Submission 55 Submission 55

SUBMISSION 55 SUBMISSION 55 Facilitating the growth of the Great South West will ensure an integrated freight transport network which is environmentally, iogistically and financially sustainable; and provide efficient linkages between key freight hubs. It is underpinned by key infrastructure projects, namely the Bromelton State Development Area, Summerland Way and the Cunningham This brief has been prepared to report to the Rail Link. Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Development of the Great South West will be Government on the development of the Great achieved through the coordination and input of South West region, a concept which will aid key stakeholders including Local, State and the integration of freight transport networks Federal Government, land holders, property within southern Queensland and northern New developers and key transport logistics South Wales. operators. The purpose of this submission is to inform the Parliamentary Committee on the opportunity of Australia relies on sea transport for 99 per the Great South West and how it will support cent of our exports. A substantial proportion of coastal shipping. our domestic freight also depends on coastal shipping. As identified in the Committee's report on the Inquiry into the Integration of Regional Rail and Road Networks and their Interface with Ports, the coastal shipping industry, like road The Great South West Growth Corridor (the and rail, is moving increasing amounts of Great South West) comprises a network of freight. However, it now ranks third in terms of transport infrastructure and key freight hubs market share of the domestic freight task, as that will facilitate the development of distributors have increasingly opted for the Queensland's south-west growth corridor and greater timeliness and reliability of road - and support the integration of the area with to a lesser extent - rail services. surrounding regions and the wider national framework. At present, sea freight represents only 9 per cent of the modal share along the North-South The Great South West represents a region Corridor between Melbourne and Brisbane. originating at Logan in the south east region of Forecasts for this route indicate that coastal Queensland and reaching to Warwick in the shipping will continue to lose freight to other west, Lismore in the east and Coffs Harbour in modes. Despite these predictions, the North- the south (Figure 1). It incorporates a number South Rail Corridor Study (Ernst and Young of Local Government Areas across southern on behalf of the Department of Transport and Queensland and northern New South Wales, Regional Services) acknowledged that the including Logan City Council, Scenic Rim expected freight increases in the region justify Regional Council, Southern Downs Regional some consideration of coastal shipping. Council, Tweed Shire Council, Lismore City Council, Tenterfieid Shire Council, Clarence It is important to also recognise that major Valley Shire Council, Kyogle Shire Council, multi modal transport nodes with integrated Richmond Valley Shire Council and Coffs transport linkages to Australia's productive Harbour City Council, regions and direct links (road and rail) to Australia's ports will play an important role in SUBMISSION 55 supporting and enhancing the iong term Tre Developments Warwick viability of coastal shipping. Industrial Historically, Acacia Ridge has provided the multi modal facilities supporting the Port of Tre Developments Warwick Industrial is Brisbane however Acacia Ridge Multi-Modal among a number of developers with significant Node will reach capacity in 8 years. land holdings within the Great South West region, particularly Warwick and Greater It is therefore increasingly recognised that Flagstone (see Figure 1, Map Reference 1 and Bromelton (to be declared a State 2). The proposed developments for these Development Area by the Queensland areas require the fluid and timely transfer of Government) will play an emerging role in goods to and from key locations within south- accommodating the future growth in the east Queensland and northern New South distribution and transfer of freight for south Wales including the Port of Brisbane and east Queensland. Bromelton. Transport and logistics infrastructure is essential for the effective and Located on the Brisbane to Sydney Rail Line, efficient delivery of such developments. As Bromelton will provide direct rail linkages into such, Tre Developments Warwick Industrial the Port of Brisbane. Furthermore with the and their counterparts hold a vested interest in upgrading of the Summerland Way, Bromelton seeing the growth and integration of Great affords easy road transport access to northern South West occur promptly and proficiently. New South Wales, thereby connecting these rural productive regions and affording direct access through Bromeiton to the Port of Brisbane. Queensland Police - Warwick An emerging issue is the role and requirement With 25% of the traffic flow through Warwick of the inland rail and the need for a direct rail represented by heavy vehicles (1,500 heavy connection between Melbourne and Brisbane. vehicles per day) and 74 road accidents so far The Great South West provides the this year within the area, Warwick police see opportunity to establish this missing link along benefits in the development of proposed the Cunningham Transport Corridor which infrastructure within the Great South West. would provide direct rail access between the These include: inland rail and the Port of Brisbane. o Heavy vehicles would be consolidated into Additionally the establishment of the one area, making it easier to monitor and Cunningham Transport Corridor would also control; assist and facilitate the movement of grains from Southern Queensland productive rural o The development of a railway link would regions. result in less long distance haulage, in turn contributing to iess driver fatigue within the Consequently, the development of the Great trucking industry; South West will facilitate the promotion of coastal shipping along the eastern seaboard o Heavy vehicles would be diverted from through more efficient and integrated freight major roads and given a designated route; networks. o The transport industry would be have greater centralisation; and o Traffic congestion on Brisbane roads would be improved and less heavy vehicles would be on the roads during peak hours. The following provides a brief appraisal of organisations that are supporting the establishment of the Great South West and recognise its role in sustaining and enhancing coastal shipping. SUBMISSION 55 Wickham Freight Lines Condamine Fabricators Servicing several large clients, specifically Big Responsible for the manufacture of trailers, W whose distribution centre is located in chassis, mine equipment and other stainless Warwick (see Figure 1, Map Reference 1), steel products, Condamine Fabricators (see Wickham Freight Lines provides a freight Figure 1, Map Reference 5) require the import connection between the Darling Downs of of steel to create their products and in turn South East Queensland and the Northern export many of their products via coastal Rivers and Central Coast areas of New South shipping to locations within Australia and the Wales. At present, the most direct route for the Pacific Region including New Zealand and organisation is via Killarney border to New Guinea. As a result, they require direct Summerland Way road from Kiliarney to access to the Port of Brisbane in order to Kyogie via Woodenbong. facilitate the movement of goods to and from the port. Accordingly, Condamine Fabricators Repairs relating to surface, grade and are calling for the upgrade and installation of direction of the Summerland Way are required transport infrastructure including the upgrade for Wickham Freight Lines to continue using of Summerland Way and the development of this route. If repairs aren't carried out to the the Cunningham Rail Link. road shortly, Wickham Freight Lines will be forced to take an alternate route, via the New England, Bruxner and Gwydir Highways. This would result in significant longer trips and Northern Cooperative Meat financial losses for the company. Additional kilometres travelled incurred by taking an Company alternate route are estimated to be 282,957 The Northern Cooperative Meat Company's kilometres per annum. This represents a high meat processing operations represent a number of truck movements and results in significant portion of the wider industry associated social and environmental costs as operations with the company's Casino (see well as economic costs to the business which Figure 1, Map Reference 4) plant being the are calculated to be $3,290,963.25 per annum. third largest bovine processing facility on a The business is estimated to contribute around single site in Australia, in addition to bovine $4,000,000 to the local economy per annum. and porcine processing, the operations also include a hide tannery. Around 900 staff are employed at the plant. BigW Sourcing approximately 40% of its supplies from the Darling Downs area of Queensland, Warwick (see Figure 1, Map Reference 1) the most direct road link for the NCMC through provides the centre of operations for Big W this area is via the Mt. Lindesay Highway and and services approximately 80 stores from Summerland Way through Warwick, Killarney, Sydney to Cairns. The distribution centre Legume, Woodenbong, Kyogie and on to receives between 1200 and 1500 pallets of Casino.

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