Report identifies projects with “national significance”

In the introduction to the proposals, Sir Rod Eddington, chairman of Infrastructure Australia, said, “In light of the continued – and unprecedented – global demand for infrastructure, these recommendations are essential if Australia’s infrastructure competitiveness is to be maintained.”

Moreover, the report outlines the bringing together the freight corridors and rail network planning under one heading, rather than evaluating them as separate and local priorities. Concepts for the future could include more standardised track and unified governance of Australia’s general freight railway and creation of a commercially-orientated high productivity road network to container ports.

Some projects are deemed to be just on the threshold of materialising, include the Oakajee Port in Western Australia, (needing a potential investment of A$4bn); the Darwin Port Expansion (investment of A$336m), the South West Rail Link in New South Wales which has a projected cost of A$2.4bn and the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal, also in NSW.

Other projects are noted as having “real potential” to address a nationally significant issue include the Abbot Point Multipurpose Harbour in Queensland, (costing A$2.9bn), the Bell Bay Intermodal Expansion Project in Tasmania, (costing A$150m), the Smart Port ICT in Victoria, (needing A$16m), the Melbourne International Freight Terminal also in Victoria, (investment of A$260m) plus the road freight access to Port Botany and Kingsford Smith Airport in New South Wales, (costing A$4bn).