The LoadStar - Shipper relief as Australias plan for biosecurity levy is scrapped

The decision to scrap the levy was warmly welcomed by Paul Zalai, director and co-founder of the Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA), which led the opposition to the tax.

"The best thing about this whole drawn out exercise is that it united the industry," said Mr Zalai. "We will now escalate our advocacy with the federal government  to address other exorbitant supply chain costs, specifically regulation on stevedore-imposed terminal access charges."

Indeed, the FTA has been even more vocal in its criticism of the escalating 'port infrastructure fees' terminal operators charge transporters to collect cargo from their terminals.

"Prices are already excessive," Mr Zalai said. "Incremental increases on this basis would continue the devastating impacts on Australian trade. Our regulators need to protect shippers by forcing stevedores to cease this practice."

Furthermore, he said, there needs to be a "paradigm shift in priorities" in favour of shippers, adding: "It is the efficient movement of goods that will lead our economic recovery and generate national wealth, not the welfare of carriers or infrastructure owners."