The tendered Moorebank Intermodal Rail Freight Terminal project has generated strong interest
July 13, 2012
A strong turnout at market briefings shows appetite for
the recently tendered Moorebank Intermodal Rail Freight Terminal [IMT] project, according to the Moorebank Project Office.
About 37 major companies from freight, logistics, construction and project finance sectors have taken part in the market briefings coordinated by the Government’s Lead Adviser, KPMG, with the briefing program to be completed this month.
A Moorebank Project Office spokesperson says company representatives attending the briefings came not only from Australia but from abroad, with strong interest from the Asia-Pacific region.
“The market briefings have shown there is strong appetite from both domestic and offshore companies that see the Moorebank IMT as a major opportunity,” the spokesperson says.
“It is clear that the market has identified the IMT, to open in 2017, as one of the largest and most significant infrastructure projects to proceed in Sydney in the next five years.
The spokesperson says a business case prepared for the government found the IMT would generate $10 billion in economic benefits, boosting productivity, slashing business costs and taking 1.2 million truck trips off Sydney’s roads each year.
The recent briefings follow the government announcement in April that it would proceed with the Moorebank IMT as a private-sector project through a competitive tender process.
“The feedback received [at briefings] was that the private sector welcomes the project as an absolute necessity for Sydney and supports the Government’s decision to enable an open-access IMT designed, built and operated by the private sector through a competitive tender process,” the spokesperson says.
“Industry also provided feedback that the project is well-timed in terms of the major project pipeline for Sydney over the next few years.
“The IMT will be a game changer for Sydney, moving freight from road to rail and alleviating urban congestion while delivering major productivity gains that will have national benefits.”
Funding to enable the project to proceed was committed in the Federal Budget in May.
The Government proposes to let tenders for the design, construction and operation of the IMT and will begin procurement in mid-2013, following establishment of a Government Business Enterprise in January 2013 to manage the process.