Australia's New South Wales (NSW) government has singled out increasing rail freight as the key factor in its bid to reduce container traffic congestion at Port Botany.
NSW Premier Morris Iemma said the government would focus on increasing rail freight by as much as 20% as part of a $500 million port expansion project.
The port currently handles 1.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per year and government statistics expect container throughput at Botany to increase to 3 million TEUs per year in a decade's time.
According to Iemma, container traffic at the port has been increasing by around 7% each year, and there is an urgent need to ensure that they have adequate infrastructure to cope with future volumes.
“This is one of the major decisions to take, to keep the NSW economy moving forward, providing jobs and investment while getting more of the container traffic off the roads and onto rail,” he said.
The target is to move 40% of Port Botany's freight by rail, up from the current 20%, Iemma added.
NSW government officials have said that this upcoming expansion is crucial to ensuring Port Botany's role as a key Australian port alongside ports in Melbourne or Brisbane.
NSW Premier Morris Iemma said the government would focus on increasing rail freight by as much as 20% as part of a $500 million port expansion project.
The port currently handles 1.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per year and government statistics expect container throughput at Botany to increase to 3 million TEUs per year in a decade's time.
According to Iemma, container traffic at the port has been increasing by around 7% each year, and there is an urgent need to ensure that they have adequate infrastructure to cope with future volumes.
“This is one of the major decisions to take, to keep the NSW economy moving forward, providing jobs and investment while getting more of the container traffic off the roads and onto rail,” he said.
The target is to move 40% of Port Botany's freight by rail, up from the current 20%, Iemma added.
NSW government officials have said that this upcoming expansion is crucial to ensuring Port Botany's role as a key Australian port alongside ports in Melbourne or Brisbane.