The Victorian government has revealed it is planning to work with the transport industry to help secure supply chains, decarbonise freight and ensure Victoria remains the freight and logistics capital of Australia.
All of this has been combined on its updated Victorian Freight Plan, which offers more than 200 ideas for consideration to revamp the state’s $36 billion freight sector.
More than 150 ports and freight stakeholders, companies, regional and rural councils, advocacy groups and the public provided feedback on the plan, with key themes including maximising the capacity of existing freight networks, creating certainty for the industry’s transition to low-carbon operations and managing the impacts of freight movements on communities.
Victorian ports and freight minister Melissa Horne says there was “broad support” to maintain and grow Victoria’s freight advantage through continuing to invest in road and bridge infrastructure while funding intermodal networks.
“Victoria is home to the busiest port in the nation, handling more than a third of the country’s container trade and contributing $6 billion to the state’s economy,” Horne says.
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“From our primary producers through to our stevedores, our freight and logistics workforce helps keep our economy moving and we are working with industry to ensure Victoria remains the freight capital of Australia.
“We thank everyone, in particular the Industry Stakeholder Reference Group, for their contribution to this vital conversation about maintaining and growing Victoria’s freight advantage.”
The updated plan will include a set of key performance indicators to measure progress towards the priority areas identified through consultation before it’s presented to government in 2025.
Since the plan was first launched in 2018, the industry has been impacted by the COVID pandemic, global conflicts and disruptions that have put the importance of securing supply chains firmly in the spotlight.
With Victoria’s gross product predicted to increase by $30 billion over the next two to three decades, the state is now focusing on securing its supply chains and transport networks.
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