Michael McCormack

Federal Transport Minister Michael McCormack has confirmed plans for a freight data hub, with more than $8 million in funding.

The hub will act as the nation's central collector and disseminator of freight data, in the same way that the Australian Bureau of Statistics provides a vital information for managing the economy.

"The expanding population and the growing popularity of online shopping are dramatically increasing the national freight task," says iMOVE managing director Ian Christensen.

"iMOVE expects this to increase by 75% in 20 years (2011-2031) and that means more trucks, more freight trains, and vehicles operating more hours every day."

The new hub will harness cutting-edge technology to monitor freight use of the country's transport system. It means, for the first time, there will be a central, neutral collection point for data of all freight transport system users - private companies, regulators, state transport departments and other government agencies.

"Going forward, however, it is not just individual freight operators that have to perform well, but now all the parties in a supply chain must coordinate their actions to deliver end-to-end efficiency. That means, despite each organisation's fierce independence, we are all parts of a system and have to work together. Australia's success depends on the performance of that system."

MOVE CRC (iMOVE ) is a consortium of 44 industry, government, and research partners engaged in a concerted 10-year effort to improve Australia's transport systems through collaborative R&D projects.