Important developments relating to Port Botany stevedore and ECP issues - (IFCBAA NNF 2020/242)

The IFCBAA Agenda for this meeting together with the Minister’s subsequent response and actions (which are both enclosed with this update) provide an important notice to Members (and their customers) on the short and long term initiatives from the NSW State Government and industry that are now being implemented in an attempt to alleviate the core issues that largely relate to forced full container stevedore charges and Empty Container Parks (ECP) charges and congestion.

Meeting Agenda Letter to Minister Constance

Minister Constance response 12 Dec 2020 to IFCBAA Meeting  8 Dec 2020

IFCBAA is of the view that these new developments, which give rise to cautious optimism that the related  improvements that currently are being worked on, will ultimately provide solutions to these issues, albeit spread between the short and longer term, due to the different time periods involved for each one.

The proposed review of the current PBLIS system is welcomed by IFCBAA, on the basis that any resulting changes flowing from that review must provide industry with improvements in the areas of process, transparency, cost controls , whole of cargo and container movement authorised data tracking within land based functions.

IFCBAA, together with another member owned industry association, RFNSW, have been directly involved in working on a number of the initiatives that the Minister refers to in his letter and we thank the Minister and his advisors for considering these.

So with the congestion issues in the Port Botany ECPs easing to an extent, this should over time reduce the instances of empty container dehire rejections and redirections, largely due to the fact the justification of these continuing to occur at the current high levels, will not exist.

As for the congestion surcharges that continue to be charged by most of the shipping lines that service Port Botany as a port of call, the content of this update to Members and the enclosed correspondence between IFCBAA and The Minister, clearly now give rise to the call for the complete ceasing of these charges onto industry.

Members are advised that this situation will be now relayed by IFCBAA in detail to the ACCC, the State’s Attorney General and media.


Scott Carson
Commercial Manager