Australia Proposes Coastal Trading Overhaul

On April 8, 2014 the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, the Hon Warren Truss MP, announced the release of an options paper on approaches to regulating coastal shipping in Australia.

The Department is currently seeking views from interested parties about approaches to the regulation of coastal trading.

Written submissions will be accepted until Saturday, May 31, 2014. All submissions received, except those marked as in-confidence, will be published on the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development website.

The Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development will conduct consultative sessions and meetings by appointment with interested parties across Australia in May 2014. Subject to interest, the Department plans to conduct consultative sessions with extra time allocated for private meetings in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth. Time will also be made available for separate discussions specifically covering cruise shipping. The Department will publish further information about dates for consultative sessions in the near future.

To register interest in attending an open discussion session and/or to request a private meeting with the Department, either in Canberra or during one of the consultative sessions, contact the Shipping Business Unit on (02) 6274 7474