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https://theconversation.com/after-dumping-inland-rail-australia-has-no-plan-to-stop-relying-on-diesel-trucks-for-freight-282276>
"Every day, hundreds of trucks barrel along highways from Melbourne to
Brisbane. Some B-triple trucks stretch to 36 metres or more, more than seven
times the length of an average car.
Australia relies on those largely diesel-fuelled trucks for the vast majority
of our intercity freight.
More trucks are on the way. Infrastructure Australia predicts “large increases
in road freight are expected for Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth” –
especially in Melbourne, home to Australia’s busiest cargo port.
As the recent global oil shock has shown, Australia’s reliance on road freight
leaves the nation vulnerable to global oil supply problems.
Yet the federal government has just dumped the northern half of the Inland Rail
project, connecting Parkes in central New South Wales to near Brisbane.
The axing came after the cost of the whole 1,600 kilometre project was forecast
to exceed A$45 billion – more than four times the original budget.
But with Inland Rail not proceeding to Queensland, what does the future of rail
freight on Australia’s east coast look like? And does this risk leaving the
nation dependent on road freight for decades more?"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
