Ministers Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong have announced plans to call for tenders from the private sector to design, build and operate an intermodal terminal at Moorebank in Sydney’s south-west.
The site lies within close proximity of major connecting routes such as the M5 and M7 motorways and the southern Sydney rail freight line. Independent consulting firms KPMG and Greenhill Caliburn have deemed it the most appropriate location for an intermodal terminal.
Subject to planning and environmental approvals, the open-access terminal is expected to commence operation in 2017. In future years, it will be expanded to include an interstate freight terminal.
The project will include the construction of a rail link from Sydney’s busy Port Botany to the new freight terminal and warehousing facilities at Moorebank. The carriage of containers by rail between the two locations will result in far fewer heavy trucks on southern Sydney’s seriously congested roads.
In addition to helping Sydney commuters, the government claims the project will deliver significant dividends across the entire Australian economy including the creation of up to 1650 full time jobs during construction, while 1700 people will be employed in the Liverpool region once the project is completed. Government forecasts suggest the terminal will provide an injection of $135 million a year into the economy in south-western Sydney alone.
The tender process will be managed by a yet-to-be-established Government Business Enterprise which will include an experienced private sector board with a strong commercial focus. Private sector operators for the project will be selected via an open and competitive tender process.
To view the Ministers’ media release, visit http://tiny.cc/vpa9cw