Qube and Aurizon, through its Sydney Intermodal Terminal Alliance (SIMTA) consortium, have reached an agreement to develop and operate the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal in South Western Sydney.

The project includes the development of an import-export freight terminal connected by rail to Port Botany, with capacity for 1.05 million containers a year, and an interstate freight terminal, with capacity for 500,000 containers a year. Both facilities will provide open access, to maximise competition.

The total project investment is estimated at US$1.89 billion.

The Moorebank Intermodal Terminal will be required to deliver significant economic, environmental and social benefits. These include:

• reducing constraints on container volumes moving through port Botany;
• relieving traffic congestion on Sydney's roads;
• enabling faster freight times and reduced costs to business;
• creating jobs in south-west Sydney throughout the construction and operation phases; and
• reducing diesel emissions by encouraging a modal shift from road to rail.

It is forecast that Australia's freight requirements in 2020 will double what they were in 2006.  Some 90 per cent of containers to and from Port Botany have their origin and destination within Greater Sydney. Without new rail freight handling capacity, more pressure will be put on Sydney's road network increasing urban congestion.

In April 2012, the Australian Government committed to the construction of the Intermodal Terminal (IMT) at Moorebank.

On 13 December 2012 the previous Government announced the establishment of the Moorebank Intermodal Company Limited (MIC) and the appointment of the Chair and Directors to the MIC Board to facilitate the development of an IMT.

During this year we have reported about other port PPP projects in Australia:

• Melbourne Port Lease Transaction
• Esperance port iron ore facility DFBO
• Port of Melbourne third container terminal build and operate project
• Dampier port upgrade PPP project
• Berth 4 of Townsville port in Queensland
• Kwinana Bulk Liquids Berth in Fremantle port Perth
• VQ Automotive & Ro-Ro Terminal in Fremantle port Perth
• Brisbane container terminal lease