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| Tuesday, 24 April 2012 |
| Management of Overweight Trucks at Port Botany |
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Dear All, Sydney Ports have issued the following update in regard to the issue of managing overweight trucks in the Port Botany precinct, including the requirement for Stevedores to implement weighbridges. Issues related to the process if a truck load is found to be overweight are still to be finalised whilst the system is being tested. AFIF representatives participate in these discussion through the Sydney Ports Cargo Facilitation Committee.
The New South Wales (NSW) Roads and Maritime Services (RMS), DP World and Patrick stevedores, Sydney Ports Corporation and Port Botany Container Freight Stations (CFS) have held a number of meetings and discussions in 2012 to progress the management of overweight trucks in the port precinct. In addition to discussions between key stakeholders, there are also a number of other forums where this issue is being discussed, including the Committee for the Management of Overweight Trucks in the Port Precinct, the Sydney Ports Cargo Facilitation Committee and CFS Workshops. Sydney Ports would like to reinforce that the program has progressed significantly and these parties remain committed to continuing to work together to achieve the best possible solution for industry.
The RMS (previously, the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority) regularly conduct enforcement operations to identify overweight containers entering the road network via Port Botany. The evidence from these operations resulted in the serving of Improvement Notices on DP World and Patrick stevedores in 2009 with regard to the requirement to improve compliance with mass weight limits by heavy vehicles departing the Port Botany terminals. Three enforcement operations undertaken between August 2010 and March 2011 returned an average of 12% mass breaches from the sample of vehicles weighed. This has resulted in Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) equipment being installed at DP World and Patrick to detect mass breaches for vehicles collecting imports. Current Status
At the Committee for the Management of Overweight Trucks meeting held on Monday, 2 April 2012, it was agreed by Committee Members that an - RMS sanctioned - one month trial will be held to confirm the process from the stevedores to participating CFS's. Sydney Ports is currently drafting Industry Guidelines that it will put out to industry prior to any trial commencing. The trial will not commence until the Industry Guidelines have been agreed on and put out to industry. This trial will be run in conjunction with RMS, DP World, transport carriers and Sydney Ports, and will also include assessing Minor and Substantial breach adjustment scenarios at CFS's. In addition to DP World staff, RMS and Sydney Ports staff will also be at the weighbridges to assist with any enquiries. The purpose of the trial is to ensure the new process works effectively and addresses any issues that may arise. In the meantime, before the trial begins, DP World will continue to test the calibration of its WIM equipment but will not be issuing any tickets. RMS is in the process of developing a legal instrument that will enable Minor and Substantial mass breaches to travel beyond the stevedore gates on a restricted route within the port precinct to a number of nominated CFS's. However, it must be noted that current container transport remains captured by applicable NSW road transport laws that relates to mass requirements and the legal transport of goods by road.
Stevedore Update
DP World DP World has installed its WIMs and is currently testing this equipment. DP World also currently has a safety marshal on-site to ensure truck drivers know how to use the new equipment and answer any questions drivers may have. DP World's Improvement Notice expires at the end of April 2012. However, DP World is currently working with divisions within the RMS to ensure it satisfies its Improvement Notice but also to ensure that industry is comfortable with the implementation of its new weighbridges and more importantly, the new process that will see trucks with Minor and Substantial weight breaches proceed to approved CFS's within the Port Botany precinct. DP World is currently working to ensure that the CFS's operating hours, capacities and processes are widely communicated and understood, prior to issuing any tickets at its weighbridges. Once this information is available and has been communicated to industry, DP World will commence a one-month trial. However, until this information is known, the Industry Guidelines have been released and industry has been educated and trained on the new process, DP World is not comfortable issuing tickets. Patrick
Patrick has been granted an extension to their Improvement Notice by RMS until the end of June 2012. They expect to be operational from 1 July 2012 and will also conduct a trial period to test their weighbridges and the process. Both Stevedores will communicate details of the trial process to industry once they are confirmed. Industry Guidelines, Education and Training
Sydney Ports met with the Port Botany CFS's on Wednesday, 4 April 2012 and is in the process of drafting Industry Guidelines, which will include details of how the new system will operate and the respective capabilities of each CFS (for example, their underbond licencing, hours of operation, quarantine issues, capacities and so forth). However, Sydney Ports is also trying to ensure that there are effective solutions available for transport operators, which cover every possible scenario. This is an iterative process, requiring group consensus and will be refined as more details are confirmed. It is unanimously agreed that industry education and training is critical to the implementation of the new weighbridge equipment and systems. It is the intention of key stakeholders to continue to work together and communicate the changes to industry as the process evolves. It is envisaged that education and training will take place in the form of workshops and group briefings involving RMS, the stevedores and Sydney Ports. Specific details on education and training will be communicated to industry once they are confirmed.
Lucy Craven, Logistics and Trade Officer,
Sydney Ports Corporation Please advise all relevant persons. Thanks and regards, Brian Lovell |