Port Kembla Port Corporation CEO Dom Figliomeni stressed the need for planning and protection of land transport corridors at the Mudgee Mining conference on Tuesday.
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Mr Figliomeni announced freight, not just coal transport, would double in the next 20 years.
And should the Mid-Western region see three new coal projects begin in the next five years there would be an extra strain placed on the Ulan-Bengalla railway.
Speaking on rail infrastructure in central and mid-western NSW, Lacertus Verum director Paul Bugler said the current interstate rail model worked okay but raised problems when end-users (often coal producers) need certainty of access to train paths over the long term or required investment in track to meet capacity needs.
He said a current challenge facing industries was the limited existing capacity on the Hunter Valley network. It is compounded by conflicting and competing demands as well as difficulty in securing investment.
The director said positives in dealing with a growing demand was that investment was being concentrated in the Hunter network.The Hunter Valley Access Undertaking also provides a comprehensive mechanism for securing investment either through Australian Rail and Track Corporation funding or direct user funding.
Mr Bugler added the Annual Corridor Capacity Strategy allows all stakeholders (not just coal producers) to have input into a document that forms the basis of ARTC capacity planning which leads into investment programs.
Mr Figliomeni said the National Port/Freight Strategy calls for 30-year port plans, buffers from ports, and streamlined approval/environmental processes among other important recommendations.
