Ministers back national freight strategy

Federal and state governments have agreed to back a new national freight and supply chain strategy to integrate different transport modes.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said productivity of freight needed to be improved with volumes expected to grow by a third by 2040.

"At the same time, we have to plan for and manage the introduction of new technologies and risks from increasing natural disasters, such as the devastating floods in Queensland last year," he said.

Ministers will meet in Adelaide on Friday.

Mr McCormack said the statement provided a mechanism to ratchet up action and ambition from all governments and industry to lift performance over time.

All jurisdictions will report back to the COAG Transport and Infrastructure Council in November with how they plan to implement the strategy.

The strategy commits to national action across four areas:

* Targeted infrastructure investment

* Improving supply chain efficiency

* Better planning, coordination and regulation

* Better freight location and performance data

Simon National Carriers, one of Australia's largest privately owned national freight companies, has backed the strategy.

"For the first time Australia is taking a truly comprehensive national approach to freight covering all modes," the company's executive chairman David Simon said.

Meanwhile, parliament has agreed to create a joint select committee on road safety to look at steps to reduce road accident rates, trauma and deaths.