Statement: Government kick-starts rail freight negotiations

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2014/3/31/government-kickstarts-rail-freight-negotiations

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson
Monday, March 31, 2014

Government kick-starts rail freight negotiations

The Newman Government has kick-started negotiations with Australian and international train freight operators to deliver the next round of rail freight contracts.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said the future freight contracts, currently held by Aurizon, would be crucial to delivering the government's targets to get more freight onto rail over the next decade.

"The LNP has a clear plan to meet the growing freight task with volumes expected to increase from 871 million tonnes to 1741 million tonnes before 2026," Mr Emerson said.

"Following a recent Expression of Interest process we will now continue discussions for new contracts to be in place before 2016 to ensure we are planning for future growth and revitalising front-line services.

"Aurizon was originally awarded the contract by the previous Labor Government in 2010 following the separation of the freight division from Queensland Rail.

"The existing contracts currently support approximately 6 000 services per annum.

"By getting these contracts right we can sustain existing freight volumes on rail and promote rail growth in new areas for agricultural freight to markets."

Mr Emerson said he looked forward to the findings of the Parliamentary Committee currently looking at options to incentivise the agricultural and livestock industry to utilise rail.

"We are already delivering on the 38 items from our Moving Freight strategy to get more freight on to rail, including preserving train paths on regional rail lines for agricultural freight and undertaking a pre-feasibility study for a new rail freight terminal on the north side of Brisbane," he said.

"In addition to this we are spending $50 million on additional passing loops and $17 million to lower train tunnels enabling the agricultural industry to use larger containers through the Toowoomba Range and Lockyer Valley.

"We have also increased cattle services from Winton to Brisbane and Cloncurry to Brisbane."

The primary freight network is made up of 13,600km of road, 9,550km of rail line, 15 trading ports, three international airports as well as multiple domestic airports and freight terminals.

Moving Freight strategy is available at www.tmr.qld.gov.au/movingfreight

[ENDS] 31 March 2014

[Stillwater]

Any idea as to the possible locations for a 'rail freight terminal north of Brisbane' currently in the pre-feasibility stage?

[ozbob]

Not sure if started yet.  This http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/busind/Transport%20sectors/Freight/Moving%20Freight%20final/Section6SummaryofActions.pdf puts out yet a few years ...  they might be doing a pre-feasibility on the pre-feasibility...  could be sensitive the location.

[ozbob]

From a previous study, we have lots of studies, keeps everyone working along ..

SEQIFTS Study - Stage 2 Report (PDF, 66 KB)  2008
http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Projects/Name/S/~/media/Projects/S/South%20east%20queensland%20inter%20modal%20freight%20terminal%20study/Pdf_stage_2_report_seqifts_study.pdf

Potential sites within SEQ
Potential sites identified as meeting the requirements and considered in detail in this study were as
follows:
• Yatala
• Bromelton
• Ipswich/ Swanbank
• Ipswich/ Karabin
• Ipswich/ Ebenezer
• Acacia Ridge terminal (upgrade to existing)
• Brisbane Multimodal Terminal (upgrade to existing)
• Caboolture
• Nambour/Yandina
• Greenbank

[Stillwater]

Studies are always good.  You have studies to delay a decision.  Pollies like them too.

Reporter:  "When will you fix this transport mess."
Minister: "As you know a study is underway and it would be prudent for me not to make any decision until I have all the facts before me."
Reporter: "When will the study be completed?"
Minister: "I am not going to rush things.  I want a thorough investigation of matters first."
Reporter: "Will the study findings be made public?"
Minister: "The industry has said it will cooperate fully with this study... so it will cover commercial in confidence matters.  To the extent that I am able, I will issue a summary of the findings."
Reporter:  "When will that be."
Minister: "Well it will be down the track, once we get the report and then have time to study the findings."

[ozbob]

[#Metro]

Studies are a necessary part of reducing risk. They have to be done because the infrastructure is both expensive and often impossible to alter once constructed.

Being government funded means that projects have to wait. They are in competition with other spending areas like health, education and so on.

[Fares_Fair]

Any idea as to the possible locations for a 'rail freight terminal north of Brisbane' currently in the pre-feasibility stage?

Caboolture

[Stillwater]