Rail project key in economic recovery

Agricultural leaders believe a restart to the controversial Murray Basin Rail Project is a ‘critical’ opportunity to fill a rural job void created during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Victorian Farmers Federation continues to pressure the Victorian and Federal governments to again pick up work on the project, which ran out of funding in late 2018.

The project promised to standardise more than 1000 kilometres of western Victoria’s key rail freight network, increasing train load capacity and overall travel speed to maximise transport efficiencies.

Grains Group president Ashley Fraser said Grattan Institute data highlighted high job losses throughout rural Victoria and the Mallee electorate during the pandemic.

He said he believed reigniting the project would not only boost rural jobs, but also help position agriculture to lead the economic recovery.

“Rural Victoria is crying out for major infrastructure projects to stimulate the economy and provide much needed local jobs. This is a nation-building project and a no-brainer to give the green light,” he said.

“This project is also key to unlocking the agricultural potential and prosperity of northwest Victoria and Sunraysia and will help lead the nation’s economic recovery.”

Mr Fraser said the VFF was promised the standardisation of the Sea Lake and Manangatang lines in 2014 and is deeply concerned about the potential effects for farmers and industry in the region if the works were not completed.

“We supported the project as it was slated in 2014 and we support it today, but that support is for the full project as promised,” he said.

“The Murray Basin Rail Project was always about growing capacity, improving efficiency and providing better access from Victoria’s key grain and horticulture growing regions to major ports.

“We must not lose sight of this and now is the time to do the job properly.”