Revitalising Agricultural Region Freight Strategy

The final Revitalising Agricultural Region Freight (RARF) Strategy sets the direction for future investment in freight infrastructure in the key agricultural regions of WA.

Western Australia's agriculture and food sector represents about 10 per cent of the State's economy and continues to grow. There have been significant changes to the grain export industry in recent years and there is a need to improve road safety and productivity.

The RARF Strategy identifies and prioritises specific infrastructure upgrades and suggests regulatory and policy measures that will help make freight transport in WA’s agricultural regions more productive, efficient and safer.

The strategy provides a framework and consolidated project packages that prioritise future investment in road, rail, intermodal and port infrastructure projects for the next 10-15 years.

The primary focus of the Strategy is on the primary grain-growing and agricultural regions of Western Australia, including the Mid West, Wheatbelt, Great Southern and Goldfields-Esperance.

The Strategy was released for public comment in June 2019 and finalised in June 2020. The ideas and feedback provided have been considered and incorporated into the Strategy below.

The Strategy provides a guiding framework for industry to strategically align with the State’s vision for agricultural freight transport into the future. 

Agricultural Supply Chain improvements

The Agricultural Supply Chain Improvements (ASCI) program is the implementation phase of the RARF Strategy, which includes the compilation of business cases to attract funding, and the eventual delivery of construction works.

A Stage 1 business case was submitted to Infrastructure Australia in August 2021, and the ASCI program was included on Infrastructure Australia’s 2021 Infrastructure Priority List. Stage 2 business case development is now underway.

In May 2021, a joint State and Commonwealth funding contribution of $200 million was announced for ASCI Package 1.

To date, $187.5 million in funding has been committed to Wheatbelt Secondary Road Freight Network upgrades.