PATRICK Terminals has announced its revised annual landside and ancillary charges, which include the introduction of a sideloader fee and a fee for long vehicles, all effective from 1 March.

The $62.50-per-truck sideloader fee applies to all Patrick terminals and the $50-per-truck long vehicle fee applies to truck and trailer combinations of more than 26 metres at Sydney and Brisbane.

Container Transport Alliance Australia director Neil Chambers said the long vehicle charge is a “kick in the guts” for transport operators.

“Patrick is penalising road transport efficiency with this charge. It’s a tax on productivity,” he said.

“We just don’t see any justification for the long vehicle fee. It is very difficult for them to react to these types of fees.”

Freight and Trade Alliance/Peak Shippers Association said in a statement that it would continue to advocate for “meaningful government intervention to wind back shipping line and stevedore surcharges/penalties”.

The new Patrick landside charges are increasing by 2.9% on last year for east coast ports, Patrick said in an announcement.

The landside charges are as follows.

Import containers

  • Sydney $117.85 per full container
  • Fisherman Islands $113.20 per full container
  • East Swanson Dock $129.50 per full container
  • Fremantle $53.85 per full container

Export Containers

  • Sydney $84.90 per full container
  • Fisherman Islands $84.90 per full container
  • East Swanson Dock $84.90 per full container
  • Fremantle $26.92 per full container

“The landside charge will be applied to both road and rail transport operators for all full container movements, both import and export, made at the terminals,” the statement from Patrick reads.

“Road operators will be invoiced electronically via 1-Stop while rail operators will have the charge separately itemised on their rail invoice.”