Parliament of Victoria | Legislative Council | Constituency Questions
26 August, 2025
David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan Region):
My question is for the Minister for Ports and Freight. A constituent from Footscray is concerned that efforts to reduce truck traffic in the west will be undermined by a proposal to remove the Sunshine rail crossover as part of the Sunshine superhub project.
Connecting western Victoria to the Port of Melbourne, the removal will likely force thousands of tonnes of produce onto trucks as the detour via Geelong and the single track at Newport have limited viability. Freight operator Qube told the Age:
‘At a time when we are trying to encourage greater volumes of freight to shift from road to rail … the current proposal will effectively incentivise the reverse.‘
My constituent asks: has the minister given up on mode shifting freight to rail, and if so, how will they mitigate the impacts of increased truck traffic and emissions in Melbourne’s west?
Written answer received 11 September, 2025:
Thank you for your question and I acknowledge your concerns about removal of the Sunshine rail crossover.
Balancing the needs of rail freight whilst catering for the rapid population growth and changing travel needs in Melbourne’s western suburbs, including a new line to Melbourne Airport, as well as increased services on the Sunbury, Melton and Wyndham Vale lines is challenging.
We have heard the feedback from the freight industry and as part of our ongoing commitment to supporting freight movement by heavy rail, we continue to investigate alternative solutions to address these issues, including a review of network capacity and infrastructure challenges.
The Victorian Government remains committed to rail freight and that’s why we’ll be reestablishing a Rail Freight Working Group to work collaboratively with industry and network operators on practical solutions that keeps freight moving.
Hon. Melissa Horne MP
(Minister for Ports and Freight, Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Minister for Health Infrastructure)
