The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) has praised the Infrastructure Priority List released by Infrastructure Australia (IA) last week. The list confirms an ongoing need for investment in freight infrastructure projects that will enhance supply chain efficiency and safety, ensuring Australia remains internationally competitive.
“As an industry leader, ALC has always been among IA’s most enthusiastic supporters, because we have long believed that the best way to ensure effective infrastructure investment is for an independent umpire to make evidence-based assessments of projects, which can then be used by governments to inform decision-making,” said ALC Managing Director, Michael Kilgariff.
“The release of the 2018 Infrastructure Priority List comes at a crucial moment, as the Commonwealth continues to develop the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy – an initiative which is again included as a high priority initiative on this year’s list,” continued Michael.
The key freight initiatives identified in the list are:
- the Sydney Gateway connecting WestConnex to Port Botany & Sydney Airport;
- the Port Botany Freight Rail Duplication to boost port efficiency;
- the Chullora Junction upgrade to enhance Sydney’s freight rail network;
- Preserving the corridor for the Western Sydney Airport fuel pipeline;
- Preserving the corridor for Western Sydney Freight Line and Intermodal Terminal access;
- Improving connection between Melbourne’s Eastern Freeway and CityLink;
- Inland Rail and a dedicated freight rail connection to the Port of Brisbane; and
- Implementation of the Advanced Train Management System on the ARTC network.