The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) has urged the Council of Australian Governments (CoAG) meeting to act on the National Transport Policy and Regulatory Reform recommendations from the Australian Transport Council (ATC).
ALC is the peak body for Australia’s Transport and Logistics (T&L) Freight Industry representing Australia’s road, rail, sea and air logistics providers.
The Council aims to lead improvements in the efficient delivery of Australian domestic and international logistics.
“ALC has written to the Prime Minister and other CoAG members strongly encouraging them to endorse the transport reforms recommended by the 6 November 2009 ATC meeting,” says Michael Kilgariff, ALC Chief Executive Officer.
“The November 2009 ATC meeting made a number of critical recommendations to CoAG relating to national regulation for maritime safety, rail safety and heavy vehicles, which are fully supported by the T&L industry.
“ALC specifically supports the ATC recommendations that:
- South Australia be the host jurisdiction for the national rail safety regulator. ALC has no preference for the location of the national rail safety regulator, but is firmly in support of the development of a national rail safety regulatory system.
- A host jurisdiction for the national heavy vehicle regulator be agreed.
- The Australian Maritime Safety Authority be the national regulator for maritime safety, responsible for regulating commercial vessels.
“ALC believes it is imperative that CoAG sign off on these recommendations to demonstrate commitment to the National Partnership Agreement to Deliver A Seamless National Economy, the transport priorities agreed to by COAG in March 2008, and the COAG agreement in July 2008 to implement transport reforms agreed through previous COAG processes," Kilgariff says.
“The necessity to drive efficiencies in the T&L supply chain is critically imperative given recent Treasury estimates that Australia’s population will increase to 35 million by 2050.
“Australia’s freight task has more than doubled over the last 20 years and is expected to almost double again by 2020.
“ALC estimates that the T&L industry generates 14.5% of Australia’s GDP and every 1% increase in efficiency will save Australia around $1.5 billion.
“ALC hopes that CoAG continues the transport reform process. Ultimately, nationally inconsistent regulation and red tape only adds considerable and unnecessary costs to Australian consumers and exports,” Kilgariff says.
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