Landside Logistics
NSW Maritime actively participates in initiatives to improve the efficiency of port landside logistics. These include the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal’s (IPART) review of the landside interface at Port Botany and the NSW Government’s Port Botany Landside Improvement Strategy (PBLIS).
NSW Maritime also monitors and advises the Minister for Ports and Waterways in relation to other important landside logistics issues relevant to the ports.
In December 2006, the review of the landside interface between stevedores and transport operators at the port was referred to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of NSW (IPART).
In March 2008, IPART’s final report (insert Hyperlink to Report) was released. The report identified that the landside interface needs attention to cope with current and future demand for container imports as well as the need for greater transparency in the Ports logistics chain. IPART also recommended a legislated requirement for the provision of objective data on which to base decisions at both daily operational and long term strategic levels.
Port Botany Landside Improvement Strategy (PBLIS)
The NSW Government generally supported IPART’s recommendations to improve efficiency through greater transparency and guaranteed performance standards at the Port’s stevedoring terminals.
In particular, the Government’s response described the establishment of the Port Botany Landside Improvement Strategy (PBLIS) to be led and coordinated by Sydney Ports Corporation (Sydney Ports), with the objective of improving the competitive access and service arrangements of container movements between stevedores and transport carriers.
The PBLIS comprised a phased approach to implementation. Phase One was based on all parties voluntarily agreeing and implementing initiatives to improve efficiency of the landside supply chain. The Government would only move to Phase Two if the required landside improvements could not be implemented voluntarily and would involve regulating industry to conform to access and performance standards.
Phase One of the Government’s response began immediately with Sydney Ports convening the Port Road Taskforce and Port Botany Rail Team to implement the PBLIS. The groups’ representatives include key industry stakeholders including Sydney Ports, stevedores, rail and road transport carriers and other relevant industry bodies.
Sydney Ports conducted approximately two years of negotiation and facilitation with industry and other key stakeholders to implement and identify a solution that can be implemented voluntarily. However, no voluntary solution was agreed and in order to achieve the aim of PBLIS, a level of regulation (Phase Two) was required. Accordingly:
- On 29 April 2010, the Government announced it would introduce an Operational Performance Management (OPM) Framework to establish roadside performance standards and penalties payable directly between the stevedores and road carriers; and
- On 20 September 2010, the Government announced it would regulate rail servicing charges.
For more details on the PBLIS, go to Sydney Ports’ PBLIS site.
Ports and Maritime Administration Amendment (Port Botany Landside Improvement Strategy) Regulation 2010
On 26 November 2010 the Government made the Ports and Maritime Administration Amendment (Port Botany Landside Improvement Strategy) Regulation 2010. The key aim of the Regulation is to make the Port Botany landside supply chain more efficient by providing for:
- The setting of and compliance with access and performance standards relating to access by road carriers to the Port Botany container terminals, the performance of road carriers at those terminals and the performance of stevedores in providing services to road carriers at those terminals; and
- Regulation by the Minister of charges imposed by stevedores and service providers for or in connection with the operation or provision of facilities or services of the port-related supply chain at Port Botany, including truck servicing and rail servicing charges.
In accordance with the Government’s strategy to reduce the regulatory burden on business, a Better Regulation Statement has been prepared to demonstrate that the Regulation is required, responsible and responsive.
