New ALC publication sets out industry expectations for reform

A new publication from the Australian Logistics Council (ALC), Charting The Course For A National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy, sets out the freight logistics industry’s priorities and expectations for the types of investment and policy reform required to enhance national supply chain safety and efficiency.
The publication, the second in a series of Working Papers the ALC is producing to assist the development of the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy, will be launched as part of the ALC’s Parliamentary Function in Canberra on the evening of Wednesday, 21 June.
“The ALC Parliamentary Function is a valuable opportunity for leading representatives from the nation’s freight logistics industry to meet directly with parliamentarians and other senior decision makers,” said Michael Kilgariff, Managing Director, ALC.
“With our industry representing 8.6 per cent of Australia’s GDP, employing 1.2 million Australians and adding more than $130 billion to the economy each year, it is vitally important for political representatives to understand the contribution this sector makes to the economy.
“Research commissioned by ALC has previously established that for every one per cent increase in supply chain efficiency, GDP will be boosted by $2 billion. In an economic climate where securing stronger growth and boosting employment opportunities is paramount, this fact underscores the importance of ensuring the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy drives the reform to achieve those objectives,” he added.
“ALC’s new Working Paper and background video clearly set out a number of benchmarks that will need to be met to make sure this occurs.
“In particular, the Working Paper focuses on the need for freight movement to be given much greater consideration in planning policy, the preservation of freight transport corridors and employment lands so they are protected from urban encroachment, more freight on rail, making better use of data and new technology to improve supply chain visibility and efficiency, and continuing the development of a forward-looking approach to road funding.
“These priorities have emerged as a result of discussions with industry held at ALC Forum 2017 in early March. These were detailed in ALC’s recently-published Yearbook, as well as ALC’s first Working Paper on the contents of the Strategy, which was released in early May as part of the annual Dialogue between ALC and the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development.
“ALC is committed to working closely with governments at all levels, industry and other stakeholders to make sure we get the content of the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy right,” he concluded.
The complete publication can be viewed online.