CEO UPDATE
I’m writing this from the UK, where I’m taking part in the Australian British Infrastructure Catalyst across Liverpool, Manchester and London. It’s been a useful opportunity to compare how Australia and the UK are dealing with many of the same issues around freight, infrastructure, resilience, and growth. That follows a busy few weeks at home, including MEGATRANS in Melbourne, where ALC participated in two panels and spent time with members and industry discussing distribution centres, freight productivity and how well our existing networks are actually working.
The common thread through all of this is that freight needs to be part of the conversation earlier. Whether we are talking about land use, infrastructure, fuel security, freight rail or regulation, decisions made well before freight reaches the policy agenda can have a major impact on how efficiently supply chains operate. That is also the focus we are taking into next week’s ALC + Government Dialogue in Canberra: practical conversations with government about what is working, where the pressure points are, and what needs to change before policy settings become harder to unwind.
80 confirmed to attend ALC + Government Dialogue 2026
We are delighted to have 80 people attending our 2026 ALC+ Government Dialogue next week in Canberra. This includes many government representatives from different levels and areas of government, and it forms an important part of the ALC’s government relations work. It gives industry an opportunity to engage directly with the senior departmental officials who help shape policy before it reaches its final form.
While Ministers ultimately make decisions, departments handle much of the detailed policy thinking, advice, design, and implementation. Just as importantly, Dialogue builds awareness across all tiers of government and policy areas. Those relationships are fundamental for successful advocacy.
For ALC, good advocacy is not only about engaging once a decision reaches Parliament or a Minister’s desk. It is also about being in the room where the policy thinking takes shape.
UPCOMING MINISTERIAL & GOVERNMENT MEETINGS
UPDATES ON PREVIOUS SIGNIFICANT MEETINGS
POLICY SUBMISSIONS
WORK IN PROGRESS
POLICY SUBMISSIONS
LODGED
ALC VICTORIAN ELECTION STRATEGY AND FORTNIGHTLY SCORECARD
HIGHLIGHTS OF ALC MEETINGS | 18 SEPTEMBER TO 1 OCTOBER 2026
ALC participated in the Australian Government Department of Industry’s Supply Chain Roundtable, which examined fuel, fertiliser and other critical supply inputs.
Officials advised that Australia remains at Level 2 of the National Fuel Security Plan. Fuel imports are continuing, and shipments have been secured for the next six to eight weeks. ALC emphasised that current availability does not equal long-term fuel security, particularly while international supply routes remain exposed and diesel prices are around 47 per cent higher than at the same time last year.
Domestic urea prices have returned to around pre-conflict levels, with imports expected to meet seasonal demand. Plastics, lubricants, domestic gas and helium supplies were broadly stable. Sulphur and sulphuric acid remain areas to watch because of international supply constraints and their importance to fertiliser and metals processing.
ALC also reinforced the need for industry involvement in any higher-level fuel contingency planning, including how fuel would be prioritised across essential supply chain logistics and freight transport operations.
GEOPOLITICAL & TRADE UPDATES
Middle East oil exports improved in September, but shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is still well below pre-conflict levels, and tanker freight costs remain elevated. Brent eased to around US$103 a barrel on 29 September but is still heading for a sizeable monthly increase.
A new concern is the United States considering restrictions on diesel exports to lower domestic prices. No ban has been implemented, but the proposal matters for Australia because reduced US exports would tighten an already stretched global diesel market. Australia does not rely heavily on US diesel directly but competes for supply in the same international market.
What this means for members: Fuel is still arriving, but diesel remains exposed to events Australia cannot control. Road freight, freight rail, agriculture, mining and regional supply chains should continue to expect price volatility and changing fuel surcharges.
Further reading:
ABC News – why a US diesel export restriction matters for Australia
DCCEEW – Minimum Stockholding Obligation and current fuel settings
DCCEEW – Australia’s fuel security
Conditions at major Chinese container ports remain difficult heading into Golden Week. For 23–29 September, average vessel waiting times were around 2.5 days at Ningbo and 3.7 days at Shanghai, with some Shanghai terminals reporting waits of four to seven days. High yard density and strong pre-holiday cargo volumes continue to affect terminal productivity.
This follows several weeks of weather-related disruption that has already affected direct Australia services. Maersk’s Qilin Shanghai–Australia service, for example, was pushed back by a week earlier this month because of Shanghai weather and operational delays.
China’s National Day Golden Week runs from 1–7 October, so reduced factory, trucking and terminal activity will now be followed by the usual post-holiday backlog.
What this means for members: The problem is less about whether cargo will move and more about when it will arrive. Australian ports, container transport operators and warehouses may continue to see vessel bunching and uneven volumes as delayed cargo works through the system.
Further reading:
Kuehne+Nagel – Port operational update, 23–29 September
Maersk – Qilin Australia service update
Australia–China agricultural trade has seen a significant development. A private Chinese crusher has purchased 68,000 tonnes of new-crop Australian canola for March shipment, following another private-sector cargo that arrived earlier this month. These are the first known purchases by private Chinese crushers since Australian canola trade was disrupted in 2020. Reuters
China began reopening the market through trial shipments and later broadened access to private crushers. Australian exports remain subject to phytosanitary requirements and an approved bulk-shipment trial, so trade is not yet fully open. Micor
Australian canola harvest begins in October. China is already Australia’s largest agricultural export market, while canola was worth about $4.9 billion in Australian exports in 2024–25.
What this means for members: If Chinese buying continues, it could add demand through the grain supply chain from farms and receiving sites through road and freight rail to bulk export terminals. It also reminds us how quickly geopolitical and trade decisions can redirect commodity flows.
Further reading:
Reuters – Chinese private crushers return to Australian canola
DAFF – current Australian canola export requirements for China
ALC IN THE NEWS
OPEN SUBMISSIONS
SUBMITTED
The Australian Joint Parliamentary Committee on Defence
Inquiry into Australia’s national civil preparedness and resilience
The Victorian Department of Transport and Planning
Heavy Vehicle Driver Safety Reform
Essential Services Commission
Statement of Regulatory Approach – Port of Melbourne Pricing Order.
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)
Air Services Australia
Proposed pricing model – Flight Information Management System (FIMS) in Australia
For further details or to contribute to these discussions, please email: policy@austlogistics.com.au.
Issued by:
Samantha Leighton,
Head of Government and Industry Affairs
Period: 18 September to 1 October 2026
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