With less than a fortnight until the Federal Budget is handed down, it was an opportune moment for the peak bodies representing the nation’s freight logistics and farming sectors to underscore their common interests and agree priority areas for action.
“This meeting allowed ALC and the NFF to explore the key infrastructure issues involved in getting produce from the farm into our cities and ports,” ALC Managing Director Michael Kilgariff said.
“We know Australian households want to purchase the freshest possible produce when they do their shopping. We also know that Australia’s high-quality agricultural produce represents an enormous export opportunity. However, industry can only meet the expectations of domestic and international consumers if we have a safe and efficient supply chain.”
“This requires governments to make the necessary regulatory improvements and infrastructure investments, including constructing major projects such as the Inland Rail linking the ports of Melbourne and Brisbane, with efficient linkages to the ports of Newcastle, Botany and Kembla.
NFF Chief Executive Officer Tony Mahar said the meeting was a good chance for NFF members to provide their perspective on the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy.
“Agriculture is an industry that competes on the global stage. In order to maintain and build our international competitiveness, strategic infrastructure investment is vital.”
“Farmers are some of the best innovators in growing our produce, but only so much can be done on farm. Once our products leave the farm gate we are heavily reliant on our transport and infrastructure networks to reach consumers. Getting this right is fundamental, which is why we have had these discussions with ALC to identify where key productivity gains can be made.”
“ALC and NFF will use the outcomes from this meeting to shape our respective contributions to the ongoing development of the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy. This will help ensure the Strategy is relevant to the needs of the freight and logistics industry, farmers and consumers,” Mr Kilgariff and Mr Mahar concluded.