By MICHAEL OUTRAM, APM, Commissioner, Australian Border Force
Mr Outram writes:
For many of us in the Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Australian shipping industry, 2021 has been another challenging year. COVID-19 continues to complicate the global movement of people and goods, while also impacting our staff and business operations.
Despite these challenges, however, the ABF and industry can be rightly proud of the critical role we have played during the past two years in keeping the Australian economy moving and ensuring our community has continued to have access to essential supply chains.
The pandemic has changed many of our day-to-day activities, affecting the way we live and do business. A good example of this has been the rise of online purchases, which have been the most viable option for many individuals and businesses during extensive lockdowns. This shift has seen a marked rise in sea cargo volumes, with a greater share of Less than Container Load (LCL) consignments, as traditional air cargo supply chains have decreased.
In 2020-21, the ABF facilitated and processed 26.9% more sea cargo consignments, requiring us to be agile in shifting our workforce and intervention methodologies.
