PORT terminal and supply chain operator DP World Australia, on 1 October, announced increases to its Terminal Carrier Access Public Tariff Schedules for its Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane terminals from 1 January 2022.
DPWA has agreed to abide by the spirit of the Victorian government’s Voluntary Pricing Protocols for stevedore landside access fees, including extended notice of fee amendments and agreed to apply only one fee review annually.
Container Transport Alliance Australia (CTAA) said DPWA will likely make separate announcements about its Fremantle fee structure.
CTAA director Neil Chambers said, “While some fees will only increase by CPI or below, others have high percentage increases and new fees have emerged”.
For instance, terminal access fees for full export containers will rise by 18.32%, he said.
“Containerised exporters will bear the brunt at a time when global shipping congestion, delays, falling shipping line service levels, and higher supply chain costs are likely to still persist,” Mr Chambers said.
He also questioned why VBS slot fees, which will rise by 8.96%, are above CPI and what productivity benefits will flow from this increase.
The direct return of empty booking fee will rise by 33.57%. And, a side-loader fee will be introduced in Melbourne and Brisbane that aligns with the existing fee structure in Sydney and Fremantle.
“The consequence however is that the fee becomes a significant disincentive for direct side-loader customer deliveries from terminals and raises transport costs due to the need to stage containers through transport yards to transfer from skel to side-loader trailers for customer delivery,” Mr Chambers said.
The chain of responsibility weigh-in-motion fee will also rise by 25%.
CTAA is also focused on the productivity improvements required in the stevedore/landside interface to offset fee increases.
“For instance, in Sydney while trucks have improved their on-time running to terminals, on-time truck servicing within terminals and the average truck turnaround time have both deteriorated, particularly during peak season in 2020,” Mr Chambers said.
“The situation needs to improve if we are to adequately address the overall performance and costs of the terminal/landside interface in the container logistics chain,” he said.
Under the Victorian voluntary pricing protocols on stevedore fees, all stakeholders have the opportunity to make comment to DPWA ahead of the final notifications being issued on 1 November 2021.
Comments to DPWA for their response are due by 22 October 2021.
