Presentations and Papers
Summary - A Real Solution to Australia's Transport Problem
Presenter: John Georgiades
Australia’s transport problem is rooted in a complex dynamic of: Human, Technical, Commercial, Social and Political interdependent elements. “MURPHY'S LORE: Asciano retreat highlights Vic rail freight disaster”. This was the headline of an article by Bob Murphy written on 12th December 2007 in which he has asked a series of questions that deserve, in fact need, to be answered. Bob Murphy’s questions can collectively be surmised into one question: Why is it that in Australia we are unable to utilise the land transport modes effectively and efficiently? The issue is complex, the solutions are never simple. Perhaps the application of the “fifty:fifty” rule to infrastructure investment would help. Immediate actions that can be implemented include: tripartite Infrastructure Investment Agreements; Industry Infrastructure cost recovery agreements; commercially based transport, storage and handling contracts within the context of a coordination mechanism for network based supply chains. There is a possibility of testing this in Western Australia with the Grain Freight Network, I hope all stakeholders can work together to improve transport services and lower the cost of the grain freight supply chain without hurting rural and remote communities.
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