The Australian Government-owned National Intermodal Corporation (National Intermodal) has completed the acquisition of a 1100-hectare site at Beveridge in Melbourne’s northern growth corridor.
The move follows the release of the Inland Rail Review in April this year, which endorsed the Beveridge site as the southern end-point of Inland Rail and one of two new planned intermodal terminal precincts for Melbourne, with the other to be in Truganina, west of the city.
Beveridge is strategically located, and when developed, the site will have the ability to offer the efficiency of double-stacked container services for 1800m freight trains to Perth via Parkes, and to Brisbane on completion of Inland Rail.
The terminal will significantly enhance competition in the rail freight sector by ensuring independent, open access arrangements for all industry participants and offer the ability to provide freight services across Melbourne and through to Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth.
The large landholding at Beveridge has the advantage of incorporating a 500-hectare environmental buffer which can be protected and enhanced for the amenity of both future precinct occupiers and surrounding communities.
The planned intermodal precinct at Beveridge has the potential to be twice as large as the Moorebank Intermodal Precinct in Sydney, which is currently the largest modern integrated supply chain logistics precinct of its kind in Australia (delivery of which is being overseen by National Intermodal on behalf of the Australian Government).
National Intermodal will lead the precinct’s delivery and operation and is working closely with key stakeholders and as it progresses its concept design and planning pathway.
It is targeting having a preliminary terminal available to receive trains by 2025, with the fully integrated 500,000 TEU per annum terminal development operational in 2028/29.
National Intermodal will be seeking further market interest for both customers and co-investors building on the recent MOU entered into with Aurizon to become a foundation customer.
CEO James Baulderstone said the development of a modern intermodal precinct in Melbourne’s north would continue the revitalisation of the rail freight sector.
“This project, together with Inland Rail, will help transform our supply chain and importantly, lower costs for Australian businesses and families,” he said.
“We recognise that development of the intermodal precincts at Beveridge and Truganina will be genuinely transformational for Victoria and particularly the surrounding communities, providing significant employment opportunities during the construction and operational phases, as well as being key catalysts for other local infrastructure investment.
“Once completed, this world class logistics precinct will create thousands of high skilled supply chain jobs of the future. Our goal will be to ensure that residents of the Whittlesea and Mitchell Shire council areas will hold as many of these jobs as possible.
“We will be working across the Australian logistics industry to create training opportunities for locals in these areas to ensure they are skilled and ready when the precinct becomes operational.“
Baulderstone said modern intermodal precincts offered the potential to fundamentally change the emissions intensity of how freight was currently moved around metropolitan areas.
“Incorporating world leading renewable energy technologies, including the massive solar energy potential of large scale industrial warehouse rooftops, provides the opportunity to create a true net zero logistics hub,” he said.