NORTH Link welcomes road and freight commitments for Melbourne’s North announced in last night’s Federal Budget.
They are:
- Melbourne Intermodal Terminal delivery — $4bn. Total federal funding: $2bn
- Melbourne Intermodal Terminal planning and development — Total federal funding: $61.8m. Total project cost: $123.6m
- Outer Metropolitan Ring Road/E6 detailed business case — Total federal funding: $10m. Total project cost: $20m
- Hume Freeway-O’Hern’s Road interchange upgrade — Additional federal funding: $24.2m. Total federal funding: $27.8m. Total project cost: $52m
All commitments have appeared as required infrastructure for Melbourne’s North in NORTH Link’s Northern Horizons infrastructure advocacy documents since 2014 and the Beveridge Intermodal Freight Terminal and the Outer Metropolitan Ring Road/E6 have also appeared in the North and West Melbourne City Deal document and will be important to the Inland Rail project between Melbourne and Brisbane and the region’s freight and manufacturing economy.
“These commitments are important as Melbourne’s North’s population and economy continues to grow,” said NORTH Link Executive Director Chris James.
“The population of Melbourne’s north will increase to 1.5 million by 2031, close to Adelaide. The Beveridge Intermodal Freight Terminal will be one of the major jobs and investment generators for Melbourne’s north unlocking badly needed jobs for Melbourne’s outer north with an estimated 20,000 jobs available to a growing population that needs local jobs,” he said.
“We call on the Commonwealth and State Governments to work together to make this vital project happen.”
“The Beveridge Intermodal Freight Terminal will be one of the major jobs and investment generators for Melbourne’s north unlocking badly needed jobs for Melbourne’s outer North with an estimated 20,000 jobs available to a growing population that needs local jobs”, says Mr James.
“We call on the Commonwealth and State Governments to work together to make this vital project happen”, says Mr James.