GSEM calls for greater rail freight investment

Greater South East Melbourne has called for greater investment in rail freight in the GSEM region.

In a submission to the Victorian Freight Plan Update, GSEM calls for the government to consider the needs of the region for decades to come, way beyond the usual five-year horizon.

“Since the existing Victorian Freight Plan was released in 2018, freight volumes in the southeast have increased substantially. This is attributable to growth in demand for both manufacturing and warehousing,” the submission says.

With the region’s population projected to grow from 1.5 million to 2 million by 2036, the GSEM submission said freight and logistics needs an integrated approach so that road and rail freight work together seamlessly.

The submission also calls for the government to deliver the promised intermodal freight terminal in Melbourne’s southeast, which would take thousands of truck movements off already congested roads.

“It is critical for local industry that the capacity of this key infrastructure keeps pace with increasing population into the future, and that it remains able to service growing need from local industry for an efficient, safe and sustainable freight and logistics system.”

The submission calls for an updated Victorian Freight Plan to consider practical upgrades to local freight networks to increase efficiency and improve access to markets for the diverse range of industries in the region, from manufacturing, to agriculture, to warehousing.

“The Victorian Government has a role to play in ensuring that future truck fleets servicing the southeast capitalise on technological advancements which have the potential to improve efficiency of movement, improve road safety outcomes, and reduce emissions,” the submission said.

“Melbourne’s southeast has a central role to play in the provision of land for new industrial developments.

“The development of land in Officer South and neighbouring areas provides a significant opportunity, with the potential to facilitate 140,000 jobs and increase economic output by more than $58 billion,” the submission said.

“To ensure the success of Officer South, the Victorian Freight Plan update must support the planning of vital transport routes that are required to support its development. Specially, this must include a commitment to commence planning for the staged extension of Thompsons Road between Berwick-Cranbourne Road, Clyde North and Koo Wee Rup Road, Pakenham,” the submission said.