Lines will be at VTA empties forum says SAL

Shipping Australia chief executive Llew Russell said lines would join about 80 other interested parties from across the supply chain, including those running empty container parks.

Mr Russell, who will co-chair the meeting with VTA chairman Philip Lovel, expected the road-haulage sector to be particularly well represented.

Shipping Australia welcomed the opportunity to work collaboratively with the rest of the logistics industry to find a solution.

Mr Russell insisted that while two lines controlled an empty container park each, the idea that the lines had broad powers over the parks was a misconception.

"We are not the parks," he said.

He highlighted the impact of the closure of parks in increasing congestion but this could be mitigated to some extent by introducing IT solutions to link the parks to the wider industry, thereby increasing transparency.

SAL was in negotiations in other states on congestion issues but Mr Russell said that each port was a separate case with the container parks and trucking sectors working under differing structures.

In Sydney, while it was hoped that the intermodal terminals at Moorebank and Enfield, which would have space for empty containers, would be ready in time to help shift boxes away from Port Botany by rail, SAL was working on a contingency plan that might see Glebe Island used if the existing parks run out of capacity.

In Melbourne, intermodal terminals, when ready, would also help.

More immediately, the rebound in the global container market may lend a hand.

One container line was sending a boxship to redeploy empties from Melbourne and Sydney, Mr Russell said, though he would not be drawn on details.

And Port of Melbourne Corporation revealed this week that empty container movements had posted their first monthly increase since December 2008, climbing 6.4% in January.