Australian Transport Ministers must consider the whole of the supply chain when implementing their new national framework for transport policy agreed at the Australian Transport Council (ATC) last friday.
Chief Executive of the Australian Logistics Council Hal Morris says the pledge by Ministers, State and Federal, to work together must be supported by real reform and tough decisions to clear Australia’s growing supply chain blockages.
“It is vital Ministers do not take their eye off the ball — our national freight supply chain underpins our economy,” Morris says.
Reforms must target, and prioritise, its efficiency and timeliness, particularly through the removal of blockages and more streamlined, rational regulation.”
The ATC agreed to a national approach to transport policy with a national policy framework, a new inter-governmental agreement to implement it, as well as setting key work priorities and timetable.
“Industry recently committed to on-going reform through the National Strategy for the Transport and Logistics Freight Industry setting out seven major recommendations, many of which are reflected in the aspects identified to be actioned by jurisdictions.”
“Industry looks forward to working with government to achieve real results,” Morris says.
The ATC also considered vital issues such as endorsing the Heavy Vehicle Charges Determination and moving toward electronic monitoring of heavy vehicles.
“The phasing of the increase in registration for larger heavy vehicles is a sensible compromise and the $70 million road safety and productivity package is welcomed, but it must recognised considerable work is still to be done, particularly in improving productivity.”
“While the transport and logistics industry is committed to the principle of cost recovery and competitive road and rail pricing, it is critical governments consider decisions to encompass the whole of our supply chain,” Morris says.
In particular, governments must consider the move toward location based pricing as identified in the recent Productivity Commission’s Road/Rail Freight Infrastructure Pricing Report,” he says.
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