Shipper helps ease freight backlog pain

AN INTERNATIONAL shipping line will make a detour to Bell Bay this weekend to drop off freight which has been backlogged in Melbourne as Toll Shipping’s problems cause delays in Burnie and Victoria.

Zinc and aluminium is being stockpiled and food producers are getting nervous about getting their perishable goods into mainland and overseas markets.

Tasmanian Logistics Commission chairman Brett Charlton said ANL would bring 200 containers which are languishing in Melbourne to Bell Bay before their ship continues on to New Zealand.

“It is hard to put a finger on exactly how much freight is waiting to get into Tasmania or out. A whole heap of issues have accumulated and the situation is now dire,” Mr Charlton said.

Toll – which operates the Tasmanian Achiever II and the Victorian Reliance – has experienced teething problems with their new bigger vessel. The company was also hit by a ransomware cyber attack and it is now in a pay stand-off with the Maritime Union of Australia.

“Add in the coronavirus and things are becoming serious. It just shows how vulnerable Tasmania as an island is when it comes to logistics.”

In February, Toll warned industrial action by unions in Melbourne would cost Tasmania.

An ANL spokesman said Tasmania was facing some local freight challenges and it was helping to keep things moving.

“At the moment we are delivering on a case to case basis to fill the gap until the regular provider can accommodate Tasmania’s freight task again,” she said.