The Federal Government has released the refreshed National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy and new National Action Plan incorporating a small number of significant new actions focused around supply chain resilience, infrastructure investment frameworks, and safety research on batteries and zero-emission power technologies.
Minister for Infrastructure Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King says “now more than ever, Australians need supply chains that are resilient and able to withstand disruption.”
Since the strategy was first released in 2019, Australia’s supply and freight networks have experienced significant setbacks including COVID-19, geopolitical shifts, extreme weather events and worker shortages.
With Australia’s freight task projected to grow 26 per cent between 2020 and 2050, support of the sector is vitally important, King adds.
A review of the existing strategy found its foundations remained strong and recommended the strategy be refreshed with a smaller number of nationally significant actions.
This updated strategy underscores the importance of the sector for the national economy and the refreshed strategic freight priorities.
It sets the agenda for a collaborative approach to deliver actions by governments and industry across freight modes, and outlines four priority areas – productivity, resilience, decarbonisation and data – in order to support more efficient supply chains.
Accompanying the strategy, the new National Action Plan outlines a set of actions that government and industry will work together to deliver over the five years. Each of these actions is underpinned by the need for safety, which remains a top priority for the Government.
Key actions include:
> Developing a National Freight Resilience Plan to ensure a consistent and coordinated response to significant supply chain disruptions.
> Developing a Freight Infrastructure Investment Framework to guide infrastructure investment decisions in freight networks across Australia.
> Conducting safety research on batteries and zero-emission power technologies for freight vehicles and locomotives as well as promoting the uptake of safety and productivity boosting technology.
> Modelling the current and future freight and supply chain network, to consider what is needed to support its efficiency and effectiveness into the future.
“Without a viable and reliable freight networks, Australia stops. The journey of goods from farm-gate, factory or port to the shopping aisle or building largely goes unnoticed, except in those rare instances where something in the supply chain goes wrong,” King says.
“As industry and consumer demands grows, it’s vital our roads, rails and ports can accommodate increasing freight movements with resilience, efficiency and emissions-reduction front of mind.”
To access the refreshed National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy and new National Action Plan visit here.