The Business Council of Australia has been invited by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications to comment on the shipping reform Bills currently before the parliament. 

The BCA has previously made two public submissions that have highlighted our concerns that aspects of those reforms could lead to higher costs to users and poorer service quality, thereby harming the competitiveness of shipping users.

Principally, our concerns relate to the proposed approach to temporary licensing and the tightening of access to the coastal trading market by foreign vessels compared to the current regime.

Read or download the Business Council of Australia Submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications Inquiry into Bills Referred 22 March 2012 (Shipping Reforms) here.

Submission to the Inquiry into Shipping Reform Bills

Submission to the Department of Infrastructure and Transport on the Exposure Draft of the Coastal Trading Bill 2012

Submission to the Department of Infrastructure and Transport on Reforming Australia’s Shipping