Getting trucks off our roads should be high on the lists of 'must dos'.

Australia's got talent, but it's missing leadership.
Stuart Ballantyne,
The Goaf enshrined to outlaw common sense & his outfit's legacy is still ruining the Nation 50 years on.

"bureaucrats demanding unrealistic operational schedules"..."I actually worked in the ANL head office in Melbourne for exactly three years and three days in the mid-1970s"....maybe we've found "Wally the Goose". This anti worker, anti government, would be if he could be, would be happy for the workers through the government to throw in $30 billion into his "Motorways of the Seas" project, maybe he would expect a billion or two for thinking up the catchy name.

Coastal shipping is important, getting inefficient and costly trucks off the highways should be a priority. The obvious and most efficient way is rail freight. I suppose Wally the Goose wont be in for a cut of that, so its not in his top 30 priorities

"Daydream about being the Prime Minister for a few days."

"Do you immediately implement a policy that could save 650 Australian lives each year and reduce serious injuries to 9,000 Australians, or do you focus on the Voice and Climate change that won't save anyone or their pets?."

- I call you and have you flown to Canberra for a meeting on the first day I'm in office.

Agree with most of this! We should have privatised ANL but as co-ops.

Co-ops were the only private enterprise, free market business model, that survived the great depression largely intact.

Were union free enterprises that shared the rewards and the pain.

Never ever grew too big to fail. Often created community housing and creches.

And often carried rural and regional towns and villages economically.

And still do sometimes, somewhere where common-sense has prevailed.

We could have the world's best most profitable shipping enterprises if each ship was operated as a competing co-op and every stevedoring company as a competing co-op also.

Bulk shipping is the most profitable enterprise on the planet! And can service regions that trucks can't!

The only reason we don't have a highly profitable ANL is due to tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber calling the shots, and shite for brains, union greed!
Alan B.

Footnote:

That envisaged co-op operated shipping would needs be, nuclear powered, because of the prohibitive price of fuel oil.

As would manufacturing, ship building and domestic power supply.

All of which would become the most profitable and rewarding if operated as individual, competing co-ops!

Cooperative capitalism comrade!
Alan B.

Cooperative capitalism comrade!
Alan B,
Cooperative without negative gearing & Flat Tax all round Mate !
Inland Rail & flood Lake Eyre & shipping from Spencer Gulf.
Get all obese & unemployed including myself & Paul1405 onto pick & shovel for a few days.

RORO shipping relies on subsidies even on the one main route where there's no road based alternative (Victoria to Tasmania). So how do you imagine it could possibly be commercially viable on routes without a monopoly?

Unlike the protectionist USA, Australia allows cabotage on international shipping, so does not need its own coastal fleet for transporting goods around the country by sea.

Australian infrastructure planners need to look ahead for more than the next election. They need to start long-term, generational projects that may take 50 years or longer. Schemes like inland rail, populating inland Australia around Lake Eyre for example etc can be started now without much funding. The more detailed planning will eventuate as things progress & new technology becomes available. The most important factor is to START now ! Everything else will fall into place as people start moving in & jobs are fairly long-term or even permanent. Costing is a non-issue to start with as such projects will very quickly become more revenue than expenditure. Keep bureaudroids & consultants at bay & all will work out ! Ideal opportunity to lick off a new kind of National Service !