A government-backed study has been launched to help improve efficiency and reduce costs in Australia’s freight and logistics supply chains.
The government has appointed iMove Australia to conduct the study to inform the government’s 20-year national freight and supply chain strategy and identify the data needed to improve operations, planning and investment decisions in the freight transport sector.
Acting on recommendations from the Inquiry into National Freight and Supply Chain Priorities, released in 2018, the study will analyse how connectivity can be improved in the transport logistics supply chain, by reducing costs and moving product to market more efficiently.
While improved connectivity is a primary outcome for the government’s $75bn infrastructure plan, the study will also evaluate the freight sector’s contribution to the national economy.
The study will explore what freight industry data is currently being collected and what additional data would be required to improve freight-related planning, operations and investment, as well as how data is currently obtained and how it could be stored, analysed and shared in future.
As part of the 20-year strategy, a framework was agreed in May 2018 to create an integrated national approach to make it faster, easier and less expensive to move goods, which the government believes will increase competitiveness of Australian business and raise living standards.
According to iMove Australia chair Ian Murray, iMove forms a natural conduit between industry, academia and government and the study will bring together significant expertise from the Australian Road Research Board, Deakin University, the University of New South Wales and the University of Queensland.
With a fair approach and open approach to data sharing, iMove Australia said there is a higher degree of success in achieving optimal visibility in the supply chain.
The freight study will help guide government and industry investment decisions and identify global examples of best practice, said Michael McCormack, deputy prime minister and minister for infrastructure, transport and regional development.
He continued: “Importantly, the iMove Australia study will inform the government’s National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy, which covers all freight modes. The study also reflects the need for freight data to be made more available and shared.”
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