A report that identifies the transport demand and strategic rationale for a North South heavy vehicle freight corridor between the Fleurieu, Murraylands and Barossa Valley and Mid North regions. Contents 1. Introduction 2. Executive Summary 3. Methodology 4. Relevant Studies/Support 4.1. Murray Mallee Local Government Transport Strategy 4.2. Central Local Government Region of SA – Regional Transport Strategy 4.3. Southern Hills Local Government Association – Regional Transport Strategy 4.4. South Australian Freight Council – Principles and Priorities 4.5. South Australia’s Draft Transport Plan 4.6. South Australia’s State Strategic Plan and State Infrastructure Plan 4.7. (SA) South Central Area Consultative Committee 4.8. Barossa Riverland Mid North Area Consultative Committee 5. Stakeholder Consultation 5.1. Transport Operators 5.2. Transport Users 5.3. Stakeholders 6. Strategic Rationale Regional North South Transport Corridor 6.1. Purpose 6.2. Regional significance 6.3. Economic benefits 6.4. Community benefit 6.5. Road owner benefit 6.6. Access benefits 6.7. Safety benefits 6.8. Environmental benefits 7. Review of MMLGA Multi Criteria Analysis 8. Draft Business Case 9. Footnotes Appendices A. Transport Operator Contact Database B. Transport User Contact Database C. Stakeholder Contact Database D. Transport Operator Survey Tool E. Stakeholder Survey Tool F. Transport User Survey Tool Charts Transport Operator Survey Chart 1: Current Business Description Page 29 Chart 2: Freight Type Page 30 Chart 3: Vehicle Type Page 31 Chart 4: Growth in Freight Page 32 Chart 5: Different vehicles in the future Page 33 Chart 6: Future vehicle styles Page 34 Chart 7: Increase in vehicle numbers Page 35 Chart 8: Route choice factors Page 36 Chart 9: Typical Bower Road comments Page 38 Chart 10: Future trends affecting transport routes Page 39 Chart 11: Road upgrades required Page 40 Transport User Survey Chart 12: Freight needs Page 44 Chart 13: Vehicle Type Page 45 Chart 14: Anticipated growth in freight Page 46 Chart 15: Different vehicles in the future Page 47 Chart 16: Future vehicle styles Page 48 Chart 17: Increase in vehicle numbers Page 49 Chart 18: Route choice factors Page 50 Chart 19: Bower Road comments Page 52 Chart 20: Road upgrades required Page 54 Stakeholder Survey Chart 21: Key road transport issues Page 57 Chart 22: Changes to road transport Page 58 Chart 23: New economic activity Page 59 Chart 24: Anticipated economic activity Page 60 Chart 25: Changes in land use Page 61 Chart 26: Preferred North South Route Page 62 Chart 27: Preferred East West Route Page 63 Chart 28: Bower Road support Page 64 Chart 29: Bower Road comments Page 65 Chart 30: Priority roads to upgrade Page 66 Tables Transport Operator Survey Table 1: North South Preferred Route Page 37 Table 2: East West Preferred Route Page 37 Table 3: Transport Operator Comments Page 41 Transport User Survey Table 4: North South Preferred Route Page 51 Table 5: East West Preferred Route Page 51 Table 6: Future Trends Comments Page 53 Table 7: Transport User Comments Page 55 Stakeholder Survey Table 8: Stakeholder Comments Page 67 Regional North South Transport Corridor FINAL Report February 2006 Introduction In December 2005, the Murraylands Regional Development Board (MRDB), as the lead agency of a consortia of stakeholders commissioned the preparation of the ‘Regional North South Transport Corridor Business Case’. The consortia members include: The Murraylands Regional Development Board representing: • Coorong DC • Karoonda East Murray DC • Mid Murray Council • Rural City of Murray Bridge • Southern Mallee DC The Murray Mallee Local Government Association representing: • Berri Barmera Council • Coorong DC • Karoonda East Murray DC • Loxton Waikerie DC • Mid Murray Council • Renmark Paringa Council • Rural City of Murray Bridge • Southern Mallee DC The Mid North Regional Development Board representing: • Clare & Gilbert Valleys Councils • Goyder Regional Council The Central Local Government Region of SA representing: • The Barossa Council • Barunga West DC • Clare & Gilbert Valleys Council • Copper Coast DC • Flinders Ranges Council • Goyder Regional Council • Light Regional Council • Mallala DC • Mount Remarkable DC • Northern Areas Council Page 5 Regional North South Transport Corridor FINAL Report February 2006 • Orroroo/Carrieton DC • Peterborough DC • Port Pirie Regional Council • Wakefield Regional Council • Yorke Peninsula DC Department of Transport and Urban Planning The Regional North South Transport Corridor Business Case is an assessment of the current and future demand for heavy vehicle freight transport between the Fleurieu, Murraylands and Barossa Valley and Mid North regions. The Regional North South Transport Corridor Business Case did not (generally) take into consideration the relative assessment processes of key funding partners and/or (generally) the prioritisation processes associated with road grants. This report acknowledges the significant work, resourcing and effort deployed by the trio of representative local government associations, namely the Murray Mallee, Central Region and Southern and Hills in the preparation of Regional Transport Strategies. This report does not attempt to duplicate these efforts as they are largely current and reflect existing and future conditions. This report does however, collate the evidence across the three plans, together with State Government input and stakeholder consultation about the proposed Regional North South Transport corridor. Together, the collation of these resources form the basis for the preparation of a draft Business Case that will provide the basis/model for the respective local government partners (notably the Rural City of Murray Bridge, Mid Murray Council, Regional Council of Goyder) in the preparation of funding applications to support the progression and implementation of the Regional North South corridor. The draft Business Case included in this application can be adapted to highlight the strategic impetus and transport demand for the proposed upgrades. However, engineering, technical and cost specifications are not included as they are considered the domain of the respective local government applicants and shall be adapted to suit the respective road/funding application. Page 6 Regional North South Transport Corridor FINAL Report February 2006 Page 7 Regional North South Transport Corridor FINAL Report February 2006 2. Executive Summary The Regional North South Transport corridor is a cross regional strategic transport route of national, state and regional significance that has been clearly identified by the project consortia as: Kangaroo Rd, Ferries McDonald Road, Schenscher Road, Pallamana – Wagenknecht Road, Mannum-Murray Bridge Road, Sedan, Cambrai, Bower Boundary Road. To date, Kangaroo Road, Ferries McDonald and Bower Boundary Road are not sealed, whereas, Schenscher, Pallamana-Wagenknecht Roads and the Mannum, Sedan, Cambrai route are sealed and generally in good condition. To this end, the purpose of the Regional North South Transport Corridor project was to identify the strategic impetus and transport demand for proposed upgrades to both Ferries McDonald Road and the Bower Boundary Road. Upgrading of the nominated roads will enable the establishment of a Regional North South Transport Corridor that will: • Create a transport route of regional and state strategic significance for not only South Australia, but also of national significance to support interstate freight access; • Support a diverse cross section of industry needs and service a broad catchment area; • Link three major state and national freight corridors, namely the South East Freeway, the Sturt Highway and the Morgan to Burra Road. The proposed Regional North South Transport Corridor has significant support and strategic merit and this is evidenced in this report by: • 80% of the transport operators that responded to the SA Metro (Heavy Vehicle) Bypass Survey identifying clearly that they would used the proposed corridor. • 62% of the transport users that responded to the SA Metro (Heavy Vehicle) Bypass Survey identifying clearly that they would use the proposed corridor. • 86% of the transport stakeholders that responded to the SA Metro (Heavy Vehicle) Bypass Survey identifying clearly that they support the development of the proposed corridor. Page 8 Regional North South Transport Corridor FINAL Report February 2006 • The South Australian Freight Council increasing the priority ranking of the proposed Regional North South Transport Corridor from a low priority to a high priority project in February 2006. • The Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics (BTRE) forecasting a doubling of the freight transport task over the 20 years to 2020. • The Murray Mallee Local Government Association ranking Ferries McDonald and Bower Boundary Roads as their number one and two project priorities within the current Murray Mallee Regional Transport Strategy. • The Central Local Government Region of SA has given in principle high priority support to the Bower Boundary Road (subject to industry confirmation and the evidence contained within this report) within the current Central Local Government Region of SA Transport Strategy. • The Southern Hills Local Government Association identifying Ferries McDonald Road as their first priority for Strategic Pool R2R2 funding in 2006. • Confirmed support by both the (SA) South Central Area Consultative Committee and the Barossa Mid North Area Consultative Committee that the proposed