VIC freight plan lacks 'sense of priority': VFLC

By Jennifer Perry

Roads and ports minister Tim Pallas said the government’s key planning and policy initiatives were providing the “key essentials” to delivering a more efficient and sustainable freight network for Victoria.

Key freight rail achievements of the year-old freight action plan included a $1.3bn investment by the Victorian and Federal Governments to developing Victoria’s rail freight network, $4m in rail upgrades as part of the Green Triangle Freight Action plan and development of a business case for a new rail terminal in Melbourne’s west to support interstate freight.

“We’re also currently talking to the industry on the Shaping Melbourne’s Freight Future Discussion Paper, which outlines our plan to establish a network of intermodal road and rail freight terminals and move non-essential freight activity away from inner Melbourne,” Pallas said.

The VFLC said the report card demonstrates the “ambitious nature” of the action plans and how much work is involved in each initiative to invest the network “settings” in which industry can invest and operate.

“A sense of determined effort being put in at government level was clear. Incremental progress on 24 initiatives is evident. Plans for the network, infrastructure, improvements and working through regulatory settings are located in a ‘spread’ of activities,” the VFLC said.

“What was not evident was a sense of priority in the short to medium term, or a ringing endorsement from industry that the ‘busy’ government program was sure to deliver effective outcomes. In fact, for some of the initiatives ... industry has expressed misgivings or bemusement.”

VFLC chair John Begley said it is “early days” and much of the work is within government getting the freight network agreed.

“Once that is completed, we need to be strategic and focused. It is a huge program at present and industry needs a clear sense of timing, so we can engage meaningfully,” Begley said.

"Victoria has a positive environment for the freight and logistics industry. Simply having these strategies puts us ahead of other jurisdictions. Now we must deliver effectively.”