Mahon puts case for supporting bulk rail line with flexible link
A dedicated truckway complementing a railway could fill the missing link between Inland Rail and Brisbane’s port, a Senate committee hears.
Stating that there is a shortfall in vision on how either end of Inland Rail is to work, Queensland Trucking Association (QTA) CEO Gary Mahon outlines a plan that, he argues, adds flexibility and recognises risk on relying on a single, very costly modal link that would likely be in place for many decades.
“Our concern, with the Brisbane end and the Melbourne end, is that there is not enough detail,” Mahon says.
“We don’t see the foresight. We would prefer to see some lateral thinking in terms of where they could take the opportunity to make sure they optimise the benefit.
“For example, you cannot rely just on Acacia Ridge to be the terminus end of Inland Rail. It’s highly contained as it currently is.
“To expand that capability in any way will, to coin a phrase, cost a fortune, because it’s such a constrained environment down there.”
The position is part of evidence to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee’s hearings into management of the Inland Rail project.
Read about the Port of Brisbane’s Inland Rail access report, here
Mahon argues for the need to set aside a greenfield site for a hub west of Brisbane, justified by Port of Brisbane projections of a tripling of volumes over 20 years.
He envisages that confirmation of the truckway as a “controlled corridor” would allow truckmakers to build specialist vehicles for the task that would be open to technological developments, including alternative fuels and autonomy.
It would handle containerised freight and reduce the need for expensive tunnelling, leaving other freight to be carried by rail.
Mahon views it as “a blend of investments that I think gives you a much higher prospect of being able to meet the demands of the future”.