COMPLETING the North South Corridor, a new purpose built freight precinct at Adelaide Airport and harbor channel widening are key planks of a major freight blueprint document unveiled by the South Australian Freight Council.

The Council launched Moving Freight 2019 on 31 July, its plan for the state’s future transport and logistics infrastructure and its primary submission into Infrastructure SA’s 20-Year State Infrastructure Strategy.

It has called on Infrastructure SA and the state government to ensure that freight infrastructure is given prominence within the 20-year strategy.

“South Australia is facing many new challenges as it confronts a changing economic structure and climate and puts forward an ambitious growth agenda,” SAFC executive officer, Evan Knapp, said.

“An efficient infrastructure system for the transport and logistics sector will benefit all business through reduced cost structures and every household through reduced costs for consumer goods.”

Moving Freight 2019 highlights the key principles and policy issues that the Council believes should be embraced by ISA in developing the 20-year strategy.

This includes protecting freight infrastructure assets from encroachment and ensuring the network can perform 24/7, 365 days a year.

“We also hope that Moving Freight 2019 will be a catalyst for debate on future infrastructure issues such as how completion of the North South Corridor will change freight movements from Portrush Road to Cross Road – so that potential problems can be addressed before they become a reality“ Mr Knapp said.

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Urgent priorities for the next five years outlined in Moving Freight 2019 include completion of the North South Corridor; Eyre Peninsula road upgrades; accelerated maintenance regime; Airport East precinct freight development; Horrocks Highway; upgrade of Highway 1 Port Wakefield to Port Augusta; rail level crossing grade separation program; and widening the Outer Harbor Shipping Channel (underway).

The widening of the channel will accommodate post-panamax vessels calling to Australia, ensuring economic port operations are maintained to support South Australian trade and avoid use of other Australian ports and land routes for import and export trades.

“The transport and logistics industry underpins every aspect of our state economy – every business requires inputs, and the majority also require our services to deliver products to customers and end consumers,” Mr Knapp said.

“Efficient, effective and safe transport infrastructure is a competitive advantage that as a state we cannot afford to ignore,” he said.