<span class="" id="parent-fieldname-description"> The Federal Government has released its long-awaited final phase of its strategic study into a high-speed network (HSR) for Australiaâs east coast which shows HSR would have numerous benefits but would be extremely costly to construct. </span> <p>A HSR line connecting Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne would carry between 46 million and 111 million passengers each year, with a central forecast of 83.6 million passengers per year, according to the new report.</p><p>But with a projected cost of $114 billion (in today’s terms), the government is looking at a capital expenditure comparable to the much-discussed National Broadband Network, if the HSR is to go ahead.</p><p>The new 516-page paper, put together by seven consulting firms, reports on Phase 2 of the government’s study into HSR.</p><p>The report found that by 2065, HSR could attract 40% of intercity air travel, and 60% of regional air travel, on the east coast.</p><p>“On the  three main sectors, Sydney-Melbourne,  Sydney-Brisbane and Sydney-Canberra, HSR could attract more than 50% of the air travel market,” the report says.</p><p>Sydney-Melbourne, currently one of the southern hemisphere’s busiest air corridors, is expected to be the largest market for HSR, says the study, with about 19 million passenger trips per year forecast.</p><p>“This is considerably more than the next largest market,  Brisbane-Sydney, with nearly 11 million passenger trips per year, and almost four times as many as the Sydney-Canberra market, with about five million passenger trips per year,” the study states.</p><p>The study proposes a preferred network layout including four city centre stations, four city-peripheral stations (one in Brisbane, two in Sydney and one in Melbourne) and 12 regional stations.</p><p>Regional stops are proposed at the Gold Coast in Queensland Casino, Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Taree, Newcastle, Central Coast, Southern Highlands and Wagga Wagga in NSW Albury-Wodonga at the NSW/Victoria border, and Shepparton in Victoria.</p><p>In total, inter-city travellers are expected to make up 49% of total passenger trips, and 62% of passenger kilometres.</p><p>Long regional travellers (travelling more than 250km) are predicted to make up 36% of passenger trips and 35% of passenger kilometres.</p><p>Short regional travellers (less than 250km) would make up around 14% of total trips, and a small percentage of passenger kilometres.</p><p>Federal minister for infrastructure and transport, Anthony Albanese, reiterated his support for HSR when he released the report.</p><p>Comments made last month by the minister regarding noise concerns and cost restraints led many to doubt his confidence in HSR.</p><p>Greens deputy leader Adam Bandt at the time reminded the public that Australia and Antarctica are the only two continents without HSR, saying that “if we leave it up to Labor, the penguins are going to beat us to it.”</p><p>But last week Albanese did his best to ensure the public of his confidence in the plans.</p><p>“HSR would be a national transport game changer and, as I mentioned, I am on the record for a long time as being a supporter,” he said.</p><p>“But it won’t happen overnight.</p><p>“We need to ensure that it happens in an orderly way, that we get the planning right, we get the community engagement right.</p><p>“I am looking forward to participating in that national debate and having more to say on HSR in the months ahead.”</p><p>In an opinion piece last Friday, Albanese pushed the benefits of the network to regional Australia. The latest report concluded that the network would provide opportunity for – although not the automatic realisation of – regional development.</p><p>CEO of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia Brendan Lyon, a member of the government’s steering group for the HSR study, implored the government to push on with the development.</p><p>“This is the third time Australia has considered HSR over the past three decades,” Lyon said. “Each time, the high cost and competing priorities has seen HSR fall at the first hurdle.”</p><p>“This time, we need to see deliberate action from policymakers to ensure that the land is available for future development.</p><p>“Failure to act now could well serve to put HSR out of reach of future generations.”</p>
