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SAFC voices concerns over freight-only airport for SA

The South Australian Freight Council has shared serious concerns it has about the GlobeLink plan to build a freight-only airport at Murray Bridge/Monarto and a road/rail bypass to the north of Adelaide.
The Council also expressed disappointed that the freight industry was not consulted on the plan prior to Opposition Leader Steven Marshall making the announcement on Sunday.
“Airports are not sustainable purely on freight. The majority of air exports go in the belly of passenger aircraft – it is the combination of the two that makes such services viable,” SAFC Executive Officer Evan Knapp said following the announcement.
“The rail bypass touted by the Opposition has been studied numerous times and proved non-viable,” he added. “It could actually hurt our state by ensuring that Melbourne-Perth services bypass Adelaide completely and do not stop to pick up our freight.”
“We support further investigation of the road route, but we have doubts as to its viability as a toll route due to volumes, and heavy freight access will still be required on the South Eastern Freeway and Portrush Road to service the south and eastern suburbs,” he said.
Knapp said the Council recommended the “billions of dollars” that would need to be invested on GlobeLink would be far better spent on completing the North-South Corridor along South Road by 2025, committing to tackling SA’s significant road maintenance backlog, and/or addressing the condition of SA’s regional rail lines on the Eyre Peninsula and Murray Mallee.
“We are disappointed the freight industry was not consulted on this plan prior to its public announcement,” Knapp said. “We have serious concerns about GlobeLink and we would have flagged them if they had consulted us and other freight industry bodies.
“That said, we stand ready to assist in the community consultation promised by the Liberals.”

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