GlobeLink infrastructure project, including Monarto freight airport viability questioned in leaked report
A LEAKED confidential report has outlined a raft of concerns about the Liberals’ flagship infrastructure project GlobeLink, which includes a 24-hour export airport at Monarto.
LEAKED early analysis of the Liberals flagship infrastructure project GlobeLink says it could double freight costs, increase travelling time and threaten the viability of Adelaide airport.
GlobeLink, the multibillion-dollar plan including a 24-hour export airport at Monarto, with heavy road and rail freight rerouted out of suburban Adelaide, has been spruiked as a generational upgrade of SA’s freight export infrastructure.
However, a leaked preliminary report, commissioned by the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure last year and obtained by The Advertiser, has raised a raft of concerns about the project.
Details of the report – labelled by Infrastructure Minster Stephan Knoll as an attempt at a political stitch up by the former government – come as the State Government last month put out a $1.8 million tender for a full master plan and business case for GlobeLink.
The report GlobeLink freight infrastructure preliminary analysis, started by Juturna Consulting in September last year and completed in January, says the project would face considerable financial risk.
The report outlines a raft of concerns including:
A 24-HOUR freight airport near Murray Bridge could threaten the viability of Adelaide airport where freight leaves in the belly of international and national passenger flights;
THE BYPASS, that could cost $825 million and is 100 kilometres longer than the current direct route from Murray Bridge to Port Adelaide, will not be used by truck operators;
JOURNEYS on the bypass for freight operators would require 28,000 more working days annually to complete the same freight task within legal working hours;
AN INTERMODAL site and bypass near Murray Bridge could erode much of the advantages of the Port of Adelaide.
“The envisioned new road bypass would likely be in the order of 100km longer than the current freight route and presents major time penalties to the task,” the report said.
“The heavy vehicle operational cost increases, additional working hours and corresponding productivity impacts of this increase on the trucking, shipping, airfreight and intermodal freight task are considerable.
“Together, they are likely to ensure that rational freight operators and customers of such services would not choose to use the GlobeLink highway bypass.”
Mr Knoll said: “The fact of the matter is that this report is not a business case for GlobeLink.
“This inadequate report appears to be a poor attempt at a political stitch up by the former Labor administration to discredit the GlobeLink proposal.
“There are a number of low level or dated reports floating around that purport to address the viability of various freight bypasses but none actually examine the GlobeLink proposal as a whole or in any great detail.
The project that would be constructed in the Federal seat of Mayo has been embraced by Liberal candidate Georgina Downer and Centre Alliance MP Rebekha Sharkie.
However, GlobeLink has been heavily criticised by SA Freight Council executive officer Evan Knapp and the former Jay Weatherill-led state government.
Mr Knoll said GlobeLink will be a generational upgrade to South Australia’s freight export infrastructure that will help grow our economy, exports and support more jobs.