Western Interstate Freight Terminal:

The Western Interstate Freight Terminal will significantly improve freight access in Melbourne’s west.

The WIFT will drive an agglomeration of warehousing, distribution, logistics and related industries delivering direct and indirect employment opportunities to the surrounding region. Consultation with stakeholders together with an assessment of existing land supply confirms that Melbourne’s west is the preferred location for a new intermodal facility.

The WIFT has the potential to trigger significant investment in the 7,200 hectares of zoned and future zoned industrial land in Melbourne’s western region. The proposed location of the WIFT will provide distribution access to up to 1800 hectares of existing zoned industrial land and 1000 hectares of future zoned industrial land in the Western State Significant Industrial Precincts creating 39,000 ongoing jobs.

Once the WIFT and Outer Metropolitan Ring corridor are delivered a significant acceleration in employment growth and absorption of industrial land is expected as the productivity of freight networks improve.

The creation of a significant number of jobs and the availability of highly skilled, diverse workforce in close proximity to the WIFT will also reduce traffic congestion of a workforce having to travel to various locations for work.

Inland rail needs the connection within Melbourne’s west to take the 1800 metre double stacked trains and reduce truck congestion on inner Melbourne roads.

Investment in the WIFT will confirm and may expedite the urban renewal of the northern section of the Dynon Terminal that is scheduled to commence in 2031. 

“Melbourne’s outer west needs investment into long term jobs and the WIFT will create significant numbers and diversity of employment in the growth corridor. We call on both the State and Federal Government to invest in the infrastructure to support this job creation and investment attraction project.”

Peter Dawkins AO
Chair, West of Melbourne Economic Development Alliance

Invest in the WIFT:
An investment into significant long term diversity of jobs in Melbourne’s west

Outer Western region councils have a projected population of 1.23 million and the need for over 100,000 jobs for Melbourne’s west.

Four council areas - Wyndham, Brimbank, Hobsons Bay and Melton - have existing industrial land availability, and an existing supply chain and logistics cluster, that will attract investment and jobs if the WIFT is built in Truganina. Each of these councils support the campaign to attract investment into the WIFT that will support local employment for this significant growth corridor.

Employment growth is being outstripped by residential growth, and commercial investment attraction is the key to livability and positive economic impact in Melton, Wyndham, Hobsons Bay and Brimbank.

The City of Melton and Wyndham City Council are two of Australia’s fastest growing municipalities. They will each have a population of 500,000 by 2051 (total one million between the two local government areas) and require significant investment in jobs and infrastructure to support investment attraction and improve livability.

Brimbank City Council and Hobsons Bay City Council also border on the WIFT and will benefit out of the investment attraction and job creation in the State Significant Western Industrial Precinct.

The creation of a significant number of jobs and the availability of highly skilled, diverse workforce in close proximity makes the WIFT a favourable investment.