As outlined in our member notice from 15 December 2023, Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) and the Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA) collaborated with Shipping Australia Ltd (SAL) and the Container Transport Alliance Australia (CTAA) calling on the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) to declare a 'disruption event'.
FORMAL CORRESPONDENCE AVAILABLE HERE
While the mechanism cannot directly intervene in the Protected Industrial Action (PIA) faced by DP World, the declaration of a disruption event provides the opportunity to formally bring stakeholders together to explore solutions to lessen the disruptive impacts experienced by shippers and intermediary logistics operators.
In response, the DTP convened an initial two meetings today (Tuesday 19 December 2023) with invitations extended to representatives from all three Victorian container stevedores, FTA, APSA, SAL, CTAA and the Port of Melbourne. Importantly, the meeting provided an opportunity for the parties to outline operational challenges, delays in quayside / landside logistics and costs (both direct and indirect). We thank FTA / APSA members who provided specific examples which were tabled in a broad context as a part of the proceedings.
In terms of next steps, FTA / APSA are confident that through the advocacy of the combined listed entities, a disruption event will be declared with an immediate convening of a formal Disruption Response Group in line with the framework established in the Voluntary Code of Practice (VCoP).
Should this be achieved, a fundamental activity of the group will be to provide detailed status reports of activity through the Port of Melbourne, allowing members to accurately communicate the operating environment to customers and suppliers and to assist all stakeholders in making considered commercial decisions during this time of ongoing operational disruption.
To assist this process, we again ask members to provide their experiences of impacts (exports and imports) to me at smilici@FTAlliance.com.au
Sal Milici - Licensed Customs Broker
General Manager Trade Policy & Operations - FTA / APSA
Chair – Container Cleanliness Working Group | Global Shippers Forum (GSF)