Ken O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to talk today about the case to connect Inland Rail from Gladstone to Toowoomba and then on to Melbourne. A business case study is underway and $10 million has been allocated for this important infrastructure project. Key infrastructure modelling will identify quicker freight times to Asia, lowering the supply chain costs. It will enable $15 billion of resource investment into the region, around Wandoan and Taroom, and bring forward the building of Nathan Dam, which has been on the books since 1928. It's time something was done there.

The Gladstone port enables the largest of ships—we already have coal ships and gas ships, the biggest in the world, taking product out of Gladstone. There will be 18,000 extra jobs in regional Queensland. It will develop the fourth major container port in eastern Australia. It's very cost effective and will be three years quicker to construct. It will remove coal trains from Brisbane that are no longer desired to be running through parts of the city.

Australian freight is growing with our exports and imports. Demand for our resources and agricultural products is forever increasing. Currently, the 1,700-kilometre Brisbane to Melbourne line does not connect to a port. I find this very strange. Acacia Ridge to Brisbane port is another 38 kilometres. It's 11 kilometres from Tottenham to the Melbourne port. This will increase truck movements within Brisbane and Melbourne, already heavily congested. It will create disruptions to Brisbane residents by heavy civil constructions in urban areas, tunnels et cetera.

The Gladstone port is the largest multicommodity port in Queensland and has existing rail links to all berths in Gladstone. There are already 20-odd berths in Gladstone Harbour. There is plenty of land adjoining the port and deep water capable of handling Capesize ships. Dual shipping lanes are already in existence. It ticks all the boxes. Mr Deputy Speaker O'Brien, it will also help your seat of Wide Bay.