Pacific National scraps Little River freight terminal plan

PACIFIC National, the country’s largest private rail freight company, has withdrawn its plans to build a $5 billion, 550-hectare freight terminal and warehousing precinct in Little River.

The proposed development promised to remove thousands of trucks from the state’s roads, reduce emissions and support more than 3600 jobs.

But community groups have been fighting against the project for almost a year, raising concerns about the loss of protected ‘green wedge’ zoned land which supports several threatened plant and animal species and is recognised as one of the most endangered ecosystems in Victoria.

On Thursday last week, a Pacific National spokesperson said the company had started notifying the relevant statutory authorities and decision-makers of the decision to withdraw its applications for the project.

“Pacific National has made this decision given the changed timelines for associated freight and infrastructure projects and economic factors which have impacted on the project business case,” the spokesperson said.

“Pacific National will continue to consider potential alternative terminal site options as they emerge to support efficient freight transport connectivity.”

The announcement comes just two weeks after the community gathered at the rail terminal’s proposed site on the corner of Old Melbourne and Little River roads to rally against the development.

Little River Action Group (LRAG) president Adrian Hamilton said while the local community felt “elated”, Pacific National’s decision to abandon the project had wider implications.

“All the residents are pretty happy, but it’s a broader picture than that because it’s really one that reflects back into Melbournians and Victorians because the site is a green wedge,” he said.

“In the ’70s, a dozen green wedges were set up and if this one actually became industrial, it really sets a precedent for the rest of the green wedges in Victoria.

“It’s not just a [case of] ‘Not in my backyard’. [The site] is next to a world heritage Ramsar wetland [and] there’s massive amount of ecology in its own right on the site, so there’s a whole lot of concatenating reasons why it isn’t right [to build a freight terminal here].”

Mr Hamilton thanked the members of the LRAG committee for the thousands of hours they put into protesting the terminal, along with the Little River community, the Wyndham City council and Western Metropolitan MP David Ettershank for their support.

“We’re going to have a big party in a few weeks’ time with the community,” he said.

“[There’s] nothing like adversity to bring the community together and it really felt that way. It’s brought everyone very close together.”