The Victorian government says it is working with industry to develop the next stage of the Victorian Freight Plan aimed at securing supply chains and pushing Victoria toward its 2045 net-zero emissions target.
Victorian ports and freight minister Melissa Horne met with more than 80 industry leaders recently to chart a path forward for the state’s $36 billion freight sector.
“Victoria is home to the busiest port in the nation, handling more than a third of the country’s container trade and contributing $6 billion to the state’s economy,” she says.
“Employing more than 260,000 Victorians the freight and logistics industry is a major economic enabler, particularly for the state’s agricultural sector.
“From our primary producers through to our stevedores, our freight and logistics workforce helps keep our economy moving and we are working with industry to ensure Victoria remains the freight capital of Australia.”
Since the launch of the Victorian Freight Plan in 2018, the sector has been impacted by the pandemic, global conflicts and disruptions, placing the importance of securing supply chains firmly in the spotlight.
Despite these challenges, government investments of more than $360 million into rail freight maintenance has allowed industry to place more of their goods on trains, helping to take trucks off our roads.
As a result of the infrastructure investment, heavier and longer trains are now being used.
Compared to the same period in 2022, this has led to a 95 per cent increase in grain volumes moved by rail in Victoria, between July and December 2023.
The government is encouraging its industry partners to look at their own businesses to find projects such as a recent move by Patrick Terminals at the Port of Melbourne to invest in 10 new hybrid straddles that will reduce its fuel consumption by up to 40 per cent.