Number: 02/2023. Date: 23/6/2023

News from the Joint Committee – Progress update on the independent review of air freight, shipping and passenger services.

The Joint Committee met today to discuss progress of the Indian Ocean Territories (IOT) Supply Chain Review. The project has been engaging with key stakeholders across the supply chain over the past few months to understand the issues, challenges and potential priority areas for improvement.

Project consultants Centred Solutions have conducted over 30 stakeholder interviews obtaining insights, data and challenges into shipping, air freight, passenger movements and infrastructure associated with the supply chain in the IOT.

A number of issues and recommendations from this work were presented to the Joint Committee at today’s meeting. To guide further exploration into a range of detailed key recommendations, Committee members were also asked to rank the high-level recommendations in order of priority.

The next steps in the review will examine these recommendations in more detail through analysing stakeholder feedback, reviewing existing literature on the supply chain related to each recommendation, conducting data analysis, and framing / testing potential options for improvement.

At the same time, project consultants are mapping the process of how freight and people move through the system across air freight, sea freight and passenger services, with a view to examining the entire system to identify potential improvements in efficiency, policy, and regulation.

The Joint Committee will meet again next month to review and consider all of this work, to identify the most effective ways to improve supply chain effectiveness, and how this can better support business, community and operations within the region.        

Background

An independent review of air freight, shipping and passenger services is being conducted after the priority was identified in the IOT RDO 2030 Strategic Regional Plan. Through the review, it is hoped that opportunities to sustainably improve the reliability and efficiency of the region’s supply chains can be identified, and recommendations developed that can be implemented, monitored and reviewed.

The Joint Committee was formed to provide project governance and take a central role in the review. The Joint Committee oversees the project and provides operational direction and stakeholder input. Joint Committee membership includes representatives from the Indian Ocean Territories Regional Development Organisation (IOT RDO), Christmas Island Business Association (CIBA), Shire of Christmas Island, Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and our local Member of Parliament Ms Marion Scyrmgour.

If you would like further information on this project please contact the Committee Secretariat at supplychainreview@iotprojects.com.au.