Opinion: Brisbane needs a rail link to the port to cut truck traffic

We need to act quickly to build a dedicated freight rail link connecting the southside to the Port of Brisbane before the city gets swamped in traffic, writes The Editor.

TO have a 1700km railway line that will unlock jobs and exports effectively stop just 40km short of a port is plainly ridiculous.

The Inland Rail is a great project – a massive, transformative rail line being built connecting Melbourne and Brisbane.

It will open up a huge swath of Queensland to fast and efficiently shift the exports the world is hungry and willing to pay for.

But instead of offering a seamless route from producer to port, red tape brings it to a grinding halt on the outskirts of Brisbane for want of a dedicated freight link across the city.

At Acacia Ridge, double-stacked trains will be unloaded, to take their chances on rail lines already full with passenger services, or on road transport, unleashing a “tsunami of trucks” on the southeast’s choked roads.

The numbers are stark.

Brisbane needs a rail link from Acacia Ridge to the port.

According to a 115-page Deloitte report, commissioned by the port, just 2.5 per cent of container freight in Brisbane is moved by rail. That compares to about 20 per cent in Sydney and Melbourne. So frustrating has it become, that western Queensland containerised exporters have given up completely on rail. Those from the central and north are beset with hours of delay and uncertainty trying to get through Brisbane to the port.

A dedicated rail freight route to the port has been discussed, modelled, analysed, scrutinised and, ultimately, delayed for a generation.

One recent study recommended a tunnel branching off the current interstate rail line south of Acacia Ridge to the Gateway Motorway and then an above and below ground track shadowing the motorway before veering off to the port. Another study is currently being conducted by the Australian Rail Track Corporation and the Department of Transport and Main Roads.

The minimum action needed right now is for a route to be chosen so the corridor can be preserved.

The project won’t be cheap, but dithering and losing potential routes won’t make it any more affordable. Queensland abuts the fastest growing middle classes in the world, with surging demand from China and India for Queensland’s produce and other exports. We cannot afford another rail fail.

The fires at Stanthorpe.

Spirit forged in flame shines through ashes

OUR parched state erupted into terrifying flames in recent days week, wreaking havoc on communities already hard-hit by drought.

Homes were destroyed, families were forced to flee, hard-won improvements to land and livestock disappeared into the smoke and flames.

Thankfully, so far, no lives have been lost.

The dire and desperate warnings of firefighters have this week come true.

Our endless summer has begun, in spring.

The state faces a frightening fire season. But through cyclone, flood and flame, Queenslanders have shown they are at their best when Mother Nature turns on her worst. Volunteers have reached out to help those in need. Homes are being offered to those who have lost their own.

For weeks, our firefighters – full-time and volunteer – have been doing what they can to set up fire breaks, back burn and build a buffer between the fuel load and homes, lives and livestock.

As communities throw their arms around families who have lost everything, it is also a time for others to prepare for the summer ahead. Clear yards, clean gutters, work out a fire plan – even in tree-shrouded suburbs. Get ready and be prepared before the flames arrive at your back fence