Tasmania has a new team to tackle the state’s long-term freight challenges
November 21, 2012
The Tasmanian Government has
announced a special team to tackle the state’s long-term freight challenges.
State Infrastructure Minister David O’Byrne presented the group of industry experts to the public on Monday.
According to O’Byrne, 40 expressions of interest were received from individuals hoping to secure a
place on the team.
“We’ve assembled a well-qualified team that represents rail, port and infrastructure providers, as well as shippers and producers,” he says.
O’Byrne says the team will provide
logistics and supply chain advice, and help complete a long-term Tasmanian freight strategy.
He
says a
key duty of the team will also be finding strategies to attract an international carrier back to Bell Bay.
“We’ve been working with industry and lobbying the Federal Government on these challenges for 18 months,” O’Byrne says.
“There’s no magical short-term solution to the perfect storm affecting our exporters – including the high Australian dollar, market changes leading to bigger container ships and fewer ports-of-call, and the Victorian Government’s unfortunate port licence fee.
“But improving our freight logistics is crucial to the Tasmanian economy, on so many fronts.”
The team is scheduled to meet for the first time next Monday.
The freight logistics coordination team includes:
- Phil Clark (Chair) – DIER
- Gary Swain (Deputy Secretary) – DIER
- Robin Philips – Tasmanian Transport Association
- Jan Davis – Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association
- Damien White – TasRail
- Tony Stewart – Toll Group
- Neil Armstrong – Harvest Moon
- Ian Newman – Australian Maritime College
- Chas Kelly – SeaRoad
- Neil McKinnon – TCCI
- Leigh Titmus – Webster
- Phil Cooke – Tas Ports
- Tim Hess – Petuna
- Gary McCarthy – Port of Melbourne Corporation
- Ray Mostogl – Bell Bay Aluminium
- Steve Henty – Net Sea Freight
- Arnold Willems – Norske Skog
- Craig Fraser – Veolia
- Satyajit Warty – Cadbury/Kraft