Australian Freight Council Network Meeting 20 October 2011 Fremantle WA
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The key areas discussed at the meeting included:
o current work programmes of all Councils;
o issues of common interest to Councils where they can work together;
o particular note of ‘Planning for Freight’ and ‘Freight in Our Community Projects’;
o relationships between the AFCN and the ALC and TALC;
o progress of Federal funding;
o the AFCN Charter;
o the ABS data on land-side movement of containers; and
o the AFCN presentation at the forthcoming AusIntermodal Conference. Australian Freight Council Network Meeting 20 October 2011 Fremantle WA
ACTION SHEET
o Seek AFCN meeting with Infrastructure Australia on release of next National Freight Strategy draft.
o Write to the ALC suggesting an informal working relationship with the AFCN.
o Approach TALC (John Begley) to seek further information about working with AFCN.
o Approach Commonwealth in 2012-13 for CPI increase in Federal funding.
o Update AFCN Charter.
o Comments on draft letter to ABS re container statistics.
o Circulate AFCN contact details to Sustainable Built Environment.
o Input for AusIntermodal Conference from all Councils.
o Hold next meeting on 27 March in Canberra with appropriate Federal Departments and agencies.
2 Australian Freight Council Network Meeting 20 October 2011 Fremantle WA
NOTES OF MEETING
Those present included:
o Fred Affleck, Western Australia (Chair); o Mark Brownell, Western Australia; o John Begley, Victoria; o Rose Elphick, Victoria; o Neil Findlay, Queensland; o Neil Murphy, South Australia; o Rachel Johnson, New South Wales; and o Andrew McDonald, Commonwealth.
Agenda Item One: Opening Comments
Fred Affleck welcomed those present to Western Australia for this meeting of the AFCN. He particularly noted Rachel Johnson from the NSW Department of Transport and Andrew McDonald from the Federal Department of Infrastructure and Transport. Apologies were noted from Tasmania and from Infrastructure Australia.
Agenda Item Two: Council Round Table
Fred Affleck commented that the intent of this item was to hear about key projects from each Council with a view to distilling out some common themes and confirming the areas in which Councils can work together.
Victoria
John Begley talked about the change of Government in Victoria and the need for the VFLC to remain relevant and valued. He was confident that this could be achieved.
Rose Elphick discussed a number of current issues that the VFLC is progressing including:
o use of High Performance Vehicles to raise truck productivity; o development of iPad app (http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/vflc/id453331655?mt=8), a tool to assist identification of future trends impacting on freight and logistics in Victoria; and o updating the Business Activity Harmonisation Study (BAHS) website and including air freight www.supplychainbahs.com.au .
3 South Australia
Neil Murphy talked about the developing resources sector in SA and the implications for freight and logistics. For those unfamiliar with the SAFC, he also provided details of the group’s modus operandi and operation.
With current projects, Neil mentioned particularly:
o a Communications and Consultation Strategy designed to lift the profile of freight; o input to SA Government’s State Freight and State Port Strategy; and o ongoing development of LINC, including related sponsorship drive.
Queensland
Neil Findlay described the history of the QTLC and the manner in which it presently operates. He said that the group was not currently funded and resourced at the level of other State Councils and he was working on achieving parity in this respect. This would commence with the appointment of an Executive Officer to run the Council on a daily basis. Notwithstanding the present constraints, the work of the Council was giving freight a higher profile in related policy discussions.
Neil said that Queensland was also a resource-based economy and that his Council was having input on freight and logistics issues impacting the mining industry and the oil and gas sector. Closer to the metropolitan area, there were issues relating to Brisbane Port access, a new cross-river rail tunnel for Brisbane and freight rail community impacts.
Western Australia
Mark Brownell said that the Council here was operating effectively with the Government. Meetings were attended by the Director General of Transport in recognition of the Council’s role in assisting achieve departmental goals.
Mark discussed a number of current projects including:
o a determination by the Council to have a more effective influence on land use planning outcomes; o land-side efficiencies necessary to prolong the working life of Fremantle Port; and o the rapid increase in inbound Pilbara freight and particularly out-of-gauge project cargoes.
New South Wales
Rachel Johnson said that NSW transport portfolio had a new structure and consideration of a freight council was part of the present discussion. She said that this
4 meeting had given her good opportunity to appreciate the different freight council models that existed around Australia and the range of issues with which they were engaged. Rachel said that she would stay in touch with all Councils as NSW develops its thinking on the issue.
Commonwealth
Andrew McDonald said that he had listened with interest to the updates from each Council and was impressed by the range of work currently being undertaken. Andrew said that Federal funding was in the process of being distributed and all Councils should receive that support shortly. He mentioned in passing that the absence of NSW from the AFCN had been commented on when funding considerations were being made.
Agenda Item Three: AFCN Activities
Planning for Freight
Rose Elphick said that this is an ongoing project that the VFLC is conducting with the Municipal Association of Victoria. Its objective is to work with local government to achieve higher transport productivity without impacting community amenity. Rose felt that this work had application elsewhere and noted the related WA initiative.
The project is over half way through a four year programme to lift the capacity of local government to make informed decisions relating to freight. Considerable progress has been made, with work well advanced on the establishment of a State- wide Heavy Vehicle network on local roads with ‘as-of-right’ access and the development of an on-line Route Assessment Tool for local government.
Freight in Our Community
Rose Elphick commented that this project arose from the Planning for Freight work. It focussed on defining the freight message and the strategy for effectively getting it out into the community. The project was still in the process of being established, but had attracted support from a number of other Councils.
Rose talked about the methodology to be followed in the project. In related discussion, Rachel Johnson noted the importance of getting the media onside, such that freight is not always portrayed in a negative light. Fred Affleck agreed with this point and added that the freight message needed to be sustained, national and consistent. He felt that all Councils should have a role whether they were able to offer financial support for the work or not.
Infrastructure Australia (IA) Discussions
Fred Affleck reflected on the recent meeting between freight councils and IA concerning the National Freight Strategy. He said that it was encouraging that IA was seeking councils’ views and that the relationship should be encouraged. Fred suggested that when the next draft of the National Freight Strategy was released, councils should seek an opportunity to discuss it with IA. This was agreed to.
5 Agenda Item Four: Relationships
Australian Logistics Council (ALC)
There was considerable discussion about the present nature of the ALC and the way it had changed over the years. It was agreed that the ALC, with its membership of big national companies, was fundamentally different to freight councils and that a formal relationship was no longer appropriate. Notwithstanding, many objectives were common and the two groups could assist each other in a range of areas. Fred Affleck commented that there were grounds for suggesting an informal relationship with the AFCN be put to the ALC. This was agreed and Fred said that he would write to the Chief Executive of the ALC.
Transport and Logistics Centre (TALC)
Fred Affleck noted that TALC was interested in broadening its role in the policy area and wanted to establish a closer relationship with the AFCN. Rose Elphick commented on TALC’s work with TLWAGs in the career development area, but said that a number of Councils were not involved in that area. In relation to other areas in which TALC may have input, it was agreed to seek further information and John Begley said that he would seek clarification from Dr Daryll Hull. The discussion would be based on an informal working relationship with TALC and not membership of the AFCN.
Agenda Item Five: Administration
Federal Funding Arrangements
Andrew McDonald said that the arrangements with each council were now being finalised and that Federal funding was being distributed. Rose Elphick said that councils were grateful for ongoing Federal support, but pointed out that in the eleven years since the arrangement was put in place, this funding had not been increased. It was agreed that this point could be made to the Commonwealth next year. Andrew suggested that approaches should be mindful of the Federal budget cycle and noted that the pool from which freight council funding was drawn was not itself indexed. He also commented that it would be viewed favourably if by then NSW had established a freight council to complete the national network.
AFCN Charter
Fred Affleck noted that the original AFCN charter was drawn up some years ago and required minor amendment to make it current, especially in respect of the relevant Federal legislation and the relationship with the ALC. It was agreed that these changes should be made. Neil Murphy suggested that it would be useful to add to the charter a definition of freight councils in order that it was clear as to membership eligibility. This was agreed.
6 ABS Container Statistics
Neil Murphy discussed a draft letter to the ABS responding to the recent release of information on landside container movements. It was agreed that this was most useful information and that the ABS should be encouraged to make further related data available. After discussion about the draft letter, it was agreed that members would respond with comments so that it could be signed and sent.
Sustainable Built Environment NRC
Neil Findlay mentioned that Keith Hampson of the Sustainable Built Environment NRC worked closely with QTLC in the infrastructure area. Keith had requested detail of other freight councils to assist his work. After discussion, this was agreed.
Agenda Item Six: AusIntermodal Conference
It was confirmed that Fred Affleck would present a paper at this Conference on behalf of the AFCN. Fred noted the importance of speaking on behalf of the whole network. He thanked those who had already provided input and asked if others could do likewise.
Agenda Item Seven: Closing Comments
Fred Affleck thanked members for their time and input at this meeting. Before closing, he raised the issue of the next meeting. It was agreed to hold it in Canberra and use the opportunity to meet with Federal Departments and agencies. After discussion, the date of 27 March was selected as the ALC was holding its National Conference on 28-29 March. That detail having been settled, Fred closed the meeting.
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