Our first meeting for 2023 had a few technical issues to start with, but we were soon able to listen to the address by Drew Gaynor, Executive Officer of the Freight & Logistics Council of WA. An increasing population and growth in urban densification provide challenges in achieving a sustainable balance between community amenity and freight efficiency, and the growing levels of trade impose ever-greater demands on our road and rail networks, on our ports and shipping services, and on our airports. The Council consists of representatives of about 20 relevant organisations covering Government Departments, the Private sector and Trade Unions, and members are appointed annually by the Minister for Transport. The Chair is Megan McCracken and meetings are held on a quarterly basis. The purpose of the Council is to promote the common interests of those who are engaged in or interested in freight and logistics activities affecting Western Australia, and to facilitate successful outcomes resulting from these activities. The Council’s work program includes supply chain resilience, workforce skills and shortages, decarbonisation of the freight sector and a High Productivity Vehicle Trial to Fremantle Port Inner Harbour to name but a few. Another example of the Council’s involvement is the collaboration with the Shire of Dundas and Geoneon to assess the bushfire exposure and vulnerability of the supply chains that connect east with west and north with south through the Southern Goldfields. In this project the Council provided historical road and rail movements plus freight volumes data for the Southern Goldfields region, so that a realistic assessment of the bushfire threat to supply chains could be developed. Other States have similar councils and they share information for the common good.