Input sought on Australia’s future supply chain

Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester has called for submissions on a discussion paper for the Inquiry into National Freight and Supply Chain Priorities.
“The Australian Government has announced a record $75 billion infrastructure investment programme, which comprises a range of freight initiatives including the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail and the Western Sydney Airport,” Chester said.
“Feedback on the discussion paper will help the inquiry examine how our investment in the freight network can boost the nation’s prosperity and meet community expectations for safety, security and environmental amenity.
“It will also further our understanding of what challenges and opportunities lie ahead, and how we can take advantage of them.
Chester noted that the discussion paper offers an opportunity for key freight stakeholders such as carriers, shippers, forwarders, primary producers, land developers and consumers to have their voices heard.
“Everybody is part of the national supply chain, whether you are a consumer, business owner, producer, farmer or freight operator,” he added.
Submissions close on 28 July 2017. For more details on how to make a submission, visit the infrastructure.gov website.
The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) has welcomed the release of the Discussion Paper.
“[The] ALC believes there is merit in engaging in a wide-ranging public debate involving government, industry and the community to ensure road funding reform proposals improve supply chain efficiency against the backdrop of an increasing national freight task,” said Michael Kilgariff, Managing Director, ALC.
“[The] ALC supports a critical analysis of the current PAYGO formula for road pricing, which is an inefficient and ultimately unsustainable approach to road pricing. As the 2015 Harper Review stated, ‘roads are the least reformed of all infrastructure sectors’, and the Discussion Paper makes it clear the Federal Government is prepared to address this problem.
“As ALC has consistently said, a reform of this nature will only succeed if the freight logistics industry is actively involved in the development of the new road pricing system. It is therefore pleasing that the Government is seeking industry comment on the options put forward in the Discussion Paper.”