[LINK] Smart transport and logistics proposal

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

"The Australian Logistics Council is the national umbrella body for 
Australia’s Transport and Logistics Freight Industry, representing 
Australia's road, rail, sea and air logistics providers. 

The Council aims to lead improvements in the efficient delivery of 
Australian domestic and international logistics." www.austlogistics.com.au

Press Release: http://www.austlogistics.com.au/dmdocuments/alc%20press%
20release%20-%20smart%20technology%20to%20increase%20productivity%20in%
20the%20australian%20transport%20&%20logistics%20industry-7%20january%
202010.pdf

Smart Technology to Increase Productivity in the Australian Transport & 
Logistics Industry 

The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) has today released a Discussion 
Paper on A Smarter Supply Chain - Using Information & Communications 
Technology (ICT) to Increase Productivity in the Australian Transport 
Logistics Industry. 

ALC is the peak body for Australia’s Transport and Logistics (T&L) 
Freight Industry representing Australia’s road, rail, sea and air 
logistics providers. The Council aims to lead improvements in the 
efficient delivery of Australian domestic and international logistics. 

Smarter Supply Chains are a similar concept to the Commonwealth 
Government’s Smart Grid, Smart City initiative, which will deploy 
Australia's first commercial-scale smart energy grid, with the potential 
to increase the efficient use of infrastructure, cut costs to consumers 
and reduce CO2 emissions. 

"Transport & Logistics companies hold a unique position in the supply 
chain because they are typically high users of existing and new 
information", said ALC CEO, Michael Kilgariff. 

"The most efficient supply chains worldwide leverage real-time 
information and ensure real collaboration between partners, whether this 
is within a closed-loop, across the industry, or across the entire 
economy. Smart Supply Chains must be sustainable and it is clear that the 
enhancements that have most economic benefit come with efficiencies that 
will accelerate the reduction of CO2, but there is more that can be done 
to enhance the reduction of CO2 with innovative ICT applications."

"The ideal Logistics System smoothly delivers goods where they are 
needed, when they are needed, with the least amount of cost, energy, 
carbon, pollution, noise, congestion and harm. This involves minimising 
wait time and handling during the transport of goods to their final 
destination."

“For most freight, speed between nodes (eg freight hubs) is not as 
important as consistent flow. This is different to passenger transport 
where speed between nodes (eg stations) is a key requirement. 

“This difference in requirements highlights the need to have dedicated 
freight corridors (linking key nodes) that can run large volumes of 
freight at steady speed, timed to load/unload at each node. This has the 
added advantage of keeping down total cost, energy, carbon, pollution and 
noise, as well as reducing congestion and improving safety, including on 
passenger networks, which may currently be operating on the same 
infrastructure. 

“The Council of Australian Governments (CoAG) has recognised this and the 
7 December 2009, CoAG meeting agreed to national objectives and criteria 
for the future strategic planning of Australia’s capital cities. 

“The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure, 
Transport, Regional Development and Local Government will also be 
conducting an Inquiry and holding a conference in March 2010 on smart 
infrastructure, which will include a focus on transport”, Mr Kilgariff 
said. 

Mr Kilgariff said for Smarter Supply Chains to be effective, all T&L 
modes (road, rail, sea and air) must be able to work together to maximise 
efficiencies. 

“The impact competition law has on the sharing of information across the 
T&L supply chain - inhibits such an approach. Lack of a framework that 
clearly stipulates government (or ACCC) requirements around cooperation 
and information sharing, creates regulatory uncertainty, and is a 
constraint for improved supply chain performance”, Mr Kilgariff said. 

The ALC Discussion Paper A Smarter Supply Chain - Using ICT to Increase 
Productivity in the Australian Transport Logistics Industry, is available 
from the ALC website at www.austlogistics.com.au. 

7th January 2010 For further information please contact Michael Kilgariff 
of ALC on 0418 627 995, or Rocky Wood of Telstra Enterprise and 
Government on 0408 035 843.

--

Cheers,
Stephen