Insights & Opinion


OPINION: The border is not the problem. The gap behind it is.

OPINION: The border is not the problem. The gap behind it is.

THERE is a moment in every trade digitalisation working group that I have come to recognise....

OPINION: The border is not the problem. The gap behind it is.

25 Aug, 2026
THERE is a moment in every trade digitalisation working group that I have come to recognise. Someone presents a framework. Someone else presents a system. A third person presents a...
OPINION: The border is not the problem. The gap behind it is.

Trade security: The tech disconnect threatening Australian ports

21 Aug, 2026
IF YOU'VE ever been involved in importation, you know the Australian border runs on paperwork. But this week the Australian Border Force (ABF) dropped a bombshell in announcing that they...
Trade security: The tech disconnect threatening Australian ports

OPINION: Is the Northern Sea Route the new black?

LATELY, the Northern Sea Route (NSR) has seen increased interest due to the ongoing trouble in West Asia and the war between Ukraine and Russia. So, what are the pros and cons? First of...
OPINION: Is the Northern Sea Route the new black?

OPINION: Shipowners as political negotiators - about time too

IT IS not uncommon for private citizens to be involved in resolving conflicts between nations. At one time, Scandinavians were often the ‘go-to’ guys. Closer to home, the UN-appointed Peter...
OPINION: Shipowners as political negotiators - about time too

Human factors are not sidelined. They are at the heart of marine safety investigations

A criticism occasionally levelled at transport safety investigators is that we spend too much time examining the specifics of an incident and not enough time understanding the people...
Human factors are not sidelined. They are at the heart of marine safety investigations

Redesigning cargo reporting for modern supply chains

19 Aug, 2026
INTERNATIONAL supply chains have transformed over the past two decades. Australia's cargo reporting framework has not kept pace. The current review provides an opportunity to redesign the...
Redesigning cargo reporting for modern supply chains

DISCUSSION: AMSA’s priorities are well-intentioned but ineffective

13 Aug, 2026
AT AN industry Q&A session following an Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) board meeting held in Brisbane I was pleased to have the opportunity to provide some feedback to board...
DISCUSSION: AMSA’s priorities are well-intentioned but ineffective

DISCUSSION: 2005–2026 - what happened to the liner shipping commercial chain?

12 Aug, 2026
ON 30 June 2026, the Australian Shippers Alliance (ASA) lodged a formal complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) requesting an investigation into the...
DISCUSSION: 2005–2026 - what happened to the liner shipping commercial chain?

ACFS insolvency issues create confusion and supply chain risk

10 Aug, 2026
PARTIES in the commercial world have been exposed to insolvency, which has increased and unsurprisingly spread to the international supply chain. As a consequence, they likely have been...
ACFS insolvency issues create confusion and supply chain risk