The NSW Government has endorsed a sweeping freight reform blueprint that could add $131.5 billion to the state economy and create 235,000 new jobs by 2061.
The new plan is underpinned by a technically detailed roadmap designed to reshape planning, infrastructure, and regulation across the freight sector.
The Delivering Freight Policy Reform in NSW report, led by Dr Kerry Schott AO and her panel, presents more than 70 specific actions spanning road, rail, ports, and intermodal infrastructure, many of which address longstanding inefficiencies, modal imbalances, and regulatory inconsistencies.
Key technical proposals include a formal review of the NSW rail access undertaking by 2026 to support competitive freight rail paths and pricing parity with road networks.
Currently, passenger prioritisation on the Sydney Trains network severely limits freight capacity. The report calls for better coordination between the three separate rail systems in NSW (Sydney Trains, ARTC, UGL Regional Linx) and investment in projects like the Western Sydney Freight Line and a new intermodal terminal at Mamre Road, Erskine Park.
To increase rail’s share of containerised freight – currently just 14 per cent at Port Botany – the report recommends operational improvements including extending train lengths, optimising on-dock rail interfaces, and increasing use of terminals like Moorebank and Enfield.
Constraints such as 600-metre siding limits at Port Botany and complex split-shunting requirements are flagged as key barriers to rail efficiency.
On roads, reforms include advancing distance-based charging models to replace declining fuel excise revenue, and establishing more consistent heavy vehicle access policies across jurisdictions. Local governments, which maintain over 90 per cent of the road network, will be supported through targeted grants and emergency repair funding.
Port strategy reforms clarify that Port Botany will remain the state’s core container hub, while supporting diversification at Port Kembla and Newcastle – particularly in response to declining coal volumes.
Recommendation 18 of the Willett Review, proposing NSW Ports administer Port Botany Landside Improvement Strategy elements, was rejected, with an independent facilitator to be appointed instead.
The report also highlights critical gaps in industrial land supply for freight use and recommends preserving future freight corridors, particularly in growth areas like Western Sydney.
It also supports decarbonisation measures, noting that a shift from road to rail offers the most immediate emissions reduction.
Pending further review is the potential for increasing night-time freight movements to better utilise off-peak capacity on roads and rail, a move supported in principle but requiring additional analysis.
Transport for NSW says it will begin immediate implementation of the roadmap.
