NSW Freight Policy Reform - Final Report Released: Delivering Freight Policy Reform in New South Wales

Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) and the Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA) welcome the release of the Freight Policy Reform Advisory Panel's final report, Delivering Freight Policy Reform in New South Wales, now endorsed by the NSW Government and publicly available at the Freight Policy Reform Program website.

This landmark paper provides a clear roadmap for reform across the freight and logistics landscape in NSW, setting out a program of short, medium, and long-term actions to be implemented progressively over the next five years.

While we are still undertaking a full review of the Final Report, we are pleased to advise members that both of our submissions to this process — the FTA/APSA Submission to the Consultation Paper (May 2024) and our Response to the Interim Directions Paper (October 2024) — appear to be well reflected in the final recommendations, reinforcing the strength of industry feedback and collaboration.

Key FTA/APSA recommendations now adopted in the final report include:

• Stevedore Terminal Access Charges (TAC): The report echoes our longstanding advocacy for reform, noting that since 2018, stevedores have increasingly shifted costs onto landside operators, who in turn pass these charges onto cargo owners. The final report acknowledges that this cost shift has created an overly complex and opaque charging system, particularly for road operators. It also references the Productivity Commission's 2023 Inquiry, which recommended the development of a mandatory code to regulate stevedore charges and provide enforcement powers to the ACCC — precisely the outcome FTA/APSA has been advocating. We welcome the final report's call for the Australian Government to consider this recommendation, aligning with our position that voluntary codes are no longer sufficient.

• Promotion of a Maritime Single Window (MSW): The final report supports the use of digital systems and data transparency, consistent with our call to adopt the MSW as required under the IMO FAL Convention.

• Protection of Industrial Land for Freight Use: The final report highlights the urgent need to reserve and prioritise freight corridors and industrial land — a position FTA/APSA strongly argued in both submissions.

• Modal Shift from Road to Rail: The roadmap emphasises increased rail utilisation through access charge reform and investment in intermodal infrastructure, directly aligning with our repeated calls for state support to reduce road congestion and freight emissions.

• Skills and Workforce Development: We are pleased to see the report's acknowledgment of our recommendations for a skills and training pipeline, including specific reference to younger worker attraction and vocational pathways.

• Empty Container Park reform and port congestion management: The need for operational improvements around port precincts and better ECP efficiency is captured within the broader Port Botany Landside Improvement Strategy (PBLIS) recommendations.

The report also reflects our advocacy for greater coordination between governments and clearer governance structures within Transport for NSW to ensure reforms are effectively delivered and monitored.

FTA/APSA thanks members for contributing to our submissions and will continue to represent your interests as implementation progresses. We strongly encourage all members to review the final report and monitor how these reforms may impact operational and commercial activities.

For any enquiries, please contact Tom Jensen.
 

Tom Jensen -  General Manager Freight Policy & Operations - FTA / APSA