Principal Freight Network

The Principal Freight Network (PFN) is the strategic network of current and recognised future freight places and connecting movement corridors that are of national, state or regional significance and accommodate freight of significant volume, value or importance.

It facilitates the efficient, safe, sustainable and economic movement of freight in Victoria, both now and in the future.

The PFN does not define vehicle size/mass requirements and infrastructure standards for roads. Trucks can use roads that are included and excluded from the PFN consistent with current practice, and the various regulations that apply to the use of the road network.

The purpose of the PFN is to facilitate the efficient, safe, sustainable, and economic movement of freight in Victoria and enable future growth of the freight task on the Victorian transport network.

It gives certainty to industry and communities on the preferred routes for freight movements, and significant freight places now and in the future.

It will guide future transport network and land use planning and infrastructure investment to ensure consideration and prioritisation of freight.

The PFN reflects the integration of multi-modal and end-to-end supply chains to achieve productivity gains and industry competitiveness. These freight supply chains need to be protected from encroachment of sensitive land uses.

The PFN is distinctive to other networks, including:

• Freight Vehicle Capable Networks: such as High Productivity Freight Vehicle and B-double networks. Only the parts of these networks that meet the criteria are included in the PFN.
• OSOM networks have been created because the movement of a particular good/commodity or particular vehicle is temporary/single use

For more information on heavy vehicle map networks, please visit VicRoads website(opens in a new window).

An assessment framework was developed by the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) to assist in identifying the principles and criteria for selecting freight places and corridors for the PFN.

Key guiding principles and steps include:

Step 1: Determine economic significance by identifying freight places

Step 2: Determine connectivity by identifying potential freight corridors.

Step 3: Determine capacity and efficiency by refining the network of freight corridors to best meet all criteria

The PFN reflects current and planned future freight places and corridors and is aligned to the announced major projects being fully delivered. It is considered a long-term, strategic network.

However, further PFN reviews may be made in the future as new projects are committed or developed.

No, the network will not change as part of this update. However, if a new proposal for development along a PFN corridor is planned, a developer will need to ensure that it considers the needs of freight adequately.

The PFN may be used in the future to help guide prioritisation of investment for freight movements along particular corridors. The inclusion of a freight place or corridor on the PFN does not reflect a commitment by Government to funding.

Not necessarily, however, these corridors will reflect the preferred freight corridors and will be protected through the changes to the VPP from inappropriate developments, ensuring that the corridors maintain freight vehicle access.

Various changes will need to be made to the PFN following the construction and opening of these new roads, including the replacement of some roads with incompatible land uses with the new roads. These are clearly identified on the PFN Maps as “committed future removals".

The PFN project does not include any changes to current road and rail infrastructure. Inclusion on the PFN does not imply any commitment by the Victorian Government to fund any new or upgraded corridors and places.

Local roads are only included if they are likely to be future declared roads or provide better alternative truck route, or a suitable declared road does not exist connecting Freight Places especially adjacent to the major gateways (ports and airports).

Without the PFN, freight movements around the transport network will continue, but with less confidence around adjacent land use and corridor protection, both now and into the future, so the PFN will be protected from both a strategic and statutory perspective.

It is available on the DoT website to ensure that all stakeholders are able to understand where the network is and use it to make informed decisions for future development and even business locations.