THE Labor Government has announced its intentions to almost double spending on upgrades to the region’s freight railway network following the completion of a business plan.
After initially continuing with the previous government’s $220 million commitment to the first stage of works on the Murray Basin Rail Project, Daniel Andrews has put forward a business case to fund the entire project, at a cost of $416 million.
The project will see freight lines from Geelong to Mildura, Manangatang, Sea Lake and Murrayville upgraded to standard freight, potentially improving freight connections to the state’s major ports and to southern New South Wales and South Australia.
However, instead of looking to provide all of the extra $196 million itself, Mr Andrews has appealed to the Federal Government to pitch in an undisclosed amount for the project.
The commitment was nevertheless welcomed by local agricultural exporters, including GrainCorp, which says it will complement its current investment to modernise loading facilities all across the region through its Project Regeneration.
“The [rail] project will deliver significant benefits to the grain industry and broader Victorian economy by improving rail productivity,” said Angus Trigg, GrainCorp’s director of government and media relations.
“In particular, the inclusion of the Murrayville line will allow us to invest in improvements at our Murrayville site and its upgrade to primary export status.
“We expect a 150 percent increase in rail utilisation from this line alone, reducing heavy vehicle movements by around 3000 return-journeys in an average year.”
Swan Hill Rural City Council director of infrastructure David Leahy said the announcement was “a shot in the arm the area needed” and was testament to successive State Governments’ show of confidence in the region.
For more on this story, grab a copy of Wednesday’s Guardian (August 19).
