Inquiry must be held into Moorebank Intermodal, say Greens

'Council fights huge freight terminal plan', SMH today

“The failure of successive federal government’s to construct an
alternative airport for Sydney has lead to a long term decline in the quality of life for residents living around Sydney Airport as demand for air-services increases, and the effect of building a massive new freight terminal at Moorebank may well be the same”, said Greens MP and transport spokesperson Lee Rhiannon.

“The Federal Government’s determinations to build a centralised
intermodal freight hub at Moorebank near Liverpool would see an almost unbroken line of trucks from Port Botany to Moorebank along the already congested M5.

“By concentrating all containerised freight imports through Port
Botany in addition to the proposed massive expansion of the M5 to Port Botany will mean that the stated aim of the government to transport 40% of freight by rail will be nothing more than a pipe dream.

“It seems that the simple availability of surplus Defence Department land at Moorebank has been the key determinant in the location of a freight terminal. This is not good enough.

“The Federal and State Government’s must hold a public inquiry into the freight needs of Sydney and NSW, with a key commitment to maximise the amount of freight carried by rail and that the burden of traffic, noise and pollution must be shared around a number of sites.

“A sensible start to sharing the burden would be to have
containerised freight unloaded not just at Port Botany, but also at Newcastle and Port Kembla.

“An expanded and upgraded freight rail network that improves links between Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, including the completion of the Maldon to Dombarton freight rail link from the Illawarra to south western Sydney, must be a priority.

“The Greens are concerned that as with the debate around the
construction of the third runway for Sydney Airport, the Labor and Liberal Parties at different levels of Government adopt postures that seek to deflect the political heat from them at State and local levels.

“While Liverpool City Council has opposed the Moorebank Terminal, I think many residents of Liverpool may be cynical about the real position of Liberal aligned and Labor Councillors.

“Sadly the major parties have continued to dump nasty developments in safe electorates.

“The question of whether the major parties will ever change is moot, but the real issue is that this bad planning decision must be overturned and a serious public process to address Sydney’s long term freight needs commenced urgently,” said Ms Rhiannon.

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