Infrastructure Victoria is calling for community feedback following the release of its draft 30 Year Infrastructure Strategy.
In the development of the draft plan, Infrastructure Victoria says it consulted the community on over 200 ideas across a number of different areas, including transport, health, energy and community development.
The draft strategy includes proposals to increase housing density in established areas to make better use of existing infrastructure, and boosting investment for social and affordable housing.
It also supports a range of state-wide transport upgrades across rail and road, boosting health services in growth areas and developing a 5-year plan for rebuilding Victoria’s schools.
The 30-year plan is a call to action: ALC
Infrastructure Victoria’s draft 30-year Infrastructure Plan highlights the growing need for supply chain investment and reform in Victoria, as well as the need for a National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy to drive national productivity.
“The 30-year Victorian Infrastructure Plan rightly points out that a strong economy needs efficient freight networks underpinned by modern, safe and properly regulated infrastructure,” said Michael Kilgariff, ALC managing director.
“ALC welcomes the plan’s practical proposals to achieve this, such as protecting freight precincts, improving Port of Melbourne rail access, expanding high productivity vehicles, road investment reform and progressing the Western Intermodal Freight Precinct.
“With the plan emphasising that the state’s freight task will hit 170 billion net tonne-kilometres per annum in 30 years, ALC encourages action on these proposals by the Victorian Government.
“In particular, ALC applauds Infrastructure Victoria’s support for a National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy, which has been previously identified by Infrastructure Australia as a priority action,” he said.
In the plan, Infrastructure Victoria states:
…We also recognise that freight does not stop at the state border and it is critical that Victoria maintains high-capacity links to markets across land, air and sea. Infrastructure Australia has recommended the development of a national freight and supply chain strategy and we agree this is needed. (Page 153: Draft 30-Year Infrastructure Plan).
“ALC’s support for this Strategy is spelt out in our 2016 election priorities document Getting the Supply Chain Right and video Now is the time to get the supply chain right as a fundamental step to driving greater efficiency and productivity across the sector,” he said.
Mr Kilgariff said with the cost of congestion on urban roads estimated to rise to more than $50 billion by 2031, and demand for many key urban road and rail corridors projected to exceed current capacity by 2031, the need for investment in landside infrastructure is clear.
“This investment must focus on linkages to the Port of Melbourne and incorporate all modes of transport, including short haul rail, which needs to play a greater role into the future as the port continues to move greater number of containers each year.
“ALC looks forward to engaging with Infrastructure Victoria and the State Government on the Plan’s proposals to ensure the state can meet its future freight challenges,” he concluded.
