Number: 01/2023. Date: 17/4/2023

News from the Joint Committee – Independent review of air freight, shipping and passenger services has commenced

A priority identified in the IOT RDO 2030 Strategic Regional Plan is to achieve reliable, competitive and cost-effective supply chains for the Indian Ocean Territories (IOT). An independent review of air freight, shipping and passenger services has now commenced.

The Joint Committee for the IOT Supply Chain Review has been formed to provide project governance and to take a central role in the review. The Joint Committee will participate in decision making, provide operational direction and stakeholder input, and monitor the project.

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.

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 IOT Supply Chain Review will:

• identify constraints and limitations, and regional supply chain adequacy, in meeting demand and needs of the islands across air freight, sea freight, and passenger services;
• make informed and realistic recommendations for long-term, sustainable improvements, including on ways to make processes and systems more efficient and transparent to stakeholders; and
• develop an implementation and review framework.

At the meeting on 3 April 2023, the Joint Committee reviewed and endorsed the project review framework, and received an update on progress with stakeholder consultations. If you have not been contacted but would like to be consulted for the review, please contact the Committee Secretariat at supplychainreview@iotprojects.com.au.