Eight recommendations for national freight efficiency
The Australian Logistics Council has lodged a submission to Infrastructure Australia on the National Freight Network Plan. This will also form the basis of the ALC Submission on the National Ports Strategy.
Recommendation 1
The function of the National Freight Plan operating within the National Transport Policy Framework is to ensure the regulatory environment, infrastructure and investment are in place to meet Australia’s freight needs.
Recommendation 2
A national partnership between the states and territories should:
Identify nationally significant infrastructure (through the Australian Transport Council);
Ensure land use decisions give priority to nationally significant infrastructure; and
Provide a fund to finance land-use decision by state and local governments that favour nationally significant infrastructure over other land uses.
Nationally significant infrastructure should be considered as infrastructure which is either:
Of national significance; or
If developed, would be of national significance, having regard to:
The size of the facility;
The importance of facility to trade and commerce; and
The importance of the facility to the national economy.
It can include inland ports.
Recommendation 3
‘Open-access’ inland ports be identified building on the research contained in the 2006 National Intermodal Terminal Study.
Decisions would have regard to competition principles; cost-benefit analysis; and the connection between the port and freight destinations.
Recommendation 4
The National Freight Plan should encourage the development of mechanisms permitting the transfer of non proprietary information across the transport and logistics chain, including (where necessary) legislation that will permit the development and use of impartial industry wide ICT solutions where that would enhance the efficiency of the transport and logistics chain.
A fully efficient freight and logistics chain requires a stable and clear set of regulations.
Recommendation 5
The National Freight Plan should aim at a single land transport regulator responsible for regulation across all modes.
Recommendation 6
The plan should state that prices road transport be linked to costs. New measures should give an incentive for high productivity vehicles.
Recommendation 7
The Chain of Responsibility (CoR) laws should recognise the ALC National Logistics Safety Code, which is harmonising the safety practices of different industry sectors. A logistics participant who follows the NLSC Code should be taken to have satisfied national CoR legislation.
Recommendation 8
A body called Freight Australia should be created within Infrastructure Australia to monitor the National Freight Plan.
It should have the following functions:
commissioning and analysing data to determine the regulatory environment and infrastructure for future freight needs;
identifying infrastructure of national significance;
determining how intermodal facilities located away from destination points can be developed;
developing the inland ports concept;
identifying blockages affecting the Australian transport and logistics chain and report progress in their removal. This can ‘shame’ relevant entities into action. The ALC document Infrastructure Programs for Addressing Supply Chain Blockages identified 23 supply chain blockages affecting supply chain efficiency. This could be used as a template.
advising Infrastructure Australia on funding infrastructure projects;
promoting the transfer of non-proprietary information across the transport and logistics chain; and
acting as a ‘champion’ for the logistics industry within Government. This would include:
lessening the burden of information requirements of agencies such as Customs, AQIS and security agencies;
ensuring that the interests of the industry is recognised as government policy is developed, for example, with any road pricing mechanisms flowing from the Henry Report or the COAG Road Reform Plan.
The full submission can be downloaded from the ALC website.
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