Parties must get real on freight: ALC

The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) has expressed concern regarding the lack of focus from all sides of politics on Australia’s supply chain and freight in election campaign policy announcements.
“Supply chain performance and safety affects every Australian, in every community, every day. Yet, with a little over a week to go before Australians make their choice, genuine policy proposals on freight are disturbingly absent,” said ALC CEO Kirk Coningham.
“Two weeks ago, ALC released Freight: Delivering Opportunity For Australia, which sets out 39 priority actions for the incoming Federal Government that address challenges and opportunities relevant to all modes of freight transport.
“While both major parties have made some campaign announcements that tangentially relate to freight movement, there has been little in the way of freight-specific commitments that will secure the policy and regulatory reforms needed to allow Australia to meet its growing freight task.
“With our industry having secured a bipartisan commitment to finalise the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy, this campaign is an ideal opportunity for both sides to set out clear plans to address the issues ALC members have identified as industry priorities.
“These include a consistent national approach to planning and investing in freight infrastructure, increasing road and rail productivity through regulatory reform, enhancing freight infrastructure in Northern Australia to boost exports and using data and new technology (including on-board telematics) to drive greater efficiency and safety across the end-to-end supply chain.
“Industry is also eager to hear from all parties about their plans to facilitate greater use of high performance vehicles (HPV) and electric vehicles (EV) in the freight sector. The announcement from the Labor Party that it intends to establish an EV manufacturing and innovation strategy is a positive step, but there is scope to go significantly further in supporting freight operators transitioning to EV. This includes establishing a Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund and providing tax concessions to drive greater uptake of electric delivery vehicles.
“If we are going to meet the challenges that arise from a growing population and remain internationally competitive, it is essential that our next Federal Government is ready to take decisive action.
“The freight logistics industry – and the communities that rely on our services – need to hear more from both sides in the campaign’s final week about their specific plans to improve the efficiency and safety of our supply chains, create more liveable communities and enhance Australia’s international competitiveness.”