The Federal and NSW Governments plan to build Australia’s largest inland container terminal on 220 hectares in the midst of residential suburbs at Moorebank NSW. The tens of thousands of residents living in the suburbs that surround this proposed terminal are facing an absolute nightmare should this 24 hour per day, 7 days per week development go ahead.

It is proposed that 1 million + import containers will be transported from Port Botany to Moorebank by rail, to then be delivered by truck to the end customer.

The facility will bring a conservatively estimated 10,000 additional diesel trucks, 42 aging locomotives and 5700 cars into the local area daily-on a 24/7 basis, together with massive levels of noise, deadly pollution (Diesel emissions) regardless of the fact that 39,000 people live as close as 400 metres of the proposed terminal. There are also many schools, day- care and aged care facilities in close proximity to the proposed site, yet the Federal and NSW Governments attitude to the communities concerns is absolutely disgraceful. It’s obvious that those involved are intent on pushing this development through regardless of the horrendous impact it will have on our community.

The Liverpool City Council, our Federal and State members of Parliament and of course, the community are in total opposition to this development being approved.  Moorebank is not the correct location as it will have such a negative impact on the Environment, local infrastructure, the adjacent Georges River, and more importantly on people’s health and well being.

There are many reasons why Moorebank should be dismissed as being not suitable for this type of operation including,

*  The local road network is already at capacity without adding the forecast-ed 10,000 extra trucks to it. The road system is also expected to service the newly developing residential areas being introduced to the west and southwest between Liverpool and Camden.

*  The local Diesel pollution levels are currently close to or over the acceptable level. This type of pollution has been placed in the same defining category as asbestos, which is renowned for its lethal qualities.

*  45% of all imported containers arriving at Port Botany are destined for the Western Suburbs of Sydney, not South Western Suburbs, which Moorebank is. The actual ideal site is Eastern Creek.

*  The short journey by rail from Port Botany to Moorebank has been questioned by Infrastructure NSW as potentially having a poor economic viability considering the massively high cost of resourcing required to build the infrastructure needed to connect the sites in question..                                                                              

*  Heavy vehicle accidents on the local road network have increased by 20% since 2009 without bringing an extra 10,000 heavy vehicles into the network daily. It is fair to assume that a major imposition of more heavy traffic will result in a commensurate gain in the number of accidents and incidents on an already overtaxed infrastructure.

*  The proponent’s claims that building the Moorebank facility thousands of trucks will be taken off the Sydney roads, when in fact all it will achieve is to relocate the truck problem from the Botany area to Moorebank and its environs.

 During the last 6 years ever since the “Intermodals” project was first suggested as a viable  development, of the former army lands both the NSW and Federal Governments, together with the developers  have continually ignored or downplayed the communities many concerns. Too much reliance has been placed on the biased suppositions and “evidence” provided by vested interests.  Credible alternative points of view based on case studies and professional evaluations have been ignored or discredited without a proper consideration.  This sorry situation has been accepted and promoted by the very people who are expected to represent and champion the rights of the constituents who voted them into power and ultimately pay their salaries.   The communities around the greater Liverpool region ask for your support in signing this petition and to circulate it to your contacts, to get the message across to the relevant government authorities that   Moorebank is the wrong location for this development.