Victoria’s new interstate freight precincts fact sheet

Delivering the Goods

Victoria’s freight plan, Delivering the Goods, aims to move more freight via rail and harness private and public sector investment in the state's freight network.

New interstate rail freight terminals in Victoria will help shift more freight from road to rail, aligning with the goal of decarbonising freight and achieving the state’s net zero emissions target by 2045.

Victoria’s rail freight capability

Delivering the Goods identified the need for new intermodal freight precincts at Truganina in Melbourne’s west and Beveridge in Melbourne’s outer north.

The new precincts' primary role will be to handle interstate freight, but also the import and export container trade.

The new interstate freight terminals recognise Melbourne’s role as the nation’s freight hub,, This includes being home to the nation’s largest import/export port, and key node in the national interstate rail network soon to incorporate the Inland Rail
project.

Inland Rail review

Victoria’s investment case completed in 2021 recommended developing a new interstate freight terminal in Truganina, known as the Western Interstate Freight
Terminal (WIFT).

In 2023, the Australian Government accepted the recommendations of an independent review of the Inland Rail Project, which recommended that:

two intermodal terminals be developed concurrently • the Beveridge Interstate Freight Terminal (BIFT) should be available as soon as practical and
the WIFT should be developed when more capacity is needed and become the larger operation.

The Australian Government has commenced the planning process for BIFT through the National Intermodal Corporation (NIC).

The private sector is also progressing development of several new and upgraded terminals across metropolitan Melbourne.

Victoria’s Interstate Freight Terminals Strategy

Victoria is moving to protect land in Truganina for the future WIFT, confirming that a Planning Scheme Amendment process will be used in the Chartwell East Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) area to ensure we can protect, acquire, and develop land for the new freight terminal.

Additionally, we’re unlocking land in the Derrimut Fields PSP area for industrial use. Making more land available for industrial development will give a much-needed boost to industrial real estate in the area.

The Victorian Government is also extending interstate rail freight operations in the Dynon precinct beyond 2031 for up to 20 years to deliver certainty for industry in the short to medium term.