The Port Botany Landside Improvement Strategy (PBLIS) aims to promote better landside efficiency and productivity. Photo source: Ports of Sydney Corporation

New regulations have been implemented at Port Botany as a first step in introducing greater transparency and accountability between stevedores and transport carriers.

The regulations are part of an overall Port Botany Landside Improvement Strategy (PBLIS) to promote better landside efficiency and productivity.

The first phase of the reforms involves a new operational performance management framework between stevedores and transport carriers.

Before the reforms there were no incentives for stevedores to service trucks quickly. If a truck was late or did not arrive, the truck operator paid a penalty to the stevedore. If a stevedore did not service a truck or was late in servicing it, there was no penalty and the truck operator wore the cost of waiting.

PBLIS rectifies that by implementing mandatory regulations and penalty payments that flow between stevedores and road operators directly. The penalties are:

* Stevedores must pay road carriers $25 for every 15-minute delay;
* Stevedores must pay road carriers $100 for a cancelled slot if cancelled within two hours of the slot or $50 for a cancelled slot outside that period;
* Road carriers must pay stevedores $50 for late arrivals; and
* Road carriers must pay stevedores $100 for no-shows.