CTAA eNews - 16 April 2021

Friday, April 16, 2021

This CTAA e-News is sponsored by CTAA Alliance Partner AEI Transport Insurance Brokers

CTAA congratulates AEI on opening its new office in Raglan Street, South Melbourne. AEI is looking forward to working closely with existing and new clients in the Victorian transport market.

Contact Jordan Caleo, Account Executive, on 03 9674 8502 / 0449 996 318 / jordanc@aeitransport.com.au

Stevedore Landside Infrastructure & Access Fees - Vulnerable Supply Chains

We draw attention to an important summary compiled by Paul Zalai, Director of Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA), about the continued advocacy to State and Federal Governments on the impact of rising stevedore landside infrastructure & access fees.

The collective response of Federal and State Ministers has been to task the National Transport Commission (NTC) with developing "voluntary guidelines" to apply to stevedore infrastructure and access charges. Five months' on from that decision in November 2020, industry has yet to have had any formal engagement with the NTC.

Meanwhile, as Paul Zalai explains, the voluntary notification and consultation process in place in Victoria has done little to provide the landside logistics sector with adequate detailed explanations for the reasons for the hike in fees, nor any information about what terminal productivity improvements the landside sector might expect from the added revenue gained.

Hutchison Ports increased its Infrastructure Levies in Sydney & Brisbane by over 40% in March 2021;
No adequate written explanation has ever been provided by Patrick Terminals for the introduction of its $50 "Long Vehicle Fee" in Sydney & Brisbane for every truck entry over 26 metres in length from 1 March 2021. Industry has rightly continued to label this fee as a draconian "tax on productivity" penalising higher productivity freight vehicles; and
DP World Australia has issued final notices of its 12% increases in Terminal Access Charges in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane from 1 May 2021.

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Empty Container Congestion Still a Concern

Shipping lines serving Australia have responded to the call for higher levels of empty container evacuations to relieve empty container congestion.

While these efforts are acknowledged, the continued surge in import volumes means that surplus empties are still a real concern, and add cost in the landside logistics sector.

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Port of Brisbane Developments

CTAA attended the Port of Brisbane Landside Logistics Forum (LLF) in March 2021 where industry had the opportunity to discuss container weight issues (including the Patrick "Pondus" weighing device initiative), access fees, trade development and safety issues.

A CTAA delegation met with senior advisers to Minister for Transport, Mark Bailey and the QLD Department of Transport & Main Roads, to express concerns about unregulated stevedore access fees, and about performance, productivity & heavy vehicle safety issues which are now having significant impacts on the landside sector at the Port of Brisbane.

CTAA has also facilitated a consultation with Patrick Terminals about vehicle booking system (VBS) slot drop arrangements when the terminal works across a full weekend, and has raised further serious concerns about poor truck turnaround performance at Hutchison Brisbane Terminal in the short week following Easter.

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DP World Logistics, Port Botany: Paperless Gate Entry Initiative

DP World Australia Logistics has commenced a trial of the digitisation of the gate-in process for trucks arriving at Park 1, Port Botany, to achieve a greater level of paperless processing of truck arrivals.

Empty Container Parks in other Australian ports where such technology has been deployed (Westlink Container Park, Melbourne is an example), combined with available Shipping Line EDI messaging, demonstrate vastly improved truck servicing times through the facility.

CTAA is liaising with DPWAL about the findings of the trial, as well as DPWAL's plans to increase truck servicing capacity per slot time zone, ahead of a Peak Traffic Management Surcharge earmarked to be applied.

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Casual Employment Information Statement

Under recent changes to the Fair Work Act, employers need to give their existing and new casual employees a copy of the Casual Employment Information Statement (CEIS) as soon as possible after 27 September 2021.

Download CEIS

Heavy Vehicle Charges to Increase

Federal and State Transport Ministers have resolved that heavy vehicle charges (Federal road user excise charge and State-based heavy vehicle registration fees) will rise by 2.5% from 1 July 2021.

Minister's Communique - 31 March 2021

Victorian Owner Drivers - Hirers' Obligations

Amendments to the Victorian Owner Drivers and Forestry Contractors (ODFC) Act 2005 grant stronger payment and conditions protection for contractors who own and drive their own vehicles.

Under the reforms, hirers and brokers face penalties if they breach their obligations to provide safe and fair conditions for individuals classified as contractors, not legal employees. Hirers and freight brokers are responsible for keeping records to help prove they are meeting their obligations when dealing with contractors.

Wage Inspectorate Victoria is responsible for monitoring compliance with the Act, and penalties are now higher for breaches of the regulations.

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Grain Trade Australia Supply Chain Summit - 21 April 2021

CTAA will be presenting on container logistics challenges at the one-day virtual Grain Trade Australia (GTA) "Modernising the Grain Supply Chian Summit" to be held on 21 April 2021.

Free Registration

Container Transport Alliance Australia (CTAA) is strong Alliance of leading businesses in the container transport logistics industry.

CTAA Alliance companies account for the majority of containerised freight handled in capital city ports in Australia.

Consider joining? - Enquire Here

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