Empty Container Management Issues
Victorian Transport Association working on behalf of the Industry
The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) and Shipping Australia Limited (SAL), with the support of the Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC), hosted a meeting of industry and government stakeholders on Wednesday, 10th March 2010, to address the "crisis" in empty container management associated with the container trade through the Port of Melbourne.
Over 120 attendees participated in the meeting, representing shipping lines, road transport operators, empty container park managers, customs brokers / freight forwarders, importers / exporters and government officials.
Linked below is a comprehensive Communiqué reporting on the presentations delivered, the discussions which ensued, and the agreed outcomes. The Communiqué has been accepted by the VTA, SAL and the PoMC as an accurate description of the outcomes of the meeting.
While the presentations and subsequent open forum discussions were frank and robust, there was a genuine mood among stakeholders to launch into collaborative efforts to solve the difficult problems which bedevil the Port of Melbourne's empty container transport chain.
There was agreement to form two "hands-on" Working Groups:
1. Information Visability & Exchange Group (IVE)
2. Park Operations Group (PO)
A decision was made at the August 2010 meetings to merge these 2 groups into a Combined Working Group (CWG).
This web-page will act as the place where information & documents will be posted as further actions are taken, documents produced and discussions proceed on the empty container management issues.