Easing bottlenecks

Increasing our freight capacity

To further address infrastructure capacity constraints the Government is investing almost $1 billion in the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) in the 2010‑11 Budget, to fund a package of productivity enhancing rail projects. The Government recognises that for Australia to meet its future freight needs, rail must play an integral role.

In addition, the Government has committed to establishing an intermodal terminal precinct at Moorebank to address the critical shortage of intermodal capacity in Sydney and complement the Government's other investments in rail.

The terminal will provide a much needed integrated transport solution for the movement of freight to and within the Sydney basin which will boost national productivity, reduce business costs and relieve bottlenecks and urban congestion.

The Moorebank project will now move into the detailed planning and approval phase. To this end, the Government will spend $71 million to conduct planning for the relocation of Defence facilities and to establish a project office.

Construction of the terminal precinct could commence in 2013 with the facility becoming fully operational by early 2016.

National Broadband Network

The National Broadband Network (NBN) will revolutionise Australia's telecommunications. It will deliver next generation broadband services to all Australians, and will provide open access to its network to all retailers on equivalent terms.

The NBN will drive competition, help secure enhanced productivity growth and increase our international competitiveness.

The NBN represents a quantum leap in the way Australia communicates. It will turbo‑charge Australia's productivity and drive our economy forward with greater capacity.