Peak body Road Freight NSW (RFNSW) has welcomed the release of the Final Report (‘Report’) into the Port Botany Landside Improvement Strategy (‘PBLIS’) – with a key recommendation that it remains in public hands.
The decision was a ‘big win’ for RFNSW and its members, who had lobbied the NSW Government against any moves to privatise PBLIS.
“RFNSW has long-maintained that PBLIS has delivered the most productive port in Australia and that any sale or administration of PBLIS by a third party, such as the private port operator, would undermine the solid productivity gains delivered by PBLIS across the supply chain,” RFNSW CEO, Simon O’Hara, said today.
“We fully-support the finding that current arrangements, where Transport for NSW (‘TfNSW’) administers the Regulation is appropriate at this time. From our perspective, there’s a real benefit in keeping the PBLIS under the watch of TfNSW, not only for the good of trucking operators, but for the wider community. We are pleased that the Government has listened to our concerns about privatising PBLIS, which was one of our main 2023 election priorities.
“Whilst we support some of the report, we need clarification on a number of the PBLIS recommendations, such as recommendation 6 ‘removing the power for regulating stevedore charges’ – given that trucking operators are already struggling to cope with stevedores’ ever-increasing terminal access fees”; recommendation 10 removal of A and B carriers and recommendation 17 ‘certification requirement for container transport road operators’, amongst others,” Mr O’Hara said.
RFNSW also looks forward to engaging with the Minns Government as part of the review in to the State’s freight industry. The policy reform will identify short, medium and long-term actions and deliver a comprehensive strategic reform agenda for the Government to support the ongoing improvement of freight transport across NSW.
RFNSW media contact:
Richard Lenarduzzi
0411 254 390
