National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy 2025: What It Means for Australian Business

By Brad Pace, Conduit Consulting

Australia’s freight networks are the arteries of our economy, moving nearly four billion tonnes of goods annually — the equivalent of 149 tonnes per person. The newly released National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy 2025 sets a refreshed blueprint for how governments and industry will work together to strengthen productivity, resilience, decarbonisation, and data capability across our supply chains.

At Conduit Consulting, we see this strategy as a turning point for supply chain leaders who want to align with national priorities while driving operational and financial outcomes.

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Why the 2025 Strategy Matters

Since the first Strategy in 2019, the sector has faced unprecedented disruptions: COVID-19, global shocks, climate-related disasters, and labour shortages. These events exposed vulnerabilities but also reinforced the essential role of resilient supply chains in economic stability.

Freight demand is forecast to grow 26% by 2050, with road volumes expected to climb by 77% and air freight more than double. Without decisive action, bottlenecks, emissions, and workforce gaps will worsen. The 2025 Strategy responds with a sharper focus and fewer, nationally significant actions.

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Four National Priority Action Areas

1. Productivity – Integrating new technologies, intermodal hubs, and regulatory reform to lift efficiency across modes. Case studies such as the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal show how shifting containers from trucks to rail can cut 3,000 truck journeys per day and reduce emissions by 110,000 tonnes annually.
2. Resilience – Building networks that withstand shocks. Flood damage in 2022 cost billions, while a cyberattack in 2023 exposed the risks of digital dependence. Investment programs like the ARTC Network Investment Program will upgrade track and signalling to strengthen the backbone of national logistics.
3. Decarbonisation – The freight sector contributes 22% of Australia’s emissions, with heavy vehicles responsible for almost a quarter. The Strategy sets pathways for electrification, hydrogen, and sustainable fuels, while supporting projects like Inland Rail to shift more freight from road to lower-emission rail.
4. Data – Building on the National Freight Data Hub, governments and industry will expand consistent, decision-grade data to guide investments and track performance. This aligns directly with Conduit Consulting’s belief: you can’t improve what you can’t measure.

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Implications for Industry Leaders

The Strategy’s goals create a framework business leaders can act on now:

• Plan for regulatory shifts: anticipate reforms in heavy vehicle law, shipping, and interoperability.
• Invest in workforce capability: with the average truck driver now 48 years old, addressing shortages requires training, portability of skills, and new talent pipelines.
• Balance service, cost, and emissions: integrated Cost-to-Serve and decarbonisation models will be essential for winning contracts and maintaining competitiveness.
• Engage communities: urban freight planning principles stress the importance of social licence in dense cities where freight corridors intersect with residents.

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How Conduit Consulting Can Help

The Strategy provides the national direction. The execution challenge is turning policy into operational results. At Conduit Consulting, we partner with businesses to:

• Build decision-ready Cost-to-Serve models aligned to government investment priorities.
• Design reuse and reverse logistics systems that deliver resilience while supporting Scope 3 decarbonisation.
• Translate data and regulatory changes into clear business cases for executives and boards.

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Final Thought

The National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy 2025 is more than a government report — it’s a roadmap for industry. Organisations that align early with its priorities will not only remain compliant but also secure competitive advantage in efficiency, resilience, and sustainability.

As Australia’s freight task accelerates, supply chain leaders must ask: are we just moving goods, or are we building the resilient, low-carbon networks our economy demands?

National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy