Tuesday, 9 December 2025

 David LIMBRICK (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (22:24): (2235) My adjournment matter this evening is for the attention of the Minister for Ports and Freight. The Dandenong South rail freight terminal represents a significant opportunity for businesses in the south-east but also for anyone who imports or exports goods from Victoria. The government have supported this project, as moving more freight to rail aligns with their objectives to reduce the amount of trucks on the road and make more efficient use of existing infrastructure.

I had the pleasure of visiting the project recently and got a real feel for the potential that it has. The rail spur is already built, it looks like the signals are already turned on and the initial groundwork has already been done, ready for the construction of a modern freight terminal, but that work has not yet begun. I was told that there are three key reasons for this, two of which I have already raised in this place. One of the key reasons that construction has not begun is because, to date, the department have not been able to provide clarity and certainty about freight pathways. Without this certainty, investors are not going to invest in completing the terminal. I am sure this is a complex task to predict and plan for the movement of trains across the network, but with the completion of the Metro Tunnel, perhaps now is a good time for the department to turn their minds to completing the rail freight network. Therefore my request for the minister is to work with Salta Properties to provide the necessary information that would allow this project to progress.