Premiers and Governments come and go. They are central to our democracy, but not to our economy. It is business large and small, city based and regional, that makes up our financial and working lives. In the T&L sector it is the road transport companies, the railways, the freight forwarders, the customs agents, the retailers, the manufacturers and the many other modes and groups that move freight from A to B that really matter.
Premiers and Governments need to set the long term vision for infrastructure, skills, transport rules and fiscal and monetary policies. These are the backdrop for business, and the need for them to be clear and certain over time is critical. Industry needs confidence in processes, not personalities. The media may enjoy the presidenital style of reporting, and the school yard fighting, but none of this matters at all in the wider scheme of things.
Industry needs Government to set out a long term direction, designed in collaboration with industry. Industry can then make investment decisions, employ people, seek markets and generally pay the bills - taxes included. You would think this was obvious to those in Government.
In NSW there are a few key issues that need immediate resolution.
The first is the establishment of a dedicated 30-50 year freight logistics strategy for NSW that deals with the port, road, rail, intermodal and regional concerns we all know and live with on a daily basis.
The second is a renewed focus on T&L infrastructure investment that at least matches the brilliant work of the Victorian freight industry and their excellent woking relationship with teh Victorian Government.
The third is development of a sensible and ongoing high level forum for discussion and collaboration between industry and the Government in temrs of freight logistics. NSW is the only State without a clear place that senior operational people can sit with the Government and talk about the future.
The plea from the T&L industry goes something like this: Please, Premier of the day, step back from the back room dynamics and step up to the platform of clear and pro-active strategic conversation with the T&L industry. We beg of you, don't tell us that you care about us, just give us the tools to do the job and enought room to do it. We will sort out the freight system once you have sorted out your own Government.