The Australian Government understands the importance of reliable freight services to the Norfolk Island community and has now finalised arrangements for subsidised air freight flights to and from the Island from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020.
Following an approach to market, the Australian Government has invested $600,000 to contract TOLL to provide up to 20 subsidised air freight flights over the next 12 months, subject to commercial demand and weather conditions.
The tentative schedule of freight deliveries is shown below. This schedule may change from time to time to meet business needs.
2019
26 July, 9 and 30 August. 13 and 27 September, 11 and 25 October, 8 and 22 November, 6 and 20 December.
2020
17 January, 14 February, 6 and 20 March, 3 and 24 April, 8 and 22 May, 12 June.
The Government’s subsidy ensures there will be a regular, reliable program of freight flights to Norfolk Island. It also enables the Norfolk Island Regional Council to export waste to the mainland in a cost-effective way.
Members of the community who want to import freight need to get in touch with the freight forwarders early. If urgency is more important than price, a freight forwarder can book the freight on the first available flight. That could be an Air New Zealand passenger flight or a dedicated freight flight. Additional freight flights can also be arranged by businesses or individuals at the full commercial cost.
Updates to the subsidised freight flight schedule will be published on the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development’s website (www.regional.gov.au/territories/norfolk_island/Norfolk-Island-Air-Freight-Services.aspx) as required.
Eric Hutchinson
July 2019