News

Inland Rail funding could be spent on shipping, says MUA

The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has stated that it feels that some of the money earmarked for the $8.4 billion Melbourne-to-Brisbane Inland Rail project could be better spent on investment in Australia’s coastal shipping sector.
MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin said that while the MUA agrees Australia should be trying to get trucks off the roads, the sea offers the best alternative.
“Port infrastructure already exists in Australia and coastal shipping leaves the lowest carbon footprint when it comes to moving goods around our coast,” Crumlin said.
“This package from the Government looks a lot like pork-barrelling by the Coalition to protect their inland seats through regional Victoria, NSW and Queensland as they desperately try to stave off the threat from One Nation and other parties.”
“A strong domestic shipping fleet makes absolute sense from a national security, fuel security, and environmental standpoint,” Crumlin added.

Leave a Reply

Send this to a friend