The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) has unveiled six supply chain priorities ahead of November’s Victorian election.

The ALC has asked every party contesting the election to commit to six practical priorities that would strengthen the state’s supply chains and make better use of the infrastructure already in place.

Victoria’s freight task is expected to more than double over the next 25 years, from around 440 million tonnes in 2020-21 to 908 million tonnes by 2050-51.

Around 240,000 Victorians already work across the state’s supply chain, logistics and freight transport industries, and more skilled workers will be needed as the task grows.

ALC is asking parties to commit firstly to a Road Sustainability Fund for planned maintenance, safety and upgrades on freight-critical roads, bridges and first and last-mile links, as well as a staged and costed plan to increase freight rail use.

The council is then urging any prospective parties to fix road and freight rail connections to ports, terminals and major logistics and industrial precincts, plan rules that protect freight access via 24/7 operations and establish an independent Infrastructure Victoria.

Lastly, the ALC’s final points call for investment in charging infrastructure for electric heavy freight vehicles, renewable diesel and other lower-carbon fuels and a four-year Supply Chain Workforce Plan developed with industry, unions, TAFEs, universities and training providers with practical entry, training and licensing pathways.

ALC Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Dr Hermione Parsons says Victoria doesn’t need a long list of election projects.

“The state already has substantial road, rail, port and terminal assets. The immediate job is to fix the gaps and make the system work better. These are the networks that keep food, medicine and other essential goods reaching homes and businesses,” she says.

“Road maintenance cannot be a cycle of pothole announcements. We need planned, preventative maintenance on the routes and bridges the freight task depends on. Freight rail also needs a practical plan that deals with access costs, terminal connections, reliability and gauge constraints, and builds volumes that stay on rail.

“More housing and efficient freight access are not mutually exclusive. New communities still need deliveries, while established industrial areas need room to operate. Victoria also needs independent long-term advice. Infrastructure Victoria should be reinstated and strengthened where needed, not replaced by short-term political decisions.

“Different freight tasks need different energy solutions, but the transition cannot come at the expense of reliability. None of it works without people. Victoria also needs a workforce plan linking schools, TAFEs, universities and employers, with practical training and licensing pathways and reporting on completion and retention.”

The six priorities build on the Victorian Freight Plan 2025-30, with the ALC asking all parties to set out their positions before polling day.

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