INDUSTRY groups Shipping Australia and the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries have filed objections to ro-ro operator Australian Amalgamated Terminals’ schedule of tariffs for 2026-27.
The objections were filed with independent price expert, economist Warwick Davis, as part of the process that permitted AAT/QUBE to acquire MIRRAT (Webb Dock West) last year.
AAT undertook in May 2025 to establish a regulatory regime for the compulsory tariffs and charges applied on users of all its terminals, replacing earlier undertakings.
An AAT economic modelling team has proposed new charges via a cost model aimed at improving “rigour and long-term price stability”.
“Consistent with this modelling, some charges have increased for FY27 across all terminals in order to accurately reflect the costs of providing these services,” the company stated.
Writing to Mr Davis, FCAI director industry operations Dianne O’Hara listed several objections including:
• The designation of certain services as charges and other tariffs
• The imposition of a new receival and delivery charge on wheeled and tracked vehicles loaded/discharged from ro-ro vessels
• The change in the number of free storage days from 96 hours to three business days at Webb Dock West
• The imposition of storage fees on quarantine-hold cargo (Webb Dock West).
In a letter to Mr Davis, meanwhile, Shipping Australia chief executive Melwyn Noronha objected to “a lack of disclosure in calculation of charge” and the amount of the proposed charges.
In a follow-up statement to DCN, a SAL spokesperson noted “that unconstrained pricing in non-competitive maritime services harms productivity and welcomes this transparent regulatory process as a way to apply fair oversight”.
“If [the regulatory process] delivers just outcomes, similar mechanisms could help curb monopoly pricing and improve waterfront productivity nationwide,” the spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for AAT said the undertaking the company entered into with the ACCC replaced old undertakings held by AAT and MIRRAT respectively.
“This is first annual increase under the new undertaking and AAT has executed a robust process in relation to our rate increases,” the spokesperson said.
“We will work constructively with the independent price expert, and with other stakeholders in relation to the objections received, to achieve a sustainable outcome.”
A notice of objection was also filed by Rigby Cooke Lawyers on behalf of an unnamed freight forwarding and cargo brokering business that required “regular use of the facilities operated by Australian Amalgamated Terminals (AAT)”.
“Our client has identified a number of other fees, charges, tariffs and duties in the tariff which in its view are either unjustified, unreasonable or disproportionate to the service allegedly being provided by AAT on account of that expense,” the legal statement read.
Mr Davis is expected to make a decision on the proposed schedule of tariffs in weeks to come.