AUSTRALIA MARCH 2012

INSTITUTE CONDUCTS KNOWLEDGE MISSION TO AUSTRALIA

The Institute travelled to Brisbane to participate in the 2012 Australasian Ports & Harbours Congress, and presented a special workshop edition of the World Port Strategy Forum for the Oceania region at the event.

The Institute shared the results of its global port study, and how first-mover port authorities are moving beyond their traditional role of landlord to become port logistics strategists facilitating the development of an integrated port community.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP

The World Port Strategy Forum (WPSF) is a CEO driven event which will discuss and debate the development of Port Authorities regarding the logistics strategy for ports, locally and globally. Every year, the Global Institute of Logistics hosts eight WPFSs globally coincided major maritime logistics industry events, which include seven regional forums and one global forum. On the 27th of February 2012, the World Port Strategy Forum’s Oceania Edition will be held at the Australasian Ports & Harbours Congress 2012 in Brisbane, Australia.

The discussion will focus on the development of Australasian Ports with respect to Port Logistics and how Port Authorities are managing Coordination, Communication and Control globally and locally, in pursuit of a better logistics product.

Background
Globalization means that more and more goods flow between continents and subsequently the traditional role of ports in the wider supply chain context is being subject to a process of radical review. In broad terms, the traditional port model is being replaced by a model which focuses on logistics service quality which in turn has brought the performance of ports and their logistics communities in to sharp focus.
Given the combined perception of port logistics by its final clients – shipping companies, importers/exporters – who perceive the quality of a port in a combined manner, with little differentiation among its specific services and many different types of agents, coordination, communication and control amongst stakeholders is key to guaranteeing the quality of port services.
Across the world “First Mover” port authorities and their communities alive to these new challenges have devised and developed a myriad of strategies and programs designed to deliver a seamless integrated logistics product to their clients. Identifying early adopters and researching their experiences has been the work of the Institute for the last 4 years and now sharing our best 12 case studies from right across the world with a global audience will be our work for the next two.

At last year’s WPSF in Shenzhen, the Port of Shenzhen, Port of Zeebrugge and Port of Virginia agreed to support in the Institute’s new research “Chain Port” to study how global main ports can, through closer collaboration to stimulate three flows of global logistics, the flow of cargo, the flow of data and the flow of finance.

As part of the Chain Port program, the Institute believes there is a potential for world ports to cooperate on zoning part of their ports as “China Gateways” to assist both import and export trade with China.

Supply chains worldwide are under tremendous stress and dynamic change. Nowhere is this more noticeable than in the relationship ports have within them, expanding from simple sea-land interfaces to major nodes within complex, international supply chains. Port–centric logistics parks increasingly represent significant opportunities to compress supply chains, increase the efficiency of ports through higher velocity rates and throughput and maximise the operating and financial efficiency of what is decidedly one of the major assets used in logistics – property.
The challenge is to find a way to standardise the development of these parks in such a way that it will offer developmental economies of scale; consistency, reliability, standardisation and value added in services rendered; and, potentially, come to create a brand which will represent the aforesaid wherever it may be found.

Also at the WPSF: Case Studies
The Port of Virginia has encountered similar challenges to Shenzhen in relation to rail connectivity to the hinterland. The forum will discuss Virginia Port Authority’s rail strategy for overcoming these challenges and how global ports can adopt these methods to improve their hinterland connectivity and overall logistics product, therefore increasing revenue.

The discussion will also include the Port of Zeebrugge, Belgium who run a best in class short-sea shipping service. Zeebrugge will also present their Port Connect Program. This is a global benchmark in running a barge connection and a rail connection

SHIPPING AUSTRALIA

The Institute met with Shipping Australia Ltd to introduce the Container Terminal Quality System. Shipping Australia promotes and advances the interests of ship owners and shipping agents in all matters of shipping policy and safety. Shipping Australia’s members cover many of the major Australian and international ship owners, operators and agency companies involved in bulk, tanker, general cargo shipping, container, passenger and tramp trades, covering liner conference and independent services.

Their objectives are to support and promote the development of a regulatory environment which supports the reliable supply of efficient shipping services; to implement and support actions taken which are aimed at reducing the costs of shipping services; to improve the quality of service to Australia’s exporters and importers; to expand the opportunities for shipping services focusing on world’s best practice and safe operating procedures; to raise the image and public perception of the shipping industry; to expand the information and databases of value to its team members; and to cooperate with all government and non­government organizations in the pursuit of these objectives.

AUSTRALASIAN PORTS HARBOURS CONGRESS 2012

The 2nd annual Australasian Ports & Harbours Congress brought together international and local port operators, users, government and service providers to discuss future growth opportunities. Topics covered included how to increase trade, how to maximise efficiency and how to plan projects in a cost-effective way.

The Congress is a great way to:
– Meet and do business with decision makers
– Increase your brand recognition
– Create new partnerships and alliances
– Develop relationships through new networking opportunities
– Showcase new systems and applications to a targeted audience of decision makers