Payne questions Government’s abandonment of sea transport from agenda

<p>Despite the shipping industry performing more than a quarter of Australia’s long-haul freight task, it appeared to be completely off the Federal Government’s agenda as far as transport policies were concerned, the Australian Shipowners Association said today (Thursday, April 12).</p> <p>Chief executive Lachlan Payne said he had been dismayed to read the content of a speech given today by federal transport minister Mark Vaile, in which only road and rail had been discussed in terms of long-haul freight.</p> <p>"If I were to speculate as to why shipping transport is repeatedly ignored in ministerial comments on transport, I would have to wonder about things like there simply being no votes in transport," Mr Payne said.</p> <p>"Why are they are so dismissive of those who invest in shipping not to include it in the transport agenda? Is it something to do with the Maritime Union of Australia? </p> <p>&#8220Yet, over a quarter of the long haul freight task in this country is carried by sea transport, with negligible infrastructure costs, because those costs are recovered from the industry itself." </p> <p>Mr Vaile told the Australian Trucking Association conference in Cairns that a viable rail freight system was crucial to meeting Australia’s future freight demand and increasing the efficiency of the AusLink National Network.</p> <p>"Where rail can perform the task more effectively and efficiently, it should contribute to the freight-handling task," he said.</p> <p>The Australian Government and the Australian Rail Track Corporation had committed more than $2.4bn to upgrading Australia’s major rail infrastructure over the five years to 2009, he said.</p> <p>Mr Vaile also referred to heavy vehicle charges, saying that while investing in transport infrastructure was critical to meeting the future freight task, it was also important that pricing signals were right in relation to accessing transport infrastructure. </p> <p>"The Productivity Commission’s September 2006 road and rail freight infrastructure pricing discussion draft found that the current heavy vehicle charging system is broadly adequate, given the currently available technology," he said.</p> <p>"There is, however, a need to update the data used in the current heavy vehicle charges determination and to update the charging system methodology. </p> <p>&#8220These views are reflected in the final Productivity Commission Report, which was handed to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in January for consideration at its meeting tomorrow."</p> <p>Mr Vaile said that subject to CoAG’s deliberations, he was confident that the Australian Transport Council would be given primary carriage of implementing and initiating the outcomes of the response to the Commission’s report.</p> <p>"The next ATC meeting in May will enable ministers to communicate a set of policy positions on heavy vehicle charges to the NTC, and will allow us to discuss options on the way forward for a new determination," he said.</p> <br />