The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) is pushing to preserve an alternative rail corridor, which directly link the Inland Rail route to the Port of Brisbane, which it says should be considered for the Inland Rail project.
ALC Managing Director Michael Kilgariff said preserving a dedicated corridor for an eventual alternate rail link to the Port of Brisbane is an important element of preserving nationally important freight corridors.
“ALC has consistently said that more effective long-term planning is essential to improving the efficiency of our supply chains. It is estimated that the existing rail link to the Port of Brisbane can meet demand for the next decade, however we must start to plan beyond that point now,” Mr Kilgariff said.
“It is very important that when we construct Inland Rail, key future freight corridors are protected and preserved, so that our freight infrastructure will be able to accommodate demand levels that will exist decades from now.
“We know the Port of Brisbane is a vital economic asset for Queensland, most particularly for agricultural and resource sector exports. Its importance will increase significantly in the years ahead, with international demand for Australian export products expected to rise.
“The best way to reap the full benefits from the substantial public investment now being made in Inland Rail is to undertake the work that will seamlessly link this project with the Port of Brisbane
“Freight corridor preservation isn’t something we can put off and worry about in a decade’s time. As experience has shown, delay simply makes building infrastructure a more costly proposition down the line.
“Undertaking the necessary corridor preservation now – and encouraging governments to work with private sector partners to build the link as soon as feasibly possible – will make the Inland Rail an even more valuable asset, and provide a further boost for exports and jobs growth in Queensland.”
