ALC urges Federal Government to ensure infrastructure planning needed for second Sydney airport at Badgery’s Creek places equal importance on movement of freight and people
The Federal Government must ensure the infrastructure planning needed for the second Sydney airport at Badgery’s Creek includes support for a multi-modal hub that places equal importance on the movement of freight and people, according to the Australian Logistics Council (ALC).
Managing Director Michael Kilgariff says the freight logistics industry strongly welcomes today’s confirmation by the Prime Minister that an airport will be built at Badgery’s Creek.
“However, the future planning for the site should include identifying and preserving the land and corridors for the road and rail links needed to support the development of a regional multi-modal freight hub to cater for the growth in the NSW freight task, especially in western Sydney,” he adds.
“ALC’s strong support for a regional multi-modal freight hub is underscored by figures which show that, over the next 20 years, Western Sydney’s population will grow from 2 million to 3 million people, effectively making it Australia’s fourth-largest city.
“The Government’s ‘roads first, airport second’ approach is appropriate, and one which will have spin-off benefits for both the freight logistics industry and the broader western Sydney community.
“The old adage ‘if you build it, they will come’ will not eventuate if there are not the appropriate linkages to transport freight efficiently and in a cost-effective way.”
Kilgariff says all parts of the supply chain – including road, rail, port and aviation intermodal infrastructure – need to be developed in an integrated way to ensure maximum efficiencies are achieved.
“ALC encourages governments to recognise the economic benefits that will come from ensuring there are appropriate links with key freight lines, including for example the Southern Sydney Rail Line, which will be needed in the long term to maximise the efficient movement of freight through Sydney and across the state,” he says.
“While acknowledging the Prime Minister’s confirmation that urban passenger rail is a state responsibility, ALC looks forward to both levels of government providing appropriate levels of financial support for freight rail, which is a shared responsibility.
“We would also encourage governments to ensure planning for the airport takes into account the benefits that can be achieved by creating road links that can cater for high-productivity vehicles which can carry more freight safely and more efficiently than conventional heavy vehicles.
“The best time to achieve these outcomes is early in the planning process, before critical freight corridors are lost to incompatible land uses, such as urban or commercial development.”
Kilgariff says the planning and development of a freight hub at Badgery’s Creek should also consider how it would fit with other major freight facilities in Sydney, including freight facilities at Eastern Creek, the Intermodal Logistics Centre at Enfield, Chullora and Moorebank Intermodal Terminals.
“ALC looks forward to Badgery’s Creek being developed in a complementary way with Sydney’s existing and developing intermodal terminals and in a way that progress the national freight effort,” he says