THE WA Seafreight Council has scheduled an industry workshop for later this month to address the expected surge in trade at Fremantle Port over the Christmas period. According to the council’s acting chairman, Bob Pearce, container trade through the port increased by 20 per cent over Christmas last year, causing massive congestion in the freight network. “Last year, we got caught on the hop a bit and it was a substantial problem, so this year we’re trying to get all the players together and take the steps that are required,” Mr Pearce said. Last year, several transport companies were unable to take on additional customers because of delays and high trade volumes. Part of the problem, Mr Pearce said, was that companies were not planning ahead, resulting in bottlenecks and additional costs for companies. He said he would like to introduce a similar policy to the postal system, whereby customers are advised to post mail before a certain date, to encourage importers to bring their shipments forward. Mr Pearce said an overall increase in trade volume was compounding the problem, with year-on-year growth in trade at 13 per cent last month, up from about 10 per cent the previous year. Representatives from transport companies servicing the port, as well as importers and exporters, have been invited to attend the workshop. Emily Piesse
