The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) has called upon Federal Election parties and candidates to adopt five key policy priorities which address ongoing freight and logistics supply chain issues.
Since the onset of the global pandemic, the freight and logistics supply chain has faced back-to-back challenges, natural disasters, geopolitical tensions, increasing costs, labour constraints and unrelenting increases in demand.
The ALC called for five priority areas, underpinned by a national approach, to be adopted.
The five priorities are:
- A strategic approach to building rail freight capacity and freight intermodals to help drive modal shift from road to rail
- An early review of the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy to incorporate pandemic and supply chain disruption learnings and refocus planning and investment
- Assist industry with the journey to net zero emissions
- Building skills to help address current shortages and future needs
- Implementing a National Road User Charge to maintain infrastructure investment
ALC CEO, Brad Williams, said the supply chain had been in the spotlight and recent disruptions underscored the importance of the industry to the national economy.
“The freight and logistics supply chain has been front and centre for two years, against a backdrop of back-to-back challenges, the supply chain and in particular the workforce has kept the nation supplied, fed, and fuelled,” Mr Williams said.
“ALC policy priorities are about the necessary structural and technological change that will build our capacity to absorb major shocks and allow us to respond to the growing needs and expectations of Australian households, businesses and communities.”
Australia’s freight task is growing, with the urban freight challenge expected to see growth of 60 per cent over the next 20 years to 2040.
“In order to achieve a more sustainable and efficient freight and logistics supply chain, we need targeted investment, better planning and more collaboration to support the national economy,” Mr Williams said.
“Each year our freight and logistics companies and infrastructure operators move about four billion tonnes of goods across Australia, 163 tonnes of freight for every person – this is an enormous task that contributes more than $140 billion to the economy.”
