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THE TRANSPORT ISSUE
MAKING INROADS
TRANSPORT KEEPS THE INDUSTRY MOVING . BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT STOPS ?
I t ’ s ironic , really , that after the past two years of closed borders , meaning planes have been grounded , and lockdowns resulting in roads that are quieter than they have been for decades , that it ’ s transport that ’ s causing us a few headaches . Of course , the supply chain difficulties that are hitting every industry , including ours , aren ’ t just concerning transport , but those HGVs on the road , planes in the sky or cargo ships on the sea are very visible evidence of goods getting moved around the world – and , at present , they ’ re not with any deal of predictability , at least .
This issue , we take a deep dive into the world of transport , and supply chain is our in road . So , how does the global supply chain really work , and why is it that a staff shortage in China can impact what we receive on these shores ? We find out .
Closer to home , we ’ ve all experienced the repercussions of this – whether it ’ s a lack of toilet paper on supermarket shelves ( seriously , what was that all about ?) or not being able to get the volume of products you need for your customers , so we ’ ve spoken to some Gemcell suppliers to find out how they ’ ve been impacted and what they ’ re doing to minimise disruption .
One of the most famous routes in global supply chain is the Suez Canal – in fact , it was the Ever Given getting grounded there that started a lot of supply chain issues – so we investigate the canal ’ s history , including its surprising link to the Statue of Liberty . We also explore the world of electric vehicles , and find out the latest on a form of transport that ’ s got a lot of political bargaining power , but is hamstrung by a lack of infrastructure in Australia at present .
Anyone who ’ s driven through the new NorthConnex in Sydney can ’ t fail to have been impressed by the lighting inside . Is it all aesthetic ? Or is it psychological ? We find out the science behind the bulbs .
And speaking of Sydney , as the city bats its eyelashes in the direction of Formula One , in an attempt to prise it from Albert Park ’ s grasp , we recall some of the best F1 moments in Australia ’ s proud history with the motor sport . There are some stunning memories of races gone by to relive !
Elsewhere in this issue , we take a whimsical look back at 80s and 90s car trips as kids ( are we nearly there yet ? No , we ’ re bloody well not !) and take a virtual trip on five of the world ’ s most breathtaking roads ; all breathtaking for very different reasons .
We hope you enjoy this issue of Gems – we ’ ve certainly had a lot of fun putting it together – and we hope the first quarter of 2022 has been as successful as it possibly could be .
As always , if you have any features or topics you ’ d like to see included in future issues of the magazine drop us a line at editor @ gemcell . com . au – we love hearing from readers so if you have any feedback please let us know .
In the meantime , happy motoring ! n
APR – MAY 2022 GEMCELL . COM . AU 5