The St Mary’s Freight Hub is jointly funded by long time associates ACFS Port Logistics and Pacific National with $100 million budgeted for the project and initial operations.
Last month NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism Stuart Ayres attended a sod turning ceremony alongside Pacific National’s CEO, Dean Dalla Valle and Project Director Leigh Cook.
ACFS Port Logistics CEO Arthur Tzaneros was also in attendance.
“The strategically located 43 hectare HUB – initially 10 hectares in size, will increase reliability and cost efficiency of freight movements for ACFS customers,” he said.
“There are enormous opportunities to unlock the full potential of the Hub with future development of the site to enable unpacking of containers onsite, storage of goods, and then rapid distribution for B2B and e-Commerce. The opportunities are unparalleled in Western Sydney.”
Phase One of the project, which includes a three hectare arena for empty containers, could be fully operational before the end of 2021 and is expected to allow for the supply of 300,000 TEU containers per year on dedicated freight trains from Port Botany to St Mary’s reducing the presence of heavy vehicles considerably.
The new hub is expected to reduce 80,000 truck movements a year on NSW roads.
“That’s better for local communities, it’s better for local businesses, and it’s better for freight movements as well. This is exactly what the public want from government and industry working closely together,” said Ayres at the event.
Tzaneros, who regards the project as the single largest and most important development in the history of ACFS Port Logistics, said the rapidly expanding Western Sydney offered unparalled opportunities with a high percentage of Australia’s major retailers and wholesalers operating national warehousing and distribution centres within a 15 kilmotre zone of the new freight hub.
“Imported shipping containers will be hauled from Port Botany to St Marys Freight Hub by train and transported to nearby warehouses and distribution centres by truck,” he said.
– Published by Prime Mover on 11 January 2021
