South east freight hub
What our community wants |
Funded: Take trucks off our roads by creating a rail freight hub to serve key industrial precincts in Melbourne's south-east |
Who can take action |
Australian Government, Victorian Government |
Category |
Transport |
Following significant advocacy work, the federal government has committed $28 million towards the development of a south east Melbourne Rail Freight Hub.
A new track connecting the main rail line with Dandenong South-based Salta Properties freight hub has been designed to reduce congestion in Melbourne’s growing south east region.
Melbourne’s South East is Victoria’s key manufacturing heartland and generates $40 billion annually – almost half of Melbourne’s manufacturing – and provides a vital 90,000 jobs. An investment in the launch a rail freight hub in the region, will help to ensure our local manufacturing industry can continue to thrive. Located largely in the Braeside area, Kingston's manufacturing sector contributes $6 billion annually to the Victorian economy.
Kingston Council joined with surrounding councils – through the SEM South East Melbourne group – to call for support from the Victorian and Australian governments to keep the local manufacturing hub a driving force nationally and in international markets.
The federal funding commitment will go a long way towards improving transport links between manufacturers and their customers. Almost 40 per cent of all shipping containers passing through the Port of Melbourne are coming from or to Melbourne’s South East.
It has long been clear that there was a need for innovative solutions to free-up freight transportation in the region, without negatively impacting on local residents.
Creating a South East Freight Hub (also known as the Dandenong South Inland Port) provides a direct rail link for freight services to and from the Port of Melbourne.
This will take trucks off our local roads while making major reductions in costs and time for the manufacturing industry.
A freight rail link and freight hub in Melbourne’s south-east will:
- take thousands of trucks off local roads and the Monash Freeway
- significantly lower costs for importers, exporters, consumers and businesses (road freight is 50% more expensive than rail freight)
- create 6100 local jobs in the south east when completed
- create 2800 jobs during construction
- ease congestion
- help air quality, cutting transport related emissions by an estimated 66 per cent per for each shipping container transported by rail
- provide competition to road freight operators.