Scathing critique of Victorian freight policy delivered by Shadow freight minister
“I’m here to lay bare the facts, and they are both frustrating and deeply disappointing… the system is failing.”
That was the hard and uncompromising opening by Ms Roma Britnell, Victoria’s Shadow Minister for Ports and Freight, and the Legislative Assembly member for South-West Coast.
She was addressing guests at the recent Shipping Australia (Victoria State Committee) Luncheon.
Port Shuttle Network doesn’t network
Noting that the Napthine Coalition Government committed AUD$20 million with the Federal Government’s $38 million back in 2014 to build the Port Shuttle Network, Ms Britnell considered progress on what she described as a “visionary project”. The network connects the Port of Melbourne to inland intermodal hubs.
The idea is to use short haul trains on the existing rail network to move boxes by train to the intermodal terminals. That would ease pressure on Melbourne’s streets, and creating a greener, faster, and more reliable freight pathway to / from the Port of Melbourne.
So, now, more than ten years later, Ms Britnell asked: “how is it reasonable that the project is not complete?”
The report card:
- The terminal at Altona is complete but there are no freight trains using it
- The terminal at Somerton isn’t yet built; and
- The terminal in Dandenong South isn’t planned
Shipping Australia would argue that the implementation of a $58m infrastructure policy which results in terminals that are un-operational, un-built, and unplanned, is not the best example of good public policy.
Port rail transformation project is not transforming port rail freight
Ms Britnell then turned her attention to the Port Rail Transformation Project. This has delivered two new 600 metre real sidings at one of the stevedore terminals and a road at a cost of $125 million. The aim is to enable trains to carry 84 TEUs into the terminal.
“So, it’s very frustrating that there is no freight moving on it yet,” Ms Britnell said.
That’s a sentiment with which Shipping Australia can strongly agree given that there were up-front charges imposed on the transport sector to fund infrastructure that did not exist and, even now, still cannot be used.
It is now, and has long-been, Shipping Australia’s viewpoint that charges for infrastructure should only be levied when the infrastructure is actually built and when the ability to use it is a service that is actually being offered.
Freight rail, freight fail, freight in freefall
Despite the costs and delays, we still don’t have viable operations and, to make matters worse, the volume of freight by rail has dropped.
“Let me remind you of the numbers. In 2014, under the Coalition, about 14% of port freight moved by rail. That figure has now dropped to 6%,” Ms Britnell said.
It is Shipping Australia’s view that forcing industry to pay large amounts of money up-front, to fund infrastructure that doesn’t exist, in return for services that are not offered, and which results in the exact opposite of the goal sought, is not good public policy.
“It appears to me that serious leadership from the government is needed to put someone in charge who understands how both the rail network and the port interface in practice, to lead the co-ordination of the industry parties towards a common goal,” Ms Britnell asserted.
Victorian Freight Plan neglects “nuts and bolts” of freight
Ms Britnell criticised elements of the updated Victorian Freight Plan 2025-2030, which was launched recently. Noting that she was looking forward to seeing a plan to improve efficiencies by adopting revolutionary technology – as is seen in other cities around the world – she described the plan as falling short in delivering a practical strategy.
She noted that elements of the plan “do not address the immediate and pressing logistical inefficiencies that plague freight operators daily, and ignores the digital technological opportunities. The plan lacks concrete measures to streamline intermodal connectivity, reduce bottlenecks at key freight corridors, or modernise outdated infrastructure that continues to slow down freight movement”.
There are few details of timelines, prioritisation, or co-ordination of proposed investments in road, rail, and port infrastructure, she noted.
“The plan is more aspirational than actionable,” she said, adding that the plan “offers no substantial strategy to address workforce development or incentivise innovation in logistics management… it neglects the nuts and bolts of what makes freight efficient,” she said.
Regional rail freight movements: delusion or wishful thinking?
Ms Britnell turned her attention to freight travelling to / from the regions. Noting that the Port of Melbourne is extensively connect by rail to its hinterlands, she observed that intermodal trains carry over 180,000 TEU to the port for export.
Yet, there’s a catch.
“This accounts for only 6% of total port TEU. Yes, you heard me – 6%!” she exclaimed.
And almost no full import containers are moved by rail from the port.
“The Minister for Ports and Freight [recently] boasted that $470 million had been spent on the rail freight network in maintenance since 2020 and that this was “making it even easier for operators to choose rail over road. I’m not sure if this is self-delusion or wishful thinking”.
Webb Dock? Won’t dock
She noted that the government has long promised that Melbourne’s Webb Dock would have dedicated rail access and that Infrastructure Australia has listed Webb Dock as a priority project. “But, despite this, the Labor Government has neither prioritised nor funded it”.
Bay West? Bay won’t
On a similar theme, she noted that the Bay West has been talked as a major freight and port development opportunity. “But where is it now? We’ve heard nothing. No business case. No environmental plan. No public engagement. It’s yet another example of a grand idea left to rot in a bottom drawer, while real exporters, real transport operators, and real Victorians pay the price through delays, inefficiency, and rising freight costs”.
WIFT? Won’t
Then there’s the Western Intermodal Freight Terminal. Ms Britnell quoted a former Minister for Transport Infrastructure, one Jacinta Allen (who is now the Victorian Premier), as saying that the precinct was a desperately needed terminal.
“Her words. Not mine. And now? Deafening silence”.
And that’s despite $400m being spent on land compensation and $12 million on planning work.
“Where has that gone?” Ms Britnell asked, adding, “this ‘desperately needed’ project has been shelved, despite clear growth in the west of Melbourne, despite the economic development that depends on it, and despite the pressure mounting daily on residential areas”.
Envisioning a better future: cutting red tape and freeing trade
Ms Britnell turned to the future, envisioning her actions should the Coalition win the upcoming State election.
“I will be ready to serve as Victoria’s Minister for Ports and Freight – and I won’t waste a moment. Our freight industry is at the heart of our economy, and it deserves leadership that understands how to get things moving. I’ve run a business. I know firsthand how innovation and technology can transform industries, drive efficiency, and deliver real results.
“Solutions for freight must be industry-driven. That’s not just a slogan – it’s a commitment. I will rely on you all – the people who live and breathe logistics every day to guide our policy. We’ll work collaboratively, not from behind a desk in Spring Street, but side by side with shipping operators, logistic specialists and supply chain experts”, she asserted.
“We will cut through the red tape… fix the bottlenecks, improve intermodal connectivity, and ensure our ports are equipped to handle the demands of a growing economy,” she told guests.
