ALC UPDATE - 14 February 2020 Date: Friday, 17 July 2020 12:16:21 PM
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From: Australian Logistics Council To: Kirstie Clarkson Subject: [TEST] ALC UPDATE - 14 February 2020 Date: Friday, 17 July 2020 12:16:21 PM Having trouble viewing this email? View Online Image ALC UPDATE - 14 February 2020 Difficult summer must Image renew focus on supply chain resilience It’s reasonable to say that many Australians have experienced a challenging beginning to 2020, and the flow on effects are likely to affect our industry in a variety of ways over the months ahead. The bushfires that burned through vast swathes of the continent had an immediate and devastating impact on families, local communities and businesses. The immediate scale of the tragedy is recorded in lives and homes lost and understandably, that is where the immediate focus of recovery efforts has been. Yet in many ways, that is only the beginning of the story. With the fires now extinguished and the immediate physical threat having passed, it is becoming apparent that recovery efforts – and the cost of those efforts – will be significant. This includes repairing and replacing damaged transport infrastructure. Throughout the early weeks of this year, I have been a regular participant in meetings convened by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Regional Development, Hon Michael McCormack MP, which have provided industry advice and assistance to the Federal Government in shaping its immediate response to the fire crisis. Once again, Australia’s freight logistics industry showed its determination and professionalism in getting supplies to affected communities and providing practical assistance on the ground to those most in need. Many ALC member companies were at the forefront of those efforts – and elsewhere in this update you can learn more about how this industry went above and beyond in keeping our supply chains moving in the face of such a large-scale natural disaster. An already difficult beginning to 2020 has been further compounded by the current challenges associated with the coronavirus. As in the case of the fires, the immediate focus is on protecting lives through containment and quarantine efforts. Yet, as with the fires, once the immediate threat is contained, there will be significant economic effects to consider. Logistics companies are at the forefront of getting goods into and out of Australia, whether by air or through our ports. The road and rail freight sector play an equally important role in getting that freight to customers, or to the point of export. The disruptive effects of an episode like the coronavirus have obvious flow-on effects across the whole – and need to be managed effectively and responsibly. Just this week, experts have warned that the ongoing restrictions on the movement of goods and people in China – our largest trading partner – are likely to adversely impact Australia’s agricultural exports. Improving the resilience of Australia’s supply chains to withstand the effects of natural disasters and international events was clearly identified in the National Fright and Supply Chain Strategy released last year. The first weeks of 2020 have provided stark examples of why our governments must act more urgently to address that challenge. Kirk Coningham OAM Chief Executive Officer Australian Logistics Council Register now for ALC Image Forum 2020 It is rare for a genuine ‘greenfields’ opportunity for a globally-significant freight and logistics hub to emerge in a major Australian city. Yet, that is precisely what is now emerging in Western Sydney – and the Australian Logistics Council is preparing to showcase it as part of ALC Forum 2020. For the first time, we will present the nation’s premier logistics industry event in this flourishing economic region that is already home to one in ten Australians - and is set to attract another half a million residents by 2031. On 18-19 March, ALC Forum 2020 will connect business leaders, government representatives, investors, infrastructure owners, educational institutions and leading logistics companies with the business opportunities that now abound in Western Sydney through Australia’s supply chains. ALC Forum 2020 will explore how some of the best-practice approaches to planning, building and optimising freight infrastructure in Western Sydney can be deployed across other parts of Australia, enhancing the efficiency, safety, sustainability and resilience of the national supply chain. Other elements of the ALC Forum 2020 program are set to examine the challenges and opportunities for the freight sector nation-wide in productivity, safety and building a sustainable workforce. The program will also drill down to examine specific issues relevant to freight movement across all modes – road, rail, maritime/ports and air - as well as diving into policy matters that cut across all forms of freight transport, including competition policy, land use planning and the impact technology is having on day-to-day operations. ALC Forum 2020 is the one industry event that connects the whole supply chain at the most senior levels - service providers, infrastructure owners, investors and customers. If you only make one investment in the future of your business or career in 2020, this should be it! Visit www.austlogistics.com.au/ALCForum2020 today to secure your place. Industry steps up to Image support bushfire effort Perhaps the only positive thing to emerge from the recent bushfire crisis has been a reaffirmation that Australians are always prepared to step in and assist the victims of natural disasters. Australia’s logistics sector was no exception to this, with many companies going out their way to offer practical and immediate assistance to communities that found themselves at the centre of the fire threat. The following are just some of the acts of generosity and practical support offered to bushfire victims by ALC member companies: Linfox’s Government and Defence team provided on-the-ground support to the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) bushfire response, increasing their warehousing and distribution services that supply the ADF teams fighting the fires. Linfox also provided storage space for goods donated to bushfire affected communities and facilitated the rapid transport of emergency supplies to areas of acute need. This included consumer goods, as well as livestock feed and fuel deliveries. NSW Ports worked to expedite the throughput of fire retardant at Port Botany so that it could be rapidly deployed to firefighting teams on the front. Port of Melbourne donated a 40 foot shipping container to Clifton Creek Primary School, a small rural school destroyed by the fire. The container has been provided through Swire Shipping. In addition, Port of Melbourne has worked with its major community partner, Foodbank Victoria, to provide additional volunteering resources to help sort public donations for bushfire victims. Qube together with Patrick Terminals partnered with Convoy of Hope to deliver donated shipping containers from DP World to store goods donated to the town of Lake Conjola NSW – one of the communities that was hardest hit by the bushfires. Toll Group transported food items and Dignity Packs to families that found themselves displaced by fires, as well as ration packs to firefighters on the front line. The fleet of Toll Ambulance Rescue Helicopters also played a key role in supporting firefighting efforts and getting medical personnel and equipment to provide emergency assistance to communities in need. Woolworths provided in-store discounts to volunteer firefighters and emergency services personnel, donated funds directly to support wildlife recovery efforts, provided gift cards to schools in affected communities and provided priority shipment of essential items to evacuation centres across the country. Woolworths is also providing ongoing support to The Salvation Army, Rural Aid, Lifeline and Foodbank though its Support Through Australian Natural Disasters (S.T.A.N.D) program. Coles teams worked to get food and other essential supplies to communities affected by the fires, including taking supplies via air to over 200 truck drivers and holiday makers who were stranded due to the closure of the Eyre Highway. Coles has also provided gift cards to local residents affected by the fires, fresh fruit and animal feed to numerous wildlife organisations and through its customers and team members, raised more than $2.1 million for the Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund. LINX Cargo Care Group and its subsidiary C3 Australia helped to facilitate the delivery of 1,500 bales of hay, taking part in a 530km police-escorted truck convoy that transported the hay from Portland in Victoria’s south-west across to fire-affected communities in Gippsland. Victoria International Container Terminal also donated shipping containers for use by communities in Victoria affected by the bushfires. (Photo from ABC News) Budget Must Deliver on Strategy’s Potential ALC’s pre-Budget submission to the Federal Image Government says that the Budget due to handed down in May 2020 must deliver new investment and concrete deadlines for the completion of freight infrastructure and regulatory reforms that will deliver on the promise of the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy. Among the key specific measures recommended are: Providing incentive payments to state/territory/local governments that enact planning reforms that enhance the efficiency and safety of freight movement; Investing in the establishment of a High Productivity Vehicle Infrastructure and Education Fund; Hypothecation of funds contributed by heavy vehicle operators to ensure they are invested in infrastructure that benefits heavy vehicles; Expanding the remit of the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) to include productivity matters; Properly resourcing the development of a Transport Sector Skills Strategy; Providing incentives that will establish a more sustainable workforce for the sector, particularly initiatives that will attract younger workers, females and persons from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds to the industry; and Investing in programs that will incentivise the uptake of electric vehicles in the freight sector. Further details are available here.