PATRICK INCREASES TERMINAL ACCESS CHARGES

According to the latest announcement from Patrick Terminal, they will be implementing a 20% increase per full container charges on Terminal Access Charges for Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. Whilst, Fremantle Terminal Access Charge increases approximately 7.15% assuming that this is what was negotiated in the new lease agreement with Fremantle Ports.

Ancillary charges on the other hand, shows a surprising major increase in the Patrick stack run fee, a whooping 67% ( approximately ) representing a substantial impost to the larger transport operators.

Last year, DP World and VICT increased their Terminal Access Charges nationally (including increases at their Port of Melbourne operations) where prescriptive detail where requested to identify as to whether this is a measure to offset a further reduction in quayside rates to stevedore commercial client shipping lines and / or necessitated by other specific operational factors.

We have now requested a further detailed explanation for the increases including disclosure, supporting information and data justifying the full cost structure of the total increased fees and looking at later on moving towards regulation to force stevedores (and empty container parks) to cost recover directly against their commercial client (shipping line).

As part of developing national guidelines on charges, we have asked NTC to consider regulation to force stevedores to recover infrastructure costs from shipping lines, rather than from transport operators to avoid making the vulnerable Australian supply chain participants are currently paying an additional $500M+ per year direct to stevedores and empty container parks. Given the current situation, all of these rapidly increasing costs are having particularly devastating impacts on exporters and importers crippling financial impacts on manufacturers, farmers and regional communities.