhance access to Fremantle Inner Harbour;
- Building Tasmania’s mineral export potential by supporting a new Bulk Mineral Export Terminal at the Port of Burnie;
- Improving the efficiency and reliability of freight rail by upgrading track between Tarcoola and Kalgoorlie; and
- Developing a key maritime and logistics precinct in Darwin by investing in the Darwin Ship Lift Facility and supporting upgrades to key water, sewerage, electrical and communication infrastructure for surrounding landholdings.
Help Us Deliver seeks to deal with supply chain bottlenecks through targeted infrastructure investments and help make certain the freight network “continues to operate efficiently and safely”.
“The dedicated professionals who make up our freight logistics industry work tirelessly to deliver about four billion tonnes of goods around Australia each year, which represents 163 tonnes of freight for every Australian,” said ALC chief executive Kirk Coningham.
“However, our growing population, rising levels of congestion and decades of inadequate planning for freight movement are making the task harder.”
Mr Coningham said the ALC had set out several opportunities to enhance existing infrastructure projects to make them more “freight-friendly”.
“We have also identified a number of new projects that we believe should be supported by the Federal Government in order to enhance the performance of key trade gateways, stimulating export and employment growth,” Mr Coningham said.
“Investment in freight infrastructure projects… will help deliver on the objectives of the recently-released National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy and deliver lasting benefits to Australian consumers, businesses and producers.”
