POLITICAL parties are failing the nation with an inadequate focus on freight, the Australian Logistics Council says.
ALC chief executive Kirk Coningham said with little more than a week until polling day, time was running out to make freight central to the campaign.
“Supply chain performance and safety affects every Australian, in every community, every day,” he said. “Yet, with a little over a week to go before Australians make their choice, genuine policy proposals on freight are disturbingly absent.”
Mr Coningham said the ALC had released its own document, Freight: Delivering Opportunity for Australia, setting out 39 priority actions for the incoming federal government.
“While both major parties have made some campaign announcements that tangentially relate to freight movement, there has been little in the way of freight-specific commitments,” he said.
“With our industry having secured a bipartisan commitment to finalise the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy, this campaign is an ideal opportunity for both sides to set out clear plans.”
Mr Coningham said industry was eager to hear from all parties about greater use of high performance vehicles and electric vehicles within the freight sector.
“If we are going to meet the challenges that arise from a growing population and remain internationally competitive, it is essential that our next federal government is ready to take decisive action,” he said.
