WHY DO WE NEED IT?
PBPL has long advocated for dedicated freight rail connectivity to the Port of Brisbane, in the best interests of the community, our customers and the economy more broadly.
Currently, 98% of freight is trucked through the Port of Brisbane through roads in regional communities and city suburbs. In 2018, that equalled approximately 4 million truck movements, increasing to 13 million by 2050.
Freight that does come by rail shares the passenger rail network.
This isn’t sustainable long-term.
As our region grows, so too will the freight needed to service it. This means more congestion, road safety risks, pollution and noise, and more government money spent on road maintenance.
WHAT WILL IT DELIVER FOR OUR REGION?
PBPL recently commissioned Deloitte Access Economics to investigate the potential benefits of connecting Inland Rail - which stops at Acacia Ridge - to the Port of Brisbane.
The DAE paper found that if freight had a dedicated rail connection to the Port of Brisbane, and a 30% rail modal share could be achieved by 2035, the benefits would include:
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2.4 million less truck movements on regional roads per year
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Around $820 million in economic, social and environmental benefits annually
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An average of 1,200 new jobs annually to 2045
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$195 million in reduced congestion costs
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$155 million in reduced road maintenance costs
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$215 million in savings from reduced greenhouse gas emissions
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$210 million in increased international export value
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Savings of $130 per TEU (twenty-foot equivalent shipping container)
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A $5.4 billion increase to Gross Regional Product over the period to 2045
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Community and industry will both benefit. For the community it means thousands more jobs, safer roads, less congestion and less emissions.