Freight Policy Reform Program

• Media Release 25 January 2024

Consultation Paper

The Consultation Paper was published in April 2024, enabling the first round of stakeholder engagement.

The feedback period for the Consultation Paper closed in May 2024. More than 120 written submissions were received, and verbal feedback was recorded.

This feedback has informed the actions and directions outlined in the Interim Directions Paper.

View Freight Policy Reform Consultation Paper submissions

Consultation Paper information session

An information session has been held to discuss the submissions process, structure and key elements of the Consultation Paper. 

This session has been recorded and is available to view below.

Freight Policy Reform Program Consultation Paper (PDF, 14.51 MB)

Draft Heavy Vehicle Access Policy and PBLIS workshops completed

The Reform is taking an end-to-end system approach and considering the entire freight logistics chain. This included consultation and feedback on the Draft Heavy Vehicle Access Policy and how the implementation of 20 of the 21 PBLIS recommendations may benefit or impact industry. 

Feedback for both programs has now closed. 

The Draft Heavy Vehicle Access Policy received 14 written submissions.

Find further information on the finalisation of the Heavy Vehicle Access Policy.

View Draft Heavy Vehicle Access Policy submissions

Transport received 16 submissions through the consultation on how the implementation of 20 of the 21 PBLIS recommendations may benefit or impact industry.

Find further information on the finalisation of the PBLIS recommendations.

View PBLIS submissions

• View submissions received here

Feedback on the Freight Policy Reform Interim Directions Paper (the Paper) (PDF, 12.77 MB) closed on 23 October 2024.

Feedback on the Interim Directions Paper will be used to inform the Independent Advisory Panel’s final report to the NSW Government through the Minister for Transport.

More than 60 submissions were received.

View Freight Policy Reform Interim Directions Paper submissions.

Interim Directions paper Information session

An information session has been held, to provide an overview of the Interim Directions Paper and outline the feedback process.

This session has been recorded and is available to view below.

View submissions received.

Feedback on the Freight Policy Reform Interim Directions Paper was considered by the Freight Policy Reform Independent Advisory Panel in the development of their final paper ‘Delivering freight policy reform in New South Wales’.  

Read the final paper (PDF, 6.58 MB).

The Freight Policy Reform review was developed to deliver a comprehensive strategic reform agenda and action plan to optimise freight transport in NSW. 

The movement of freight requires an integrated and holistic approach with seamless connections between the different aspects of the supply chain.  

This reform program was a system-wide policy review relating to different parts of the freight system, particularly in relation to road, rail and ports. Critical facilities connecting and supporting the supply chain such as intermodals and industrial lands were considered, recognising they play a part in connecting the movement of goods across the network. 

The NSW Government developed guiding policy principles in relation to:   

• the role of the NSW Government, Federal Government and industry 
• optimising the operations of the commercial ports in NSW 
• supporting metropolitan and regional intermodal terminals and other enabling transport infrastructure 
• the road and rail network   
• embedding freight considerations into transport planning, prioritisation and investment decisions including securing industrial land.    

These guiding principles were used to inform the development of short, medium and long-term actions that will be driven by the NSW Government in collaboration with industry and the Federal Government.

The reform program considered the outcomes from the Independent Reviews and other priorities, including:

• Sydney Trains Rail Infrastructure and Systems Review  
• IPART Review of the Rail Access Undertaking  
• Independent Review of the Ports and Maritime Administration Act (Act) and Port Botany Landside Improvement Strategy (PBLIS)*
• Review of the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy  

*In relation to the recommendations of the Independent Review of the Act and PBLIS it is noted the 16 recommendations relating to the Act are being progressed towards implementation. The review started in 2021 with the report received by the NSW Government in 2023. Through the Freight Policy Reform Program, industry has been consulted further on 20 of the 21 recommendations of the Independent Review relating to PBLIS, except the recommendation for the administration of PBLIS to be undertaken by NSW Ports. The NSW Government is not currently considering this recommendation as it is appropriate that this function remain within Government.

Industry feedback on the implementation of the recommendations has been provided through the last round of consultation by the Panel and informed the related recommendations in the Interim Directions paper.

To support the development of this significant freight reform program, an independent advisory panel (Panel) was established.

The Panel was appointed by and reported to the Minister for Transport as a source of independent advice and assurance on the policy reform.

The Panel worked closely with Transport for NSW in the development of all key documents and consultation as part of the policy reform.

Dr Schott has extensive experience in transport and infrastructure.  At a Board level she was interim Chair of Moorebank Intermodal, Chair of Retained Roads Pty Ltd (a NSW Government owned company that owned 49% of WestConnex), interim Chair of the Sydney Metro Advisory Board, a Director of the Advisory Board on Sydney Light Rail, and more recently (and temporarily) Chair of ARTC. As an investment banker at Whitlam Turnbull, Bankers Trust and Deutsche Bank (from 1987-1999) she led the national sale of ANL freight containers to Patricks, the sale of WA Government’s Westrail Freight to Wesfarmers, conducted valuations of Queensland ports, negotiated the pricing scheme for coal freight in the Hunter, and established National Rail Freight with all the States and Commonwealth (which became ARTC).  She recently reviewed the Inland Rail project for the Commonwealth Government.

At present Dr Schott is a Director of AGL, a member of Aware Super’s Direct Asset Committee, and Chair of the Australian Government’s Competition Review Panel.  She has been a Director of the National Broadband Network (2012-2022), a director of NSW Treasury Corporation (TCorp) (2012-2019) and CEO and Managing Director of Sydney Water (2006-2011).

Dr Schott was awarded an Order of Australia in 2015 for services to business and commerce.

Dr Schott holds a doctorate from Oxford University, a Master of Arts from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New England. She was also awarded Honorary Doctorates from the University of Sydney, Western Sydney University and the University of New England.

Mr Di Bartolomeo is Chair of Health Infrastructure NSW and Australian Naval Infrastructure.

Since taking up full time duties in Non-Executive Director roles in mid 2006, he has held a number of positions in public, private and government businesses.

The boards Mr Di Bartoloemo has served on have spanned various industries including engineering, transport, logistics, infrastructure, energy and finance. Prior to commencing his NED roles, he was the Managing Director of ADI Limited and the Country Director for Thales in Australia.

Before his appointment to ADI in September 2002, Mr Di Bartolomeo had a 26-year career in the transport industry. During this period he held a number of senior management positions including CEO of FreightCorp, State Rail Authority of NSW and State Transit Authority of NSW.

Lucio is a qualified Civil Engineer and has a Master’s degree in Engineering Science.

Dr Parsons is currently the CEO and Managing Director of the Australian Logistics Council with more than 25 years executive management experience in public and private sector organisations with responsibility for: port landside logistics, multimodal infrastructure, competition and regulatory reform, supply chain strategy in food and agribusiness, and industry government relations.

Dr Parsons has led many projects relating to ‘whole of supply chain’ integration and complexity across Australia and internationally. Non-Executive Director of the Melbourne Market Authority and other positions held include Non-Executive Director of Export Freight Advisory Board (Austrade); Non-Executive Director Food Innovation Australia Limited; Co-Chair of Wayfinder: Supply Chain Careers for Women; and Director and Industry Professor for the Centre for Supply Chain and Logistics and Deakin and Victoria University.