Transport Issues

Being asked to comment on Chapter 8 of the Report, presented us with an awkward problem. It is, in a sense, difficult not to be unfair to the Group in any critical and in-depth review of the issues and options raised: or indeed, if a similar approach is taken to issues and options not raised in it. This is because, in its terms of reference, the Group was simply asked to 'identify major policy issues and options'. The Group does seem to have been more successful in identifying the policy issues than the options. We appreciate that it would be difficult in a short chapter to provide more than an annotated treatment of the many policy options which relate to transport, storage and handling of Australia's rural exports. This general observation has influenced our commentary. It is not as iconoclastic as it might have been in other circumstances. In our remarks we have opted to comment on the emphasis (or lack of it) given to the policy issues and options which have been raised in Chapter 8. Following that, we discuss a few of the key transport issues identified in the Report. Finally, we comment on a few issues which we think were either neglected or given less than adequate treatment.