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The recent announcement (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-22/k ... r/10022714) of a plan to build a 14km bridge to Kangaroo Island at a projected cost of $4 to 5 billion has been widely criticised. However, it did get me thinking whether SA needs to "think outside the box" and develop new ideas for "nation building" infrastructure.

For example, whilst the KI proposal would not add much to the national economy, a bridge from Wallaroo to Cowell might. The distance is longer (43km versus 14km) but the depth shallower (62' versus 114' at the depest with significant shallower areas on both sides). Contributions to the ecomony would be significant with a saving of 323km and 3hrs 15min on a trip to WA and 330km and 3hrs 22min on a trip to lower Eyre Peninsular. Given the high volume of road freight across the Nullabour, the savings could be significant. Whether the savings are significant to justify the cost is beyond my expertise.

So, does anybody have any other "out of the box" ideas for strategic infrastructure in SA?

Connect Whyalla and Port Pirie with a Rail/Road bridge from Point Lowly to Port Germein.

Revisit the Chowilla Dam proposal

Is there really much road freight across the Nullabour? I was under the impression very little goes that way.

Anyway, I can think of a couple of good candidates: firstly the Adelaide Hills Freigt Bypass railway. They should have built it years ago!

Secondly, sealing and upgrading the Birdsville Track. I reckon the best chance of getting Federal funding for this isas part of a Gulf to Gulfs road — particularly if the government has low enough numbers to need Bob Katter's support.

Aidan wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 24, 2018 4:32 pm

Is there really much road freight across the Nullabour? I was under the impression very little goes that way.

Anyway, I can think of a couple of good candidates: firstly the Adelaide Hills Freigt Bypass railway. They should have built it years ago!

Secondly, sealing and upgrading the Birdsville Track. I reckon the best chance of getting Federal funding for this isas part of a Gulf to Gulfs road — particularly if the government has low enough numbers to need Bob Katter's support.

A fair bit of freight does make the trip to WA, especially for specific movements.

Aidan wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 24, 2018 4:32 pm

Is there really much road freight across the Nullabour? I was under the impression very little goes that way.

Anyway, I can think of a couple of good candidates: firstly the Adelaide Hills Freigt Bypass railway. They should have built it years ago!

Secondly, sealing and upgrading the Birdsville Track. I reckon the best chance of getting Federal funding for this isas part of a Gulf to Gulfs road — particularly if the government has low enough numbers to need Bob Katter's support.

There's also Whyalla, Port Lincoln, Ceduna and a range of smaller places in between that would benefit as they don't have daily rail freight. I know someone who used to drive the nightly road train from the Coles depot at Edinburgh to Whyalla and back. I assume he had a colleague that did other Eyre Peninsula destinations, and competitors delivering from IGA and Woolworths warehouses.

Aidan wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 24, 2018 4:32 pm

Secondly, sealing and upgrading the Birdsville Track.

Alternatively, extend the Leigh Creek Railway into the gas fields. Most of the trucks will be travelling over 1 000 km to the same destination, so it makes more sense to put the cargo on trains.

1NEEDS2POST wrote: Alternatively, extend the Leigh Creek Railway into the gas fields. Most of the trucks will be travelling over 1 000 km to the same destination, so it makes more sense to put the cargo on trains.

The same destination??? I thought the gas fields were spread out over thousands of square kilometres!

I'm pretty sure it's not worth constructing a long railway to serve a single industry which transports its products in pipelines.
What it is worth doing is sealing the Strzlecki Track, and some time ago (last year?) the state government committed to doing that. But it's not a strategic link in the way that an upgraded Birdsville Track would be.

A railway through the NE of our state, in its cheapest form (as an extension of the Queensland narrow gauge network) may one day be desirable as a strategic link, but there's no way the expense can be justified at the moment.

Tff the marine environment.



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