Meeting provides insight into rail
Horsham mayor Mark Radford has used a gathering of industry heavyweights to stress Horsham’s importance as a national rail-freight services centre.
Cr Radford said discussion at a Horsham Victoria On Rail to the Nation and Port meeting at Horsham Town Hall clearly indicated the role and potential of rail transport in the region.
“We can’t afford to underestimate the importance of where we are and the Wimmera Intermodal Freight Terminal at Dooen and the opportunities it has now and into the future,” he said.
Cr Radford provided an opening address to last week’s gathering, hosted by SCT Group, which owns Dooen terminal-based Wimmera Container Line.
The 60 guests at the meeting included representatives from exporters and importers, government agencies,
stevedores DP World and VICT, Port of Melbourne, Australian Rail Track Corporation, Horsham Rural City Council, shipping lines, potential and existing clients and freight companies.
The purpose of the evening was to promote rail-to-port import-export freight and draw interstate freight from up to a 200-kilometre radius for destinations as far as Perth and Brisbane.
The 2.5-hour event included presentations by Port of Melbourne business development head Vlad Jotic, ARTC marketing and business development manager Glen Richmond and SCT ports development general manager Matt Eryuek.
Cr Radford said as well as high-level rail-freight industry leaders, the gathering also included a diverse mix of producers ranging from miners and graingrowers to people from the cut-flower and grape-growing industries.
“We’re talking about people who know their industries back to front. It was a really interesting mix of people all trying to get their produce across the country as quickly and efficiently as possible,” he said.
“There was a map put up of Australia showing the key freight routes and there circled was Horsham, recognised as such an important part of the supply chain. “It provided a clear indication of where we sit in the big picture.
“We were encouraged that our freight terminal is seen as such an important part of the freight task.
“This is why we’re trying to expand it and why the council is committed to moving more industry out there.”
Cr Radford said raw statistics put into perspective why rail-freight had and continued to have a major role in moving freight across the country.
“For example, a 1.8-kilometre-long train, when double-stacked with containers, carries the same equivalent load of 108 b-double semi-trailers,” he said.
Mr Jotic highlighted forecasted growth of the Port of Melbourne precinct, a development plan up to 2050 and the role rail needed to play regarding growth and congestion.
Inland ties
Mr Richmond gave insight into the benefits of rail and provided information on the nation’s Inland Rail project, where it tied into the region and ARTC work underway.
“ARTC owns 8500 kilometres of rail infrastructure across Australia and the final mile to Port of Melbourne from regional and metro areas is a big focus point to our organisation,” he said.
Mr Eryurek spoke about the Wimmera Container Line and SCT Group history and relationship in the region.
“Historically, former owners and WCL have focused on exports. As a company, we never introduced minimums or ‘take-or-pay’ arrangements,” he said.
“Our focus has been on seasonal export work and we have been challenged.
“The Mode Shift Incentive Scheme, port rail access, and increased High Productivity Vehicles in the region have all contributed to this.”
Mr Eryurek said SCT Group was exploring options to link the Wimmera to the Port and into SCT’S national rail network.
He said the group was also seeking regional support to draw interstate volumes into Horsham and transport them on rail.
“Our 29 mainline locomotives stop up to 100 times a year in Horsham and if a client needs a container moved interstate as far as Perth or Brisbane, we can bolt this on to our existing services,” he said.