Freight

Press Release - National Land Freight Strategy, June 2011

National Land Freight Strategy - Submissions

Australia is a large land mass far from its international markets. The ability to efficiently and reliably move goods through supply chains, particularly to and from these markets, substantially determines our productivity and economic performance.

Between 2010 and 2030:

• truck traffic is predicted to increase by 50%
• rail freight is expected to jump 90%
• the number of containers crossing the nation's wharves will increase by 150%.

In addition, the volume of freight flown into and out of Australia has more than doubled over the last twenty years and is expected to increase by almost 110 per cent from 5.5 to 11.4 billion tonne kilometres by 2030.

The projected growth in Australian freight over the next few decades will place pressure on both infrastructure and communities. To date, most freight-related policy in Australia has been mode-specific. Each mode faces its own challenges, and infrastructure requirements. Access to and use of infrastructure by efficient freight vehicles is a priority not merely to immediately boost productivity, but to ensure that design of future infrastructure allows realisation of Australia's freight potential. Infrastructure Australia has already recommended a number of freight related projects including road links in the ACT and New South Wales; and supports significant investment in Australia's rail freight network.

A key to securing productivity gains is effective integration of freight policies with transport and land use planning. This involves development of long term plans which demonstrate to government, industry and the community how infrastructure capacity can be provided to efficiently underpin the freight task while ensuring that freight activities and networks are responsive to customer needs.

Infrastructure Australia has released a national land freight network strategy discussion paper to promote debate about infrastructure for freight in the future.

National land freight network strategy

A national land freight strategy would work towards:

• standardised track on general freight railways
• separate management of specific railways
• unified governance of general freight railway
• freight corridors to unlock productivity potential currently unknown
• commercially operated high productivity road networks within cities and to ports.

The draft national land freight strategy proposes the following actions:

One national, integrated system

• identify the existing and yet-to-be built roads, rail lines, intermodals, ports and airports which will link together to form a workable, truly national freight network.

As part of this process, consideration would be given to opening up more roads to bigger vehicles, establishing dedicated freight routes and separating passenger trains from freight trains.

Effective local planning

• protect the network's land corridors from urban encroachment and make sure they are not lost to other activities.

In the longer term, such preservation efforts will save money, ensure the timely delivery of new or upgraded infrastructure and maximise community amenity.

Long term, targeted funding

• ensure that any long term capital works program prioritises projects of greatest strategic important and draws on the financial resources of both the public and private sectors.

The draft strategy also highlights the benefits and cost-effectiveness of using new technology to get the most out of existing infrastructure.

Smarter regulations

• reform the way our $61 billion transport industry is regulated, with the ultimate goal of replacing the existing different state based arrangements with one set of nationwide laws.
  
  National regulators for maritime safety, rail safety and heavy vehicles are expected to be in place by the beginning of 2013.

More accountability

• implement improved data collection and establish benchmarks to monitor performance and make international comparisons.

The national land freight strategy discussion paper is available here [PDF: 1035 KB].

National Land Freight Strategy - Submissions