WIMMERA Container Line in Dooen is one of four freight operators who will continue to receive incentives as the Victorian Government announces a funding extension until June 30, 2022.
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Part of the 2021-22 Victorian budget, the Mode Shift Incentive Scheme will receive a total $3.6 million to continue the push to move more freight on rail and reduce heavy vehicle emissions.
Under the scheme, four freight operators will receive incentives to move up to a combined 42,508 containers by rail - taking the equivalent of 28,000 truck trips every year off country roads and reducing truck congestion on suburban roads around the Port of Melbourne.
The Mode Shift Incentive Scheme delivers almost $5 million in benefits to Victoria every year through reduced road maintenance, crashes, congestion and emissions - and will also continue to support other recipients such as Linx Portlink in Tocumwal, Westvic Container Export in Dennington and Seaway Intermodal in Merbein.
Freight operators receiving the Mode Shift Incentive Scheme play a crucial role inmoving Victorian produce to from the farm gate to our ports including meat, dairy, grain, hay, fresh fruit, oats, peas, wine and cheese - supporting more than 170 vital jobs across regional Victoria.
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Taking trucks off local roads doesn't just get more Victorian products to the export market - it delivers significant environmental, economic and safety benefits, with rail freight producing three times less carbon pollution than road freight, and fewer trucks on the road means driving improved road safety outcomes right across the state.
Minister for Ports and Freight Melissa Horne said they primary produce sector was thriving - and with freight volumes set to keep increasing in the coming years, it was vital to get more freight on rail and take trucks off local roads.
"The Mode Shift Incentive Scheme is helping farmers right across Victoria get their produce to market, backing local jobs and making country roads safer - we're proud to keep supporting this vital program," she said.
The Government also invested $83 million in funding into Victoria's regional rail freight network during the pandemic, supporting the shift from road to rail freight by delivering critical upgrades and creating vital local jobs.
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