❓ Hon Steve Martin questions the Minister for Ports regarding the Shipping Policy Unit within the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure, receiving information about its establishment, staffing, responsibilities, and involvement in supply chain resilience initiatives.
AnsweredQoN 1240Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Shipping Policy unit established within the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure, and I ask: (a) how many FTEs are employed within this policy unit; (b) what is the budget for this unit in terms of both staff and other running costs; (c) if the answer to (b) is that it is accounted for as part of the wider DTMI budget, what is an approximate per year total cost; (d) what policy initiatives have been created by this unit, or what other achievements can be identified to date; (e) on what date was the unit established; (f) what role if any does the unit have in the Commonwealth's Australian Strategic Fleet pilot; (g) what recommendations from the State Government's Shipping and Supply Chain Taskforce Final Report has the unit been involved with progressing; and (h) is the unit currently working on any initiatives to progress the idea flagged by the Transport Minister in 2022, which was for the State to hire or purchase ships to be on standby to assist during rail supply chain disruptions?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
5 May 2026
Responded by
Minister for Ports
Response time
9 days
(a-h) The Shipping Policy Unit was established in January 2024 and consists of two mid-level FTEs accounted for within the DTMI budget. The Shipping Policy Unit is progressing the implementation of the WA Shipping and Supply Chain Taskforce’s recommendations, including by promoting WA’s interests in the Commonwealth’s shipping reform programs. The Shipping Policy Unit is responsible for the WA Government’s $5 million Supply Chain Resilience Fund, which will augment the Commonwealth’s Strategic Fleet Pilot Program and help ensure the State has access to shipping capability when WA supply chains are disrupted. The Shipping Policy Unit has been directly involved in coordinating Government’s response to supply chain disruption events and in advancing First-Point-Of-Entry determinations to support the role of regional ports in managing these disruptions.
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