Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The port of Brisbane in my electorate of Bonner is an economic powerhouse. Last financial year alone, the port contributed over $7.8 billion to the Queensland economy and supported around 63,000 jobs. But there's just one thing missing that would truly make the port of Brisbane and South-East Queensland the logistical capital of Australia, and that's tunnel vision. By creating a dedicated tunnel connecting the port of Brisbane to Ebenezer in Ipswich, which would then connect to the inland rail, we would unlock the economic potential of the port and make our roads safer for Brisbane families.

Currently, over 97 per cent of freight leaves the port by truck—that's right, 97 per cent—causing increased road degradation and traffic congestion, as well as noise and air pollution for Brisbane locals. My tunnel vision could take 13 million trucks off Brisbane roads by 2050. That would save $195 million in congestion costs each year, meaning less time and money spent on the road and more time with families and loved ones. It would also add 1,200 new jobs per year between now and 2045 and allow container freight to leave the port of Brisbane and arrive in Melbourne within 24 hours—all of this while saving $250 million in reducing emissions associated with road-to-rail switch.

Four years ago, the Queensland Labor government pocketed $20 million of federal government funding and have still not released the Port of Brisbane Strategic Rail Access Study. In fact, they have only used around $4.4 million of the $20 million allocated to determine how freight could be sent to the inland rail network from the port of Brisbane. It's time for the Queensland Labor government to get serious about connecting the port of Brisbane to inland rail. They are wasting time, wasting opportunity and disadvantaging Queenslanders for generations to come. I urge the Queensland government to release the study to the public. Let's make tunnel vision a reality.