NSW Ports, ALC say new facility will increase freight supply chain efficiencies across NSW
The construction of the new Moorebank import-export (IMEX) freight terminal began during a special event at the Logistics Park today.
The event was attended by industry members and government representatives, including federal transport and infrastructure minister Darren Chester, finance minister Mathias Cormann, Moorebank Intermodal Company chair Kerry Schott, Qube Holdings chairman Chris Corrigan, Australian Logistics Council (ALC) MD Michael Kilgariff, and NSW Ports representatives.
The project will be developed by federal government enterprise Moorebank Intermodal Company and the Sydney Intermodal Terminal Alliance (SIMTA), a wholly-owned Qube Holdings subsidiary.
Both NSW Ports and ALC say, once operational, the Moorebank facility will increase freight supply chain efficiencies across Sydney and the rest of the state.
Corrigan says the facility will “transform” freight and logistics supply chain along Australia’s east coast.
“The site has a direct rail link to Port Botany and the interstate freight network which, along with its proximity to major motorways, makes it ideal for an intermodal facility,” Corrigan says.
The intermodal terminal was identified as a priority project by Infrastructure Australia last year.
Kilgariff says the project will unlock freight gains for Sydney and economic benefits for Australia.
“The Moorebank facility will unleash these benefits for Port Botany, and for Sydney’s heavily-congested M5 corridor,” Kilgariff says.
“It will also help achieve the NSW Government’s objective of boosting rail freight to and from Port Botany from its current 18 per cent to around 30 per cent, as well as NSW Ports’ target to move 3 million TEU by rail by 2045.”
Both ALC and NSW Ports agree that building intermodal facilities is a key step towards securing Australia’s freight future.
NSW Ports states the development of intermodal facilities in the Sydney metropolitan area is “essential for cost-effective, efficient and sustainable container distribution throughout Sydney”.
“Intermodal terminals such as Moorebank and Enfield are critical to the logistics chain and essential if we are to increase the volume of containers moved by rail,” NSW Ports CEO Marika Calfas says.
Kilgariff says developing similar intermodal facilities in other states will be an important element of the federal government’s National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy.
“ALC has long argued that building a reliable, national network of intermodal facilities is central to boosting rail’s contribution the national freight task, which the National Transport Commission estimates will grow by 26 per cent over the next decade alone,” Kilgariff says.
“It’s thus encouraging to witness other intermodal developments in NSW, including Aurizon’s operations at NSW Ports’ Enfield Intermodal Logistics Centre, and Pacific National’s significant upgrade to its facility at Chullora.”