Aug 25, 2025
Collaboration, Resilience and Reform: Highlights from the ALC Supply Chain Summit 2025
The ALC Supply Chain Summit 2025, attended by our CEO Paul Walsh, brought together leading voices from government and industry to tackle the evolving challenges and opportunities within Australia’s supply chain and logistics sector. Key discussions focused on the need for strategic investment to strengthen domestic production, safeguard critical supply lines, and build long-term logistics self-sufficiency. A recurring theme throughout the summit was the importance of collaboration, building redundancy, and preparing the supply chain to withstand future disruptions.
These priorities were further unpacked across three panel discussions, which explored the shifting dynamics of the supply chain industry, strategies to future-proof freight networks, and the long-term drivers shaping the sector - namely population growth, climate risk, and digital transformation. The summit reinforced the need for a resilient, adaptive, and well-connected freight system, supported by strong public-private partnerships.
One of the standout keynote sessions, Australia's Supply Chain Workforce – The Crisis We Can't Ignore, addressed the urgent workforce challenges facing the freight and logistics sector. Christine Holgate, Group Chief Executive Officer of Team Global Express, delivered a compelling address on the shortage of skilled workers, especially truck drivers, highlighting critical issues such as an ageing workforce, limited entry pathways, and persistent skills gaps.
Holgate emphasised the importance of ISA’s Industry Workforce Plans in providing vital insights to support workforce development. She said that collaboration and advocacy for skills development are essential to supporting a growing economy. She also explored the long-term implications for national supply chain performance and what’s working to attract and retain talent, where investment is urgently needed, particularly in training, apprenticeships, and skilled migration to ensure the sector can meet future demands and remain resilient.
Paul Walsh reiterated the importance of collaboration across the sector, stating, “This summit further shows that collaboration is key to addressing the challenges facing the supply chain sector. There is real importance in industry coming together to address workforce shortages, as Christine Holgate highlighted the valuable work that ISA is doing through the annual Workforce Plan as industry’s voice for advocacy. Our collaboration between industry and government is essential to building a resilient and future-ready workforce.”