Further to our notice posted on 4 October 2012, FTA put a submission to Patrick management highlighting concerns in relation to the proposed $100 side-loader fee:

Direct deliveries from wharf to importer would further decrease - the proposed fee would most likely force a greater use of "staging" solutions with transport operators using "conventional" trailers / vehicles for container receipt and completing secondary deliveries to importers with side loaders - this would add to the volume of containers being staged as many transport operators are already being forced to take deliveries at off-peak periods and complete next day deliveries.

Significant impact on short term business viability on smaller transport operators - the proposed fee will have a lesser impact for transport operators with sufficient resources to stage containers and in many cases their operations will most likely being "business as usual" - the real impact will be on smaller transport operators with the quantum of the fee and the short time frame before implementation jeopardising their ongoing commercial viability.

Paul Zalai - FTA

Submission to Patrick - Port Botany sideloader fee