Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, , 6:10:04 to 6:15:38
Senators review the $2.7 billion investment in the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) and programs aimed at shifting freight from road to rail to reduce emissions.
Topics: Infrastructure, Emissions reduction
Speakers: Senator Glenn Sterle, Mr. Jim Betts, Paula Stagg, Jessica Hall, Senator Ross Cadell, Interjection
>> All right. Thank you very much. I just want one quick one while we're on outcome one. Just a quick one. Uh, and I want to talk about the rail investment. The art rail investment just here, Mr. Mr. Betts, if I can. Um, 1.7 billion. Tell us about it, please. I think we don't brag enough about our investment in rail.
>> So, it's uh it's 2.7 billion.
>> 2.7. That's just doubled the better feeling I've got.
>> And it's come in two tranches. the first billion and then another $1.75 billion which you'll recall was taken in concert with the decision to consolidate the inland rail project. Not least in response to industry requests that we focus on maintaining the operational resilience and the competitiveness of our existing rail system before spending very large amounts of money on inland rail north of Naramine. Um and my understanding is the ARTC has scoped out pretty much that first billion dollars. It's a lot of um unglamorous but really important stuff around concrete sleepers on the marina Portland line for instance around culverts around rebalancing that kind of stuff just to make sure that we are much less vulnerable to severe weather events than we have been previously.
>> These once in a 100 year [clears throat] events keep coming around every second year.
>> Yeah, they do. and uh and that further $1.75 billion is an earlier stage of development, but the ARCC is working with industry and with us to identify um the priority investments maximizing for operational performance and resilience.
>> That's tremendous. And someone did touch on it earlier on just my last one quickly on the track funding. And I don't know if everyone picked that up, but I'm very well aware of the track funding. Could you tell the committee exactly what that's all about and why was it done please? Yeah, we touched on
it earlier on. I think it's $52 million or $55 million um which is a kind of first step down the path of um the federal government getting involved in identifying ways of saving um diesel consumption by shifting um uh traffic from road to rail and maritime where that makes sense. So the first half of that around $27 million has been um we've we're evaluating the proposals on that which is mainly focused on rail and the second tranch will come in due course. Um but that is um the government getting involved the first time in a long time in saying there are real benefits not least for the trucking sector in decongesting key parts of the network and getting uh mode share getting traffic onto rail and maritime where that kind of makes sense from a transport task point of view. reduces fuel consumption but can also reduce congestion as well. Um, so that is a a program that was funded in the budget and we're we're well advanced in it now.
>> Thanks Mr. BS. I tilt my hat to this program. This is a road guy too, so I'm ready for all the attacks. Okay, we need more freight on rail and this is the first positive step and I've been saying this for a long time. There's plenty of freight to go around for all of us. We all have our role to play. This is not a a subsidy for rail to take it away from road. We can't even keep up with it with 28,000 drivers short for crying out loud. I congratulate the government on
>> With the concrete sleepers and stuff, are we increasing axle weight or just resilience? >> Both. >> We are increasing our axle weights. On what lines?
>> Um uh Portland Marina is one. I think on the north south corridor is another. Um uh I don't know if we're doing it on the east west line
>> to 40 tons per 25 or what are we going
>> stra artc
I'm not allowed to ask questions cuz he races with my son so I can't do that
[laughter] >> you can just declare it it's all right it's not a problem thank you
>> thank you
>> look thank you very thanks Mr. the best and and it's not scripted. I just something that I wanted to share with the committee and I think the more they hear this the better and we got to keep continuing down this path. Thank you. We're done with outcome one, Senator McKenzie. All right. Okay. >> So, let's go now to outcome two, please. >> Is this a Tasmanian thing? Is there something I need to know today?
>> You're on the right side. That's all you need to know. >> Come, come this way. >> Yep.
>> Have a look at that. Or there.
>> Just the way it happens.
>> You look like you're in a mood, mate. [laughter] >> I don't blame you.
>> Yeah, you're still husky. >> Got a fresh though.
>> You're it, Mr. Beth. Now, we just Are you carrying the outcome too or No, they're coming. Come on. You lot bit >> This is reminds me of the Let's all go to the gate charge. Turn around and I'm
>> There's [laughter] a reason for that.
Okay, I welcome officers from outcome