HANSARD EXTRACT
| Private
Members' Business: Freight Rail Network |
| 14 August 2006 |
Mr HAYES
(Werriwa) (5.04 p.m.)—I
thank the member for
Cowper for bringing on this motion, because it gives me an
opportunity to speak on something I am very passionate about, as it
relates to my electorate in the south-west of
Sydney. As a member representing an outer metropolitan seat,
transport infrastructure debates, particularly those contemplating
the future of the east coast corridor, are of interest to me.
Debates on the transport future of the east coast are not simply
considered from the perspective of passenger transport. The future
of freight transport, given that Minto and other areas in my
electorate are designated as freight hubs, is of particular
significance.
South-west Sydney—and particularly areas like
Ingleburn, Prestons and Minto, as I just mentioned—is a significant
contributor to Australia’s manufacturing industry. Nearly 50,000
people are employed in the manufacturing sector in the south-west of
Sydney, so the sector has considerable economic significance for us
and for the nation. In addition, the electorate of Werriwa ranks
10th in the country in terms of business involvement in the
transport and storage industries.
The synergies and efficiencies between better
integration of the manufacturing sector in the region and the means
by which products get to its customers are key to the future
prosperity of south-west
Sydney. Naturally, it follows that the social, economic and
environmental future of south-west Sydney cannot be considered in
isolation from the consideration of the infrastructure needs of the
region. The region is growing rapidly, and this growth needs to be
enhanced and accommodated by the appropriate level of
infrastructure. Local companies are good enough to compete on the
world stage, and many already do this. This should be supported and
encouraged wherever possible. The best means to support and
encourage such development is through the provision of efficient and
effective transport links.
I was pleased to hear my colleague the member
for
Cunningham raise the issue of the Maldon-Dombarton rail
link. This piece of infrastructure is an important one for the
future of the
Macarthur region, given the upgrade of port facilities at Port
Kembla and the consideration being given to the development of a
number of freight hubs in the south-west of Sydney. The decision of
the New South Wales government to introduce a three-ports strategy,
which includes considerable expansion of Port Kembla, offers the
south-west of Sydney a unique opportunity.
However, given the cost of developing the
Maldon-Dombarton rail link, which I understand will run into many
hundreds of millions of dollars, the significance of that should be
considered for what it is. It is a nationally significant piece of
infrastructure and should be funded accordingly. Given the
significant costs of modern infrastructure projects such as these
initiatives, which obviously will have an impact on us, there is a
role for state government; but the federal government cannot avoid
meeting its responsibilities to provide the necessary financial
support to develop those much needed pieces of infrastructure.
The motion before the House today also supports
the continued development of the intermodal rail links. There is no
doubt that intermodal hubs—one of which is in my electorate and is
owned by the Macarthur Intermodal Shipping Terminal, which is
located in Minto—are an important element of Australian transport’s
future, particularly in and around
Sydney, given the cost of land near port facilities. The Macarthur
Intermodal Shipping Terminal is a significant business and I welcome
the contribution it has made in reducing the number of trucking
movements in and about local streets and also, for that matter, on
the Hume Highway, because those pieces of road infrastructure are
very much critical commuter corridors.
The rising cost of transport fuels, which we
heard some discussion about earlier today—and which we will
obviously hear plenty more about in due course—will drive a lot of
the attention to efficient lines of transportation for businesses.
Quite frankly, this should not be lost on people when we are moving
to improve our domestic consumption of raw materials— (Time
expired)
Interjection
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Hon.
IR Causley)—Order!
The time allotted for private members’ business has expired. The
debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 41. The
debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an
order of the day for the next sitting.
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