Western Australia Transport Minister Rita Saffioti has invited industry and the public to have their say on the draft South West Supply Chain Strategy that will prioritise future road, rail, air and port infrastructure requirements for the South West region.
The WA Department of Transport is seeking feedback on the draft South West Supply Chain (SWSC) Strategy.
The SWSC Strategy will identify future road, rail, air and port infrastructure requirements in the South West region for the next 10-15 years, focusing on key freight supply chains in the region servicing alumina/bauxite, lithium, caustic soda, timber, grain, agribusiness, mineral sands, copper concentrate and container freight.
The recommendations and initiatives in the draft SWSC Strategy are the result of research, supply chain mapping and stakeholder consultation and are based on current network constraints and anticipated future freight volumes generated in the South-West region.
Western Australia Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said the South-West region plays an integral role in the State’s economy handling large volumes of bulk exports associated with mining, agriculture and forestry.
“In the last few months we have been reminded just how crucial freight supply chains are in ensuring we all have the food and supplies needed for our day-to-day lives,” she said.
“The infrastructure improvements detailed in the SWSC Strategy aim to facilitate improved freight productivity and safety, and will help position the South West supply chains for growth into the future, supporting local jobs and businesses.”
The release of the draft South West Supply Chain Strategy also coincides with the finalisation of another important regional freight strategy – the Revitalising Agricultural Region Freight (RARF) Strategy – which was also released on Monday 29 June.
The RARF strategy provides a framework and consolidated project packages that prioritise future investment in road, rail, intermodal and port infrastructure projects for the next 10 to 15 years in the key agricultural regions of the Mid-West, Wheatbelt, Great Southern and Goldfields-Esperance.
The proposed 20 priority project packages are specifically aimed at addressing challenges relating to the need to improve rail infrastructure, establish intermodal terminals, undertake targeted road network investment, increase heavy vehicle access and improve regulatory efficiency.
Don Punch, Bunbury MLA said this strategic planning will support the long term economic growth of the South West region, encourage investment and ensure there is a steady growth in the jobs available to the community.
“Comprehensive planning for future transport and supply chain needs is vital if we are to maintain our competitive advantages for new and existing industry in the South-West region,” he said.
“We know we need to attract new industries, like advanced manufacturing, to our region to create economic and employment opportunities and the only way we can achieve that is to ensure the infrastructure needed by industry to succeed is readily available.”
The feedback Survey closes Friday 21 August at 5.00 pm.