Car delivery delays emerge amid Australia-wide port strikes: Over 35,000 vehicles affected
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Strikes at some of Australia’s busiest ports have put the brakes on arrivals of new vehicles, causing multi-week delays that – if stevedores’ pay demands are not met – could drag on for months.
Thousands of Australians waiting to take delivery of a new car will need to wait even longer, amid industrial action at some of the country’s largest ports holding-up vehicle arrivals.
The brakes have been slammed on arrivals at ports such as Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle, Newcastle and Port Kembla as Maritime Union of Australia workers strike while demanding increased pay.
More than a dozen car-carrying vessels – or an estimated 40,000-plus vehicles – are waiting offshore at the time of writing, unable to dock, amid a stand-off between the union and port operator Qube.
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The MUA has reportedly asked for a 25 per cent pay increase for stevedores, who already earn an average of $128,000 a year, according to The Australian.
The union has accused Qube of “holding their workforce and the community to ransom” by refusing to comply to demands which it says, if agreed to, would see the port strikes end immediately.
It is the latest major delay at Australian ports for new-vehicle arrivals, after unprecedented quarantine bottlenecks kept as many as 60,000 new vehicles in a marine traffic jam this time two years ago.
Many of the country’s top-selling car brands – from giants Toyota and Ford to new entrants such as Xpeng – have advised their vehicles are caught up in the crisis.
It is reported the strikes could extend for months – well into April – unless the union and port operator can reach an agreement, according to the Freight & Trade Alliance, the peak body for the Australian shipping sector.
A protracted delay would prove problematic for customers waiting for plug-in hybrid vehicles such as the BYD Shark 6 ute, who must take delivery by the end of March if they are to take advantage of tax exemptions expiring April 1.
Missing the deadline could increase the price of the car under a novated lease by up to 50 per cent – a deal-breaker for many customers.
MORE: BYD Shark 6 – first utes leave for Australia
Industrial action at Qube ports has been underway in various forms for some months, but has ramped up over the past week.
Operations at Qube’s Melbourne port today ground to a halt with a round-the-clock stoppage due to run until 27 January, World Cargo News reports, after similar suspensions at Brisbane and Port Kembla docks until 15 January and 17 January respectively.
At the time of writing, ship-tracking websites show six car-carrying vessels waiting off the coast of Port Kembla, six off the coast of Fremantle, and more waiting to dock in Melbourne, Brisbane and Newcastle.
Based on a conservative estimate of 3000 cars per ship – though some can carry thousands more – it equates to 36,000 vehicles stuck offshore.
MORE: More new-car delivery delays with fresh quarantine hazard (published March 2022)
As more ships arrive and are unable to offload – rather than docking, quickly unloading, and heading back to overseas ports to pick up more cars – the traffic jam is expected to lengthen.
The car-carrying ships are joined by dozens of other vessels carrying building materials, agricultural products, and mining equipment, and other bulk goods.
“Toyota has been affected by the industry action but is working closely with vessel companies to minimise the delays,” a Toyota Australia spokesperson said in a written statement to Drive.
Similarly, a Ford Australia spokesperson said: “Industrial action at ports in Australia has resulted in some delays to the deliveries of customer vehicles. As the situation is evolving, we cannot specify the exact length of any anticipated delays and are working on ensuring vehicles are delivered as quickly as possible.
"We are investigating diverting ships as appropriate, along with alternate road transport options. Ford is working with our logistics and shipping partners to identify the affected vehicles and will communicate with customers and dealers with updates as we work on alternative delivery methods. We thank our customers for their patience as we deal with the situation."
Ford Australia rented its own ship for three years from mid-2023 in an attempt to avoid a repeat of the biosecurity delays this time two years ago, exclusively ferrying Ranger utes and Everest SUVs between Thailand – where they are built – and Australia and New Zealand.
MORE: Ford Australia rents ship for three years to reduce delays, avoid biosecurity slowdowns
But it too has been caught up in the latest crisis.
Online shipping trackers show the Ford-leased vessel – the Grand Quest – is currently anchored off the coast of the Qube-operated Fremantle port, having arrived from Thailand on Thursday night, WA time.
In a 9 January message to buyers of the Shark 6 – which commenced deliveries of the first batch to arrive today, but many more cars are waiting on the water – BYD said: “Due to ongoing delays at the ports, the estimated time of arrival (ETA) of your vehicle has been pushed back.
“When we receive more precise information about our boats’ docking and offloading schedule, we will provide you with an updated delivery window.”
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