NatRoad has welcomed a long-awaited Productivity Commission (PC) report calling for broad reforms to Australia’s waterfront.
Inefficiencies at the country’s big container ports directly cost the economy about $600 million a year. Addressing bottlenecks and inefficiencies at container ports is in the national interest.
Our view is that there’s much to be gained by making simple operational changes.
For example, truck operators have no choice about which terminal they use when picking up or dropping off a container, so must pay whatever price a terminal operator sets.
Members persistently complain that they’re paying fees to shipping lines for the late return of containers even where the delay is because empty container parks are full.
Voluntary protocols to address terminal operators’ abuse of market power should be strengthened and NatRoad endorses a proposal to regulate landside port charges by way of a federal industry code.
