ALC welcomes decision and calls on other jurisdictions and permanent changes to follow
Queensland has become the first state or territory to extend the 24-hour curfew exemptions for freight deliveries.
In a sign of a shifting tide towards long-term legislative change on the matter, supermarkets and essential businesses will be able to continue restocking 24 hours a day, after laws introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic were extended from an original expiry of June 20 to October 31 this year.
Queensland infrastructure and planning minister Cameron Dick says the legislative amendments, making existing operating restrictions more flexible for distribution centres, supermarkets and other essential stores, the state is better placed to respond to future pandemics or severe weather events.
“New laws passed in March allow the planning minister to remove constraints for essential businesses during times of public health emergencies or natural disasters,” Dick adds.
“By giving suppliers and stores the ability to restock around the clock when needed, it’s going to make it easier for us to stay in front of large-scale challenges like Covid-19.”
The extension also applies to temporary-use licences, which give businesses the ability to adapt during the pandemic without needing to secure planning approvals or changes to planning approvals.
The move has backing from the Australian Logistics Council (ALC), a vocal supporter of long-term curfew lifting, which says the extension provides certainty for freight operators and customers.
Read ALC’s original calls for permanent curfew changes, here
“ALC is pleased that the Queensland government has acted to continue supporting the logistics sector and local communities as this pandemic continues,” ALC CEO Kirk Coningham says.
“Queensland was the first state to take action to suspend curfews in March this year, and today’s announcement is a further welcome display of leadership in this area.
“Although the instances of panic buying we witnessed in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic have subsided, it is still essential that freight operators and retailers retain the flexibility they need to keep supply chains flowing and allow them meet demand patterns and consumer preferences that have been altered as a result of the Covid-19 experience.
“The increased demand for home delivery of essential items including groceries is likely to endure beyond Covid-19, so it’s vital that logistics operators and their customers have the capacity and operational flexibility they require to efficiently schedule deliveries and use the freight network to meet this growth in demand for delivery services.”
ALC reiterates its call for all state and territory governments to make the suspension of operational curfews on freight and logistics activities instituted in response to Covid-19 permanent.
“This includes removing curfews on overnight deliveries to supermarkets and other retail premises, removing bans on heavy vehicles using particular routes, removing curfews on port operations and the removal of airport noise curfews that inhibit the movement of air freight,” it says.