The process to develop the much anticipated $2 billion Moorebank Intermodal Terminal has begun in earnest with confirmation that the Federal Government has issued an open invitation to local and international companies to register their interest in the project.
The plan for the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal
The proposed terminal, which is to be built on a 220 hectare site at an estimated cost of $2 billion, is expected to have a major impact on the efficiency levels of shipping and freight forwarding services in Sydney, by reducing traffic congestion and increasing capacity management capabilities.
It is to include an interstate freight terminal, warehousing facilities and a shuttle link to Port Botany capable of facilitating 1.2 million containers per year. It is also estimated that the terminal will remove some 1.2 million trucks from Sydney streets, and inject an estimated $135 million into the local West Sydney economy each year.
Both national and federal government representatives have stated that Moorebank has become essential to NSW State plans for infrastructural improvements. In August, the NSW Commission of Audit Final Report recommended the State Government give high priority to requirements emerging for Port Botany, Moorebank and the M5 expansion.
“It is clear that the transport precinct of Port Botany, Kingsford Smith Airport and the M5 must get priority attention. This is not simply a NSW issue; it is of great importance to Australia,” the report stated.
Pressure on road infrastructure in Sydney is expected to reach an all-time high in the coming years, with the annual container volume in Port Botany projected to grow to 7 million by 2030. As a consequence, the Moorebank terminal has already been earmarked to be expanded into an interstate terminal after 2029 – provided its construction goes ahead.
Despite concerns from local groups, the plan has been roundly praised. The CEO of the Australian Railway Association (ARA), Bryan Nye, has stated that the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal will address failures to utilise the full potential of rail in the supply chain.
“Well run intermodal terminals create advantages of scale that allow rail to demonstrate its substantial competitive advantages over other forms of freight transport,” he said in a statement.
The Moorebank Intermodal Company has set June 12 as the deadline for registrations of interest, and is expected to request expressions of interest in August this year with a preferred bidder selected in 2014. Construction has been penciled in to start in mid-2015 and to take 24 months.
