Key issues for Adelaide-Perth transport corridor open for comment

Five key strategic issues have been raised in a draft strategy for the Adelaide-Perth transport corridor. The federal and Western Australian governments issued the draft yesterday (Monday, August 14) for public comment. With interstate freight movements along the corridor expected to grow at up to 3.5% a year, doubling over the next 20-25 years, the issues which transport officials say governments have to address are: &#8226 Safety, especially along more remote sections &#8226 Ageing infrastructure &#8226 The amenity of towns through which trucks and trains pass &#8226 The age, condition and productivity of the rail system and &#8226 The need for long-term planning of road and rail issues in growth areas between Northam and Perth in WA, and Adelaide and Port Augusta in South Australia. Rail was expected to continue as the dominant mode for long-distance freight and bulk transport, federal transport minister Warren Truss said in issueing the draft strategy with WA minister for planning and infrastructure Alannah MacTiernan. Mr Truss said: "This draft strategy is one of 24 interstate corridor strategies that will provide a more strategic framework for the Australian and state governments to co-operatively plan and identify projects for funding beyond 2009, as well as progressing shared objectives of better integrating land use and transport planning.&#8221 Once governments have agreed on the issues, traffic demands and profiling of the transport task specific projects and funding needs can be identified. A project team of officials from the Federal Department of Transport and Regional Services, the WA Department of Planning and Infrastructure, Main Roads WA and the SA Department of Transport, Energy and Infrastructure prepared the strategy. The draft strategy can be viewed at http:&#47&#47www.auslink.gov.au&#47whatis&#47network&#47corridors&#47draft_corridors.aspx until September 7.

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