Australia Launches Refreshed National Freight Strategy and Action Plan
Image: Andy Li
Media Release: The Hon Catherine King MP, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
The Australian Government has released an updated National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy, along with a new five-year National Action Plan, to strengthen Australia’s freight networks and supply chains.
Originally launched in 2019, the strategy has been refreshed in response to recent challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical sifts, extreme weather events, and workforce shortages. With Australia’s freight task expected to grow by 26% between 2020 and 2050, the updated strategy aims to ensure the sector remains resilient, efficient, and future-ready.
The refreshed Strategy focuses on four key priority areas:
Productivity
Resilience
Decarbonisation
Data
These priorities are designed to support more efficient supply chains and guide collaborative action between governments and industry across all freight modes.
The accompanying National Action Plan outlines a series of nationally significant actions to be delivered over the next five years. Safety remains a core focus across all initiatives.
Key actions include:
Developing a National Freight Resilience Plan to improve responses to supply chain disruptions.
Creating a Freight Infrastructure Investment Framework to guide infrastructure decisions.
Conducting safety research on batteries and zero-emission technologies for freight vehicles and locomotives.
Promoting the adoption of safety and productivity-enhancing technologies.
Modelling current and future freight networks to support long-term planning and efficiency.
This strategy and Action Plan aim to ensure Australia’s roads, railways, ports, and supply chains can meet growing industry and consumer demands while reducing while reducing emissions and improving safety.
