by Cam Lucadou-Wells
More rail freight investment is needed to take trucks off congested roads in the South East, according to the Greater South East Melbourne advocacy group.
In a submission to the State Government’s Victorian Freight Plan Update, GSEM called for the delivery of the promised intermodal freight terminal in the South East.
This would put more freight on rail and take “thousands of truck movements” off the road, GSEM argued.
“The Victorian Freight Plan update should include a clear strategy to support moving greater volumes of freight off roads, and onto rail, in the South East.
“The Victorian Government has promised to deliver an intermodal freight terminal in the South East for the past decade, and this must be delivered.”
“Vital” transport routes were also needed to support a future industrial precinct in Officer South – with a potential creation of 140,000 jobs and more than $58 billion.
This included a staged extension of Thompsons Road between Berwick-Cranbourne Road, Clyde North and Koo-wee-rup Road, Pakenham.
Since 2018, freight volumes had increased substantially in the South East due to growth in warehousing and manufacturing, GSEM submitted.
The fast-growing region is home to two national employment and innovation clusters in Monash and Greater Dandenong.
“While the GSEM region is well positioned to continue achieving economic and local employment growth into the future, this outcome is not guaranteed.
“It is critical for local industry that the capacity of this key infrastructure keeps pace with increasing population into the future, and that it remains able to service growing need from local industry for an efficient, safe and sustainable freight and logistic system.”
GSEM also called for the Government to ensure trucks fleets adopted future technologies such as automated trucks and hydrogen fuel to improve efficiency of movement, improve road safety and reduce emissions.
And the group reiterated its call for a long-touted domestic and international airport in the South East.
The State Government was contacted for comment.
