Steven Marshall MP
State Liberal Leader

State Liberal Leader Steven Marshall today announced plans to boost the South Australian economy with construction of a new heavy freight corridor and freight-only airport.

If elected in March 2018, a Marshall Liberal Government will develop an alternative corridor for heavy freight, which will avoid the heavily populated areas of existing freight routes, and be non-stop directly into South Australia’s biggest port – Port Adelaide.

“A generational upgrade of our freight export infrastructure is required to provide our companies with the competitive advantage they need to get our premium South Australian products to markets across the globe,” said State Liberal Leader Steven Marshall.

“The Weatherill Labor Government has lacked a vision for growing our export capacity. SA’s share of national merchandise exports has shrunk from 7.3 per cent to 4.3 per cent over the past 15 years, and yet Labor has not delivered a plan for expanding access to overseas markets.

“We need to leverage our competitive advantages as a state to boost exports, grow our economy, and create jobs – one of the keys to expanding export performance is developing efficient market access through productive infrastructure.

“There have long been proposals to develop a more convenient and safe corridor for freight movement in and out of metro Adelaide, with the vast majority of freight from Victoria and the South East entering and exiting the city through the Adelaide Hills.

“Our plan will replace the dangerous conditions of the Princes Highway and the noisy, disruptive freight railway with a corridor which will sweep behind the Adelaide Hills from Murray Bridge up to Truro, and then down from the north of the Barossa Valley to join road freight.”

“At the Murray Bridge end of the new corridor, there is a perfect location to build a new freight-only airport with no curfew, able to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

“Safe, efficient and sustainable road freight infrastructure is central to unlocking the productive capacity of South Australian businesses and exporters.”