UNSW Sydney Business School: Australia’s port reform has failed

The privatisation of Australia’s major container ports has put a significant pressure on supply chains which is being passed onto the Australian public, a UNSW Business School expert has claimed.

New research from UNSW Business School has found that the privatisation of port authorities has failed to achieve the originally stated objectives, including improved cost-efficiencies, stronger competition, and better return on investment for the Australian taxpayer.

Dr Greig Taylor, a lecturer in the School of Management and Governance at UNSW Business School, said: “The international academic literature demonstrates that port authority privatisation contributes little towards port efficiency and can often be vulnerable to hedge fund profiteering.”