The refreshed National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy and new National Action Plan have been released. The refreshed Strategy addresses the recommendations of the 2023-24 Review and continues to set an agenda for a collaborative approach to deliver actions by governments and industry across all freight modes. The goals of the Strategy have been updated, along with discussion of key issues facing the freight and supply chain sector today.
The 2025-29 National Action Plan sits alongside the Strategy and includes 14 nationally significant actions agreed by Infrastructure and Transport Ministers. The Action Plan is focussed on four National Priority Action Areas: Productivity, Resilience, Decarbonisation and Data.
Commenting on the launch, the Hon Catherine King MP, the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, commented: “Without a viable and reliable freight networks, Australia stops. The journey of goods from farm-gate, factory or port to the shopping aisle or building largely goes unnoticed, except in those rare instances where something in the supply chain goes wrong. As industry and consumer demands grows, it’s vital our roads, rails and ports can accommodate increasing freight movements with resilience, efficiency and emissions-reduction front of mind”.
A statement from the Federal Government added that, since the Strategy was first released in 2019, Australia’s supply and freight networks have experienced significant setbacks including COVID-19, geo-political shifts, extreme weather events, and worker shortages.
The Strategy outlines four priority areas: productivity, resilience, decarbonisation and data. The new National Action Plan outlines a set of actions for government and industry to deliver over five years.
Key actions include:
- Developing a National Freight Resilience Plan to ensure a consistent and coordinated response to significant supply chain disruptions
- Developing a Freight Infrastructure Investment Framework to guide infrastructure investment decisions in freight networks across Australia
- Conducting safety research on batteries and zero emission power technologies for freight vehicles and locomotives as well as promoting the uptake of safety and productivity boosting technology
- Modelling the current and future freight and supply chain network, to consider what is needed to support its efficiency and effectiveness into the future
To access the refreshed National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy and new National Action Plan, visit: www.freightaustralia.gov.au
