Appendix: Engagement to develop the final Freight and Ports and Plan

Introduction

From mid-2017 to early 2018, extensive consultation was undertaken with the freight industry, local councils and other stakeholders to develop the NSW Freight and Ports Plan. Preliminary consultation prior to the release of the Draft NSW Freight and Ports Plan (Draft Plan) focused on priority issues, opportunities for partnerships, and possible actions and reforms. A second phase of more extensive consultation was undertaken in early 2018 with a focus on directions identified in the Draft Plan and targets and priority action areas for the final Plan. Consultation included:

  • meetings with over 50 key stakeholders 
  • twelve roundtable sessions at locations across NSW including representatives from across industry and government
  • over 110 submissions were made during the consultation process from late 2017 to mid 2018

Issues identified

While most stakeholders commented on specific modes, supply chains and locations, a number of strong and recurring themes were identified from the consultation process. These are shown below.

Key issues identified during the consultation process:

Objective

ObjectiveKey issues consistently raised by stakeholdersOther issues raised
Economy•    Investment needs to be supported by availability of data and transparency of network performance
•    Improved coordination between different levels of government, particularly at local council level
•    Community attitudes to freight and its perceived lack of importance by the public impacting on investment and policy decisions made by Government
•    Need to provide industry greater certainty to support investment decisions
•    Need for focus on improving flows through NSW trade gateways
Efficiency, Connectivity, Access•    Lack of consistency of heavy vehicle access across council areas and impacts on efficiency
•    Inequity and inefficiency of road-based vehicle charging system
•    Need to capitalise on and invest to support Inland Rail for the benefit of NSW
•    Lack of coordination and planning with movement of empty vehicles and containers resulting in inefficient movements of freight
•    Lack of coordination and planning between rail network access holders impacting on efficiency
 
Capacity•    Rezoning of industrial/employment lands in metro/inner Sydney for housing ‘squeezing’ freight-related activity to Western Sydney 
•    Interest in containerised freight terminal at Newcastle Port
•    Rail signaling and current speed restrictions limiting capacity of the rail network
•    Development of employment lands not adequately supported by investment in surrounding infrastructure
Safety•    Concern over road safety and impacts on the industry, particularly around differing regulatory requirements and compliance standards•    Need for increased land/facilities for rest stops for long distance truck drivers
Sustainability•    Noise and other environmental concerns caused by inappropriate co-location of freight and other land uses – impacting on operation•    Existing marine/coastal infrastructure not well utilised for the movement of freight inter and intra-state
•    Staff and skills shortages are impacting upon the future of the industry – there is a declining perception of the freight and logistics industry as a potential career for school leavers

The table overleaf summarises the key issues gathered from stakeholder consultation and describes the response to these in the Plan.

Key issues

Key issueHow the Freight and Ports Plan respondsSpecific goals, targets, measures and initiatives in Plan
Lack of data on freightGoal 1.3 of the Plan is specifically focused on freight data and various initiatives will be implemented to improve the quality and accessibility of freight planning and performance data. 
Key information from the evidence base for the Plan including freight forecasts, performance data and submissions from industry have been published with the Plan.

Goal
1-3: Improve freight data
Initiatives
Publish and update freight forecasts and performance measure data
Enhance freight data
Improve data sharing

More effective local planning for freightThe Plan includes comprehensive actions to improve local planning for freight, with a strong emphasis on working with other key NSW Government agencies such as the Greater Sydney Commission and Department of Planning and Environment to provide assistance to local councils to help them better plan for freight.Goals
2-3: Improve road freight access
2-4: Manage freight in key urban centres
3-4: Protect land for freight and logistics uses and infrastructure
Initiatives
Assist local councils in making high productivity vehicle (HPV) access decisions
Work with industry to improve the efficiency of urban freight
Improve planning for last mile deliveries
Assist local councils to plan for freight needs
Ensure planning accommodates the growth of the freight task and protects community amenity
Need for improved heavy vehicle access and consistency in access arrangementsThe Plan includes a goal to improve road freight access. The plan also includes a strategic target to increase access for HPVs and a performance measure for take-up of heavy vehicle productivity schemes. 
Various initiatives will be implemented to improve heavy vehicle access, including implementing a Heavy Vehicle Access Policy framework to provide greater certainty to industry regarding future networks for HPVs. 
Goal
2-3: Improve road freight access
Strategic Freight Target:
Increase the length of the state road network approved for appropriate access under each of the Restricted Access Vehicle Networks
Initiatives
Implement NSW Heavy Vehicle Access Policy Framework
Fund infrastructure improvements to increase HPV road access 
Assist local councils in making HPV access decisions 
Expand the coverage and uptake of heavy vehicle mass concession schemes
Need for reforms to heavy vehicle road use chargesNSW will continue to support the Transport and Infrastructure Council Heavy Vehicle Road Reform program. The goal of this program is to turn the provision of heavy vehicle road infrastructure into an economic service that links the needs of heavy vehicle users with the level of service they receive, the charges they pay and the investment of those charges back into road services.Goal
1-1: Encourage investment by providing greater certainty regarding government priorities and funding
Initiatives 
Support national reforms to investment in the freight network
NSW support for the Inland Rail project In May 2018 the NSW and Australian Governments signed a bilateral agreement to progress the Inland Rail project in NSW. 
A key focus for NSW will be on improved east-west rail freight networks and connectivity with NSW ports, and supporting the development of intermodal terminals along the route including at Parkes. 
Goal
2-5: Improve rail freight access and flows 
Initiatives
Support delivery of Inland Rail
Land Use Capacity ConstraintsThe Plan includes a specific goal (3.4) to protect land needed for freight and logistics uses and infrastructure. Additionally, the NSW Freight Dashboard includes a measure on the supply of land for industrial uses in Greater Sydney, drawing on data from the Department of Planning and Environment to monitor the continued supply of land for industrial uses in Greater Sydney.
Various initiatives will be implemented to improve planning for freight, including providing practical information and assistance to local councils to develop strategic planning statements in response to Regional and District Plans prepared by Department of Planning and Environment and Greater Sydney Commission. 
Goals
3-1: Deliver new infrastructure to increase rail freight capacity
3-2: Deliver new infrastructure to increase road freight capacity and improve safety
3-4: Protect land for freight and logistics uses and infrastructure  
Initiatives
Ensuring planning for freight protects land needed for freight and logistics 
Assist local councils to plan for freight needs
Plan for bulk waste and recycling intermodal terminal 
Ensure planning accommodates the growth of the freight task and protects community amenity 
Need for containerised freight at Newcastle PortThe Plan recognises the interest of the Port of Newcastle in diversifying and expanding the port’s trade base. An initiative has been included in the Plan to support the Port of Newcastle as the commercial operator of the port, to explore other trade opportunities as they deliver their masterplan, such as examining landside capacity constraints that may need to be addressed beyond the timeframe of this Plan.
The NSW Government policy position is that Port Kembla will act as an overflow facility for containerised freight once operational capacity at Port Botany is reached. Current arrangements do not prohibit the development of a container terminal at the Port of Newcastle but rather allow for the growth of container volumes through Newcastle that service the region.
Goals
1-1 Encourage investment by providing greater certainty regarding government priorities and funding
3-4: Protect land for freight and logistics uses and infrastructure
Initiatives
Work closely with industry to enable long-term investment
Lower Hunter Freight Corridor
Golden Highway Upgrades 
Hexham, Raymond Terrace upgrades 
New England Highway Duplication and Upgrade 
Ensure planning for freight protects land needed for freight and logistics
 
Actions to improve road safetyThe Plan includes a specific goal to improve the safety of networks, transport, speeds and people expressly targeted at improving road safety and supporting the implementation of the NSW Road Safety Plan and the development of a Heavy Vehicle Safety Strategy.
The Plan also includes a strategic target for reducing fatalities and serious injuries from crashes involving a heavy vehicle and light trucks, in line with the aspirational goal of achieving zero fatalities by 2056.
Goal
4-1: Safer networks, transport, speeds and people
Strategic Freight Target
Reduce fatalities and serious injuries from crashes involving a heavy vehicle or light truck by 30% by 2021 (against a 3 year average 2008 to 2010 baseline)
Initiatives
Develop a new heavy vehicle safety strategy
Advocate for an outcomes-based approach to managing heavy vehicle safety
Develop a rest stop framework
Trial a new approach to telematics 
Enhance law enforcement 
Improve safety on country roads
Noise concerns and community pressureThe Plan recognises the need to address the co-location and often incompatibility of freight uses with residential and other land use.
This is in response to concerns over the pressure imposed on freight operations due to noise and other environmental considerations. 
The Plan includes initiatives to address these conflicting requirements including improving communication of current and future noise conditions around key freight precincts and freight-related infrastructure.
Goal
5-2: Manage the noise impacts of freight
Initiatives
Work with industry to reduce noise impacts of rail freight
Investigate environmental performance accountability improvements 
Support electric vehicles in high density areas, for example by working with industry on trials 
Further research into noise impacts and mitigation measures 

Other issues

Other issues raised by stakeholders during the consultation process 

Other IssuesResponse and relevant goal where applicable
Community attitudes to freight and its perceived lack of importance by the public impacting on investment and policy decisions made by GovernmentThe ‘Be Truck Aware’ campaign is a current example of efforts by the NSW Government to educate the community about heavy vehicles. This is supported by active community engagement through engaging with schools and community groups.
The NSW Government will continue to prioritise resources on areas which promote safety and improved understanding of freight by local councils given the significant influence on the movement and efficiency of freight.
Where appropriate, the NSW Government will also support public outreach programs led by the industry to communicate the benefits of freight more generally. The recent ‘Box that changed the world’ exhibition sponsored by TfNSW on containerised freight, at the Australian Maritime Museum, provides an example of leadership from the industry to promote the role of freight.
Differing views regarding when infrastructure improvements will be requiredViews on timeframes for infrastructure improvements were sought during the consultation process and industry feedback was also sought on underlying freight forecasts prepared by Transport for NSW.
Timing requirements for infrastructure and other projects will be subject to regular review in close consultation with industry as this Plan is implemented. Regular updates of freight forecasts will support this process.
Goal 1-3: Improve freight data
Differing views on policy relating to maintaining, managing and planning industrial and urban services landsThe Greater Sydney Region Plan identifies three key principles for managing industrial and urban services lands:
•    Retain and manage approach across the Eastern Harbour City, the North West Growth Area and industrial land in the established urban areas of the Western Parkland City, including the existing Western Sydney Employment Area.
•    Review and manage in the established areas of Central City District, Hornsby, Liverpool and Fairfield.
•    Plan and manage in the South West and Western Sydney Airport Growth Areas.
Consultation undertaken as part of preparing the Greater Sydney Region Plan, Future Transport 2056 and this Plan indicated strong general support from industry for this position. However, in some cases stakeholders perceived this approach as a moratorium on the use of industrial and urban services land for alternate purposes, such as residential development.
These key principles represent a broad framework for managing land use requirements for the freight industry and other uses of industrial and urban services land, rather than a ‘ban’ on use for other purposes. 
The Greater Sydney Commission is now working with local councils and other key stakeholders to further define and implement these principles as they prepare local strategic planning statements to give effect to District and Regional Plans. This will continue to be done in close consultation with land developers, the freight operators and other sections of industry. Transport for NSW will work with government and industry stakeholders to better understand the evolving land use requirements of the freight industry.
Goal 3-4 Protect land for freight and logistics uses and infrastructure
Goal 1-3 Improve freight data
Need to provide industry greater certainty to support investment decisionsGoal 1-1 Encourage investment by providing greater certainty about government priorities
Need for focus on improving flows through NSW trade gatewaysGoal 2-2 Improve flow of freight through trade gateways
Lack of coordination and planning with movement of empty vehicles and containers resulting in inefficient movements of freightGoal 2-2 Improve flow of freight through trade gateways
Lack of coordination and planning between rail network access holders impacting on efficiencyGoal 2-2 Improve flow of freight through trade gateways
Goal 2-5 Improve rail freight access and flows
Rail signalling and current speed restrictions limiting capacity of the rail networkGoal 2-5 Improve rail freight access and flows
Development of employment lands not adequately supported by investment in surrounding infrastructureGoal 2-4: Manage freight in key urban centres
Goal 3-4: Protect land for freight and logistics uses and infrastructure
Need for increased land/facilities for rest stops for long distance truck driversGoal 4-1: Safer networks, transport, speeds and people
Existing marine/coastal infrastructure not well utilised for the movement of freight inter and intra-stateGoal 1-2: Support reforms to transport laws and regulatory bodies (including by advocating for Australian legislative amendments to facilitate greater use of coastal shipping)
Goal 3-4: Encourage coastal shipping through planning and other initiatives