Hosted every two years by the Victorian Transport Association and the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce, Freight Week consists of a series of stand-alone events staged over five days, allowing industry leaders and government representatives to discuss the issues that will shape our future. Freight Week has a proud history dating back to 1991, and is recognised as a signature gathering in the Australian freight business calendar.
The program of events is very diverse, covering:
Technology Highway – Technology is front and centre in helping the freight industry to achieve productivity gains and safety dividends. Key speakers, including the Chief Digital Officer of food manufacturer, MARS, Chris Riddell, and CEO of Transport Certification Australia, Chris Koniditsiotis, will benchmark how Australia compares with world performance in freight technology adoption. There will be live demonstrations in the “Technology Village” and case studies will outline solutions that work.
Managing Congestion – The cost of road congestion comes with a multi-million dollar price tag. So, what are the working solutions that Governments, industry and the public can embrace? Road pricing, particularly for heavy vehicles, is attracting significant attention at the moment, but will it help to reduce congestion? A key Panel of experts will look at the practical things we can do to improve the reliability of the current network.
Waterfront – Australia’s capital city ports are in the midst of historic and fundamental changes, particularly the two largest container ports, Melbourne & Sydney. Port growth strategies, infrastructure developments, ownership structures and port interface concerns are all combining in a revolutionary way. The heads of the Port of Melbourne and NSW Ports, together with key experts from every sector of the port supply chain, will dissect the issues.
Rail Trends – Bulk and intermodal rail freight will be the focus of this session. What are the growth opportunities for rail freight in Australia and the infrastructure challenges? What do rail customers want, and how should Governments and rail freight operators respond to the question: how can we make Australia’s rail system world class?
Future Workforce – Finding, training, retaining and rewarding people is one of the biggest challenges facing the freight industry in the coming decades. This session will pick apart the key recruitment trends, skills development initiatives, and innovative workplace practices.
Road Transport Trends – Australia is a world leader in road transport technology and practices. But, we can’t be complacent as the freight task grows. We need to continue to innovate and to adapt. And, Governments need to modify regulations to facilitate greater access for innovative truck combinations.
Safety – The freight industry and Governments can’t let up on the relentless campaign to improve workplace safety. Governments develop their safety strategies, while companies do likewise from a commercial perspective. But, do they align? Not always! What are the safety outcomes we all want, and how are we going to try to achieve those outcomes together? Bulk tanker and dangerous goods emergency response will again enjoy a special session focus.
Finally, on the Friday, all participants pull together the themes and issues of the Week, and address actions to deliver a better freight system for Australia during the Freight Outlook session.
If you have a stake in the future of the freight logistics industry in Australia, you really should come to one or more sessions at Freight Week in early September. You can download all the details and register to attend at: www.freightweek.com.au.