 New South Wales Minister for Ports Eric Roozendaal wants to keep freight on rail. |
New South Wales Minister for Ports Eric Roozendaal has vowed to regulate freight prices in response to Port Botany stevedore Patrick increasing its fees by 67%.
Roozendaal says Patrick's decision to lift rail prices on 1 September, 2010 from $15 to $25 per container follows the announcement in April 2010 by the NSW government of a penalty regime for road operations. Both stevedores and truck carriers now face penalties if they do not meet operating benchmarks.
He adds that Patrick was fully aware that stevedore lift charges for both road and rail operations are already incorporated into existing shipping line contracts with the respective port stevedore.
"The NSW government has a very clear commitment to moving 40% of freight by rail. I will not allow this to be compromised," says Roozendaal.
"The prospect of having thousands of extra trucks on our roads, especially the M5, because of Patrick's price rise is simply unacceptable.
"I will be regulating prices to ensure fairness - and to keep freight on rail."