Stevedores and empty-container park operators planning to adopt Australia’s updated national voluntary landside-charge guidelines have until 2 November 2026 to notify their relevant state transport agency and publish a notice of intention on their website.
Australia’s transport ministers approved the revised National Voluntary Guidelines for Landside Stevedore and Empty Container Park Charges in October. The National Transport Commission (NTC) says they commence on 1 January 2027 and now cover empty-container parks as well as stevedores.
What changes for freight operators?
The guidelines aim to make landside charge changes more predictable through notification, consultation and communication requirements. Participating stevedores and empty-container parks agree to change their landside charges only once annually, on 1 January or the next business day.
Importantly, these are voluntary guidelines, not a universal freeze on port charges. Operators must choose to adopt them. Transport businesses should check which facilities have published notices and review the terms applying to their own movements rather than assume every facility participates.
The framework addresses charges imposed on road transport operators collecting or delivering containers, costs that can flow through the container freight supply chain. It does not, by itself, establish that any individual charge is reasonable or resolve disputes about market power.
What happens next?
Operators opting into the new framework should publish their notice of intention by 2 November. The new annual change framework starts 1 January 2027. The practical test will be participation, the clarity of published notices and whether carriers receive enough information to plan and pass through changes.
For the broader context of who ultimately bears container-related costs, read WWTG’s earlier investigation: Who pays for the box?
Primary source: National Transport Commission — updated guidelines and notification requirements (October 2026).