THE QUEENSLAND State Government has opened an expression of interest process for sea freight services to Outer Torres Strait Island (OTSI) communities.
The state government is seeking EoI’s from sea freight operators with the capability and capacity to provide the essential services, aiming to reaffirm its commitment to providing OTSI communities with reliable and cost-effective delivery of goods.
The complexity of supply chain and transport logistics means the cost of shipping freight, containing essential goods, to the OTSI region is significantly higher than other supply chains, the government says.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads has released the expression of interest via QTenders, closing at midnight on Friday, 22 November this year.
The OTSI region has an approximate population of 8000 people, dispersed across 16 small and remote islands located in the Torres Strait, between the Cape York Peninsula and Papua New Guinea.
Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Bart Mellish, said Queensland includes some of the most remote communities anywhere in the world, which is why continuing to support them is critical to ensuring sustainable freight service delivery.
“Reducing cost of living pressures for Queenslanders, regardless of where they are located is a key focus of the Queensland Government, along with ensuring communities remain connected to essential goods and services,” Mr Mellish said.
“I encourage prospective sea freight operators who are interested in working with the Queensland Government to provide essential services to the OTSI region to submit an expression of interest.”
Cynthia Lui, Member for Cook, said the sea freight expression of interest will help to address the immediate challenges associated with Queensland’s vast, dispersed communities in the Torres Strait.
The Queensland Government is currently aiming to reduce cost-of-living pressures in the Northern Peninsula, Torres Strait, and Gulf region through the $64 million Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme.
