MIAL announces support to boost supply chain with shipping

Maritime Industry Australia Limited (MIAL) is supporting the federal government’s move to assist the East-West freight trade and secure supplies for West Australians via their temporary changes to the Coastal Trading Act for ships.

MIAL describes the changes as “sensible, pragmatic measures to encourage operators who are not already at maximum capacity to make space available quickly and without complex administrative overheads.”

The association notes, however that the benefit of shipping needs to be seen beyond the current emergency situation.

“Shipping is the cleanest, most efficient form of long-haul transport,” the MIAL said.

“Australia could be a lot more resilient and self-reliant with a fraction of the attention and funding afforded to land transport options,” it said.

Teresa Lloyd, CEO of Maritime Industry Australia Ltd., said that shipping should be a primary mode of transport around our coastline, not an avenue of last resort.

“This is an opportunity for the Morrison Government to identify shipping as a critical transport mode to secure our supply chains, both domestically and internationally, and put in place policies to support Australian shipping businesses to take control and perform more of the freight task,” she said.

“The support the shipping industry needs is a fraction of the investment that is required to secure our transnational rail lines. It doesn’t have to be an either/or situation. Australia should have capability on road, on rail and at sea,” she concluded.

Maritime Industry Australia Ltd has a maritime resilience masterplan already developed with sensible, practical solutions to secure reasonable shipping services to, from and around the country to secure our national interests for years to come.

MIAL says that investment in the shipping industry cannot wait any longer, insisting that 2022 federal budget needs to provide an allocation for the investment in Australian shipping capability.

Source: Maritime Industry Australia Limited