Queensland Freight Strategy

The Queensland Transport and Logistics Council (QTLC) and the Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) agree that a joint approach by government and industry on freight-related issues and challenges is necessary if the overall transport system is to deliver optimum performance outcomes for freight.

Consequently, DTMR is developing a Queensland Freight Strategy with significant input from industry via the QTLC.

Aim

The aim of the Queensland Freight Strategy (the Strategy) is to position Queensland to sustainably manage current and future freight demands across all modes to support industry and consumer needs as well as broader economic, social, safety and environmental outcomes in Queensland.

Purpose

The purpose of the Strategy is to provide a framework, as an agreed strategic reference point, to better inform and shape whole-of-government planning, policy, regulation and investment and industry business decisions in response to issues that impact on, or are impacted by, the efficient movement and storage of freight.

Strategy intent

The Strategy is intended to provide direction for Queensland to capitalise on a broad range of freight issues, challenges and opportunities, including current and future growth, to ensure the safe, efficient and sustainable movement of freight.

The Strategy is not intended to be a solution for all freight and logistics matters and will therefore provide sufficient flexibility for the development and implementation of specific initiatives to ensure solutions are consistent, coordinated and synchronised; whether they are infrastructure, operational, policy and/or regulatory initiatives. This approach will support the development of region specific freight transport strategies (e.g. SEQ Regional Freight Network Strategy), or other initiatives, to address specific supply chain constraints (e.g. coal chain coordination issues).

Strategy approach

The Strategy will reflect the ‘supply chain’ approach to the ongoing development of the freight transport system. This will place particular emphasis on facilitating integration between modes, and where possible, encourage the exploitation of the unique characteristics and inherent relative advantage of each mode to deliver an integrated transport solution. It will also highlight the diverse range of freight movements throughout Queensland, and hence the competing demands that the freight transport system is expected to support.

General comments

It is intended that the Strategy will be comparable in status to the Victorian Government’s recently released ‘Freight Futures’ Strategy. However, it will be dissimilar in its focus as Victoria’s freight strategy delves into detail about specific modal networks, and modal planning and investment matters, which Queensland addresses within separate planning documents and strategies (such as the Rail Network Strategy, Road Implementation Program, Roads Connecting Queenslanders etc.). Consequently, Queensland’s freight strategy will primarily focus more broadly on the freight task and supporting freight transport system and will reference linkages to other planning and modal strategy documents. In the past, industry has approached the DTMR on a broad range strategic freight transport issues, and it is anticipated that the Strategy will better outline to industry DTMR’s position on these broad ranging matters.