The Productivity Commission’s Tasmanian Shipping and Freight inquiry has extended its deadline for public submissions by one week following pressure from Tasmanian Federal Liberal Members of Parliament.
The extension will ensure all Tasmanians have the opportunity to have their voices heard and their ideas to help fix the shipping and freight situation considered by the Productivity Commission.
Member for Braddon Brett Whiteley welcomed the deadline extension saying it would ensure individuals and businesses could provide more detailed information to the commission.
“It is so important that we, as a community, make detailed submissions to the Productivity Commission to ensure our voices are heard loud and clear – and this extension will only serve to achieve this.
Member for Lyons Eric Hutchinson said the importance of submissions from individuals, community groups and businesses could not be underestimated.
“Just about every aspect of our lives in Tasmania is effected somehow by the high cost of freight – the cost of groceries, fuel, whitegoods, cars and the list goes on” Mr Hutchinson said.
“Nobody should think that they are immune to the cost of freight in Tasmania,” he said.
Member for Bass Andrew Nikolic said the Productivity Commission has a broad mandate to investigate both domestic and container freight across the strait, along with the recently lost international shipping service from Tasmania.
“No aspect of the Tasmanian sea freight situation is off limits. This is about bringing real change to the sea freight industry that reduces costs and brings balance back to the market.
The Tasmanian Federal Liberal Members of Parliament again reiterated their commitment to retaining the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme and the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme regardless of the outcome of the inquiry.
The revised deadline for public submissions to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into Tasmanian Shipping and Freight industry is 20 December 2013. Further information about the inquiry can be viewed at www.pc.gov.au
Brett Whiteley, Eric Hutchinson, Andrew Nikolic
