00:01We understand that the cost escalations that affected the project need to be balanced against
00:06other infrastructure priorities. However, we still strongly support the completion of the
00:11full bridge. It is vital to the future of freight and will be needed to meet demand over the next
00:17coming decades. So what difference would having a rail line running from Melbourne to Brisbane have
00:23made to the transporter freight? Well, this project was designed to allow
00:281,800 metre double stacked trains to travel from Melbourne to Brisbane in less than 24 hours,
00:34which would significantly increase the capacity of the national network and help meet the growing
00:39demand as our population grows across the East Coast. So it was essential to meeting future needs
00:44and a lot of that use of the line was going to be domestic. So things like groceries, bulk goods,
00:52household goods and like goods. So really things that we use in our everyday life.
00:58So that capacity is essential. We're committed to supporting delivery all the way through parks,
01:04but the remainder of the route is something that we shouldn't least focus on over the long term.
01:09The line will still go from Melbourne to parks or even one stop further to narrow mine.
01:15That would still mean that freight gets off the road between those two points, won't it?
01:21Yes, what that will do is in going to parks, it will allow freight to get from Melbourne to Perth
01:25via parks. So it will unlock some additional capacity across the national network and will be a
01:31great addition to the overall freight capacity that rail can provide. However, we do know that a lot of
01:38our growth in freight over the next few decades is going to be on the East Coast. And so it's
01:44important
01:44that if we don't proceed with the full route for inland rail all the way to Brisbane, that we look
01:49at
01:49how we can improve the ARTC network on the East Coast so that we can unlock further capacity and support
01:55that growth. So it's a question that the rail line would have allowed more freight to travel by rail,
02:02how much freight travels by rail right now?
02:05Well, look, on the East Coast, surprisingly little. At the moment, only 2% of freight between Melbourne
02:11and Sydney goes by rail. And between Sydney and Brisbane, it's just 3%. So this was really going
02:18to create a great mode shift opportunity to get more freight on rail, not just to meet the growing
02:24demand, but also to support safety on our roads, to help reduce emissions as we move towards net zero
02:30and create a more productive overall freight network. Do you have any hope that the line
02:36to Brisbane will be completed at some point?
02:39Well, we're very pleased to see that the government has committed to preserving the land for the rail
02:44corridors and the intermodal terminals. So that means when the time is right, the remainder of the
02:50project can be looked at. And we fully support that focus over the long term.
02:55So I'll see you later.
02:55Bye!
02:55Bye!
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