According to Daily Cargo News, “PORTS Australia has thanked the independent expert panel and the team worked hard to prepare the National Freight and Supply Chain Priorities Report released last week.
Chief executive Mike Gallacher said the report was a crucial step towards better understanding Australia’s supply chain.
“We are happy that the independent expert panel has noted that coastal shipping needs to play a role in handling domestic freight task,” he said.
“One of the key recommendations is that regulatory barriers limiting the ability of coastal shipping be removed and recognises sea freight as a sustainable and crucial mode of transport in Australia’s future supply chain.
“Ports Australia has commissioned an extensive report into coastal shipping reform and the benefits it may bring and look forward to sharing and discussing that reports findings with the Australian government.”
Mr Gallacher said the freight task was doubling by 2030 with “a freight tsunami” on its way.
“We as a country need to be ready,” he said. “Better data and analytics will play a key role is this preparation but so will smart policy and legislation that makes the most of what we currently have and ensure future investment is not squandered.”
A copy of the report can be found here.