Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to again get a question about transport and climate change, and I thank the member for Forde for his question. We know that infrastructure and transport have to be a part of the climate change strategy. That is why we included reference to climate change as a consideration in the Infrastructure Australia legislation. We know, for example, that our national freight task is due to double in the next 20 years and we know that we have to improve efficiency in roads and rail.

Today, with the ARTC, I launched a new digital system that will cut travel times for both passenger and freight trains going from Sydney to Brisbane by 45 minutes. Members might ask: how can that occur? It is because, previously, we had a staff and token technology system which had operated since the 1890s—1850s technology operating since the 1890s. What trains would have to do every 20 kilometres between Casino in New South Wales and Acacia Ridge in Brisbane was stop. The driver would have to get out, grab a widget like the one I am holding—this is the Casino to Kyogle loop widget—put it in and make sure that it was registered on a machine that stood some five feet high. The fact is that stopping every 20 kilometres for 15 minutes is extraordinarily inefficient.

That is why the government are taking on the economic reform challenge when it comes to transport. What we did today was launch new digital technology that completes the track so that it can be controlled from Newcastle. What we are doing is moving from the dinosaur age to the digital age, and we need to do that across the board. We know that, in May, rail freight volumes were the highest in our history—the greatest amount of freight carried by rail in our history.

These are the sorts of practical measures that we need if we are going to address climate change. This morning I also chaired a meeting of the working group of the Australian Transport Council looking at a national strategy when it comes to rail, shipping and road safety to get harmonisation and make sure that we get efficiencies, whether they be in road or rail.

This new digital technology is part of the $2.1 billion that is being invested to bring rail into the 21st century. Those opposite sat back and denied climate change, denied the need for economic reform and did nothing about it. We on this side are taking practical action to make sure that we address all of these issues. That will not only benefit us with regard to climate change but also have substantial benefits for our economic productivity.

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