Michael Kilgariff, Managing Director of the Australian Logistics Council, has emphasised the need for policy stability following November’s Victorian election.
“Whichever party wins the state election, ALC is seeking long-term policy certainty to support business confidence and to facilitate investment in logistics facilities,” he said last week.
“In particular, industry seeks stability in relation to the critical issue of freight planning, which by its very nature needs to be both long-term and strategic to provide the industry with the surety it needs to make business decisions with confidence.
“For example, whoever assumes office should follow through on the actions of the state freight and logistics strategy.”
Kilgariff added, “The intent of the current Victorian freight and logistics strategy does not differ substantially from that which was developed under Tim Pallas and should continue to roll out. While we appreciate there may need to be some changes to implement the election promises of whichever side wins government, fundamentally, industry is looking for stability rather than wholesale change.”
The ALC had previously advocated for the establishment of a joint parliamentary committee to oversee the roll-out of the freight and logistics plan, with Kilgariff now reinforcing the plan.
“Establishing such a committee will give industry greater confidence that the plan would not arbitrarily change over time, which undermines business confidence. It would also reinforce that the freight and logistics plan is essential to ensuring land use choices in Victoria are made in a way that keeps productivity concerns at the forefront of planning.”
Speaking to delegates attending the Industrial Estates and Business Parks Conference last week, Mr Kilgariff cited the East West Link project as one such project where industry was seeking certainty.
“ALC believes the Link from the Eastern Freeway to the Western Ring Road, is a freight route of national significance,” he said. “Providing an efficient linkage to the Port of Melbourne, Australia’s busiest container port, is critical to coping with rising freight growth and a growing population in Melbourne’s west.”
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