Submission to the Review of the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy

Increasing the productivity and efficiency of the supply chain is critical for the long-term viability of Australia’s $19 billion grain industry.

The Australian grain freight supply chain is characterised by long, complex, and multi-directional freight journeys across multiple modes of transport. From paddocks across regional and rural Australia, grain travels either by road, rail or a combination of both, to port for export or to domestic markets such as feed mills, malthouses and feedlots.

Inefficient supply chains have a significant and direct impact on Australian grain growers, undermining the global competitiveness of the Australian grain industry as well as threatening Australia’s food security.
While the development of the NFSCS promised a holistic approach to improving supply chains, the full benefits of the strategy have not been realised.

Recent events including bushfires, floods and COVID-19 have highlighted the inherent weaknesses of Australia’s supply chains with aging infrastructure, disjointed regulation and the urgent need to reform our supply chains and update the NFSCS so it’s equipped to address the enormity of the challenge.