The group Public Transport Not Traffic have put together a petition calling on Daniel Andrews to support Metropolitan Freight on Rail.$58 million dollars is all it would cost to upgrade the rail terminal at Swanson Dock. This money has been fully budgeted for and yet the project has stalled.
It’s a no brainer – this project would significantly increase port capacity while at the same time remove 3500 trucks a day off our roads, save 23,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year and considerably improve the health and safety of residents of the inner west.
Currently up to 72% of the trucks on our roads have a Port of Melbourne origin or destination. Forward projections show that container trade will treble in the next twenty years. The health effects this community currently suffers will become a crisis without significant investment in more sustainable and environmentally friendly ways of moving freight.
If the health of the inner west isn’t enough incentive, maybe the loss of Melbourne’s “number one container port” status will be, as container operators shift their business to Port Botany in Sydney due to their efficient freight on rail system.
Sign the petition here.