Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg opened the public purse for supply chain infrastructure in the national budget earlier this week.
Freight project funding in Victoria includes:
- $3.1 billion in new commitments to deliver the $3.6 billion Melbourne Intermodal Terminal Package (VIC), including:
- $1.2 billion for the Beveridge Interstate Freight Terminal in Beveridge, taking the total investment to $1.62 billion;
- $280 million for Road Connections, including Camerons Lane Interchange, to the Beveridge Interstate Freight Terminal;
- $740 million for the Western Interstate Freight Terminal in Truganina; and
- $920 million for the Outer Metropolitan Ring – South Rail connection to the Western Interstate Freight Terminal.
Freight project funding in Queensland includes:
- $7.7 million to construct new common-user infrastructure at the Port of Bundaberg as part of the Hinkler Regional Deal
Freight project funding in the Northern Territory includes:
- $1.5 billion to build new port infrastructure, such as a wharf, an offloading facility and dredging of the shipping channel
- $200 million to further develop the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct, delivering enabling infrastructure such as a rail spur and a new road network to strengthen supply chains.
- $440 million to build new logistics hubs at Alice Springs, Katherine and Tennant Creek to facilitate more export activity out of the Northern Territory
- $300 million to support low emissions LNG and clean hydrogen production at Darwin
Freight project funding in Western Australia includes:
- $178 million for the Pinjarra Heavy Haulage Deviation – Stages 1 and 2
- $285 million to deliver infrastructure upgrades at the Port of Dampier
- $280 million to construct additional infrastructure at Lumsden Point
Freight project funding in Tasmania includes:
- $14.4 for the Melba Line Bulk Minerals Rail Hub – the Melba Line runs from the middle of the west coast of Tasmania (the Melba Flats area) and terminates at Burnie on north coast of Tasmania.
- $24 million for the Bell Bay Line – Reconnection to the Bell Bay Wharf
- $96 million for the Tasmanian Freight Rail Revitalisation Program – Tranche 4
Freight project funding in New South Wales includes:
- $268.8 million to build the New England Highway Bypass to Muswellbrook “better connecting regional industries and helping them get their products to port”, the Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce, commented.$100.0 million to support pre-Final Investment Decision activities and early works to make the Port of Newcastle ‘hydrogen ready’.
In addition, there was funding for general road projects. Among the funding announced for the many road projects around the country, a sizeable investment of $880.0 million in additional funding through the “Roads of Strategic Importance initiative to improve road safety, enhance productivity and boost the resilience of our freight network,” said Mr Joyce.
He added that there would be an investment of “$385.4 million through the Northern Australia Roads Program Extension for upgrades to major freight corridors”.
A $400m upgrade for the Inland Freight Route – a 1,184 km north-south road route from Charters Towers in North Queensland (about 107 km south west of Townsville) to Mungindi (about 432 km to the west-southwest of Brisbane) on the Queensland / New South Wales border, was also announced.
