ALRTA TO INSPECT EFFLUENT MANAGEMENT FACILITIES IN NZ
The ALRTA National Animal Welfare Sub-Committee met via teleconference this week to discuss the nitty gritty of sending a delegation to New Zealand to inspect their well-developed livestock effluent management system. ALRTA representatives from QLD, NSW and VIC will be heading to the Waikato region in late April 2017.
The aim of the trip is to gather information for a business case to support the establishment of ‘in transit’ managed roadside dumping points in Australia around key ‘hot spots’ where vehicles funnel towards aggregation facilities such as saleyards and processors.
Stay tuned for more information!
OTHER ALRTA ACTIVITIES THIS WEEK
This week the ALRTA Executive Director participated in a meeting of the ATA Transport and Economics Committee which discussed an industry response to a Federal Government proposal to mandate Euro VI vehicle emissions standards. Our ED also met separately with the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development and an Advisor to the Minister for Finance.
David Smith (LRTASA), David Scott (LRTAQ), and Jan Cooper (LRTAWA) travelled to Darwin to attend a meeting of the Remote Areas Consultative Group.
WELFARE GUIDELINES FOR GOATS
Animal Health Australia invites you to check out the new Australian Industry Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Goats. Covering topics from feed and water to breeding and dairy management, the voluntary industry guide provides info on all aspects of goat health.
Since its launch in July last year, the document has proved popular with goat producers across the country and helped them to improve their welfare practices. If you haven’t read the guidelines yet, you can find them here: http://www.animalwelfarestandards.net.au/goat/
NHVR COR INFORMATION SESSION
The NHVR are conducting an information session on the new Chain if Responsibility Laws that will commence in mid-2018.
The new laws recognise that everyone in the supply chain has a role to play in delivering heavy vehicle safety. The law explains the responsibility of duty holders to understand and assess their risks, and ensure they are compliant.
When: Thursday, 16 March at 10am-12pm or 1pm-3pm
Where: NHVR Auditorium, Level 3, 76 Skyring Tce, Newstead, Brisbane
Who: Heavy vehicle operators and members of the logistics supply chain
Places are limited so secure your registration at: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/nhvr-chain-of-responsibility-forum-registration-32491075682
ATA TECHNICAL RESOURCES
The ATA website provides a wealth of information of interest to trucking businesses. For example, the resources section includes ‘Technical Advisory Procedures’ on subjects including:
- Stability control
- Heavy Vehicle Electrical Wiring
- Slack Adjuster Setup and Compliance
- Roller Brake Testing
- Truck and Dog Combinations
- Compliant Brake Chambers
- Description of Truck Configurations
- Heavy Vehicle Visibility
- Wheel End Security
- Park Brake Operation
- Side Underrun Protection
You can find all of this information and much more at: http://www.truck.net.au/resource-tags/technical
ATA LAUNCHES 2017 NATIONAL TRUCKING INDUSTRY WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
The ATA is proud to celebrate International Women’s Day by launching nominations for the 2017 National Trucking Industry Woman of the Year Award.
This award recognises a strong professional or personal contribution made by a woman within the Australian trucking industry.
“The contribution of women to the trucking industry is vast. We work as drivers, schedulers, mechanics managers and business directors. We keep the wheels rolling,” ATA Chair, Noelene Watson, said.
“I am proud to open nominations for our 2017 award on International Women’s Day,” she said.
The National Trucking Industry Woman of the Year award is sponsored by Cummins South Pacific, who are committed to empowering and supporting women in the industry.
As part of its commitment, Cummins South Pacific this week held a conference of 80 senior executive women from around the Asia-Pacific region.
Cummins’ senior leaders at this event included Marya Rose, Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer; Tony Satterthwaite, Vice President and President – Distribution Business; and Elizabeth Broderick, board member of Male Champions of Change.
“All Cummins employees – men and women – deserve equal opportunities to succeed in the workplace”.
“This emphasis on equality is at the heart of Cummins’ values and was the driving force behind the company’s Women’s Leadership Conference and Cummins’ longstanding support of the National Trucking Industry Woman of the Year award,” Manager of Automotive Sales and Customer Support, Scott Alexander, Cummins South Pacific, said.
“The ATA welcomes the support of Cummins South Pacific in sponsoring this award and doing so much to support equality and celebrate women’s achievements,” Mrs Watson said.
The National Trucking Industry Woman of the Year award will be presented at Trucking Australia 2017, held from 21 – 23 June in Darwin.
The winner will receive a week long travel package for herself and partner to visit the Cummins factory in the United States. The package will include return airfares, accommodation, transfers and meals.
The prize must be redeemed by 31 December of the award year.
The winner will also be hosted to attend the ATA Foundation Sponsors Gala Dinner at Trucking Australia 2018.
Nominate an inspirational trucking industry woman now!
MEAT. YOUR FUTURE CAMPAIGN TO SHOWCASE MEAT PROCESSING CAREERS AND INDUSTRY
The Australian Meat Processor Corporation (AMPC) has announced the launch of the ‘Meat. Your Future.’ campaign, which will highlight the wealth of career options available in the $23 billion meat processing industry, aiming to attract new employees and improve community perceptions of the red meat processing industry as a whole.
Red meat processing is the nation’s largest food product manufacturing industry and the nation’s second largest employer by sector, employing around 135,000 people*. As an industry that has remained resilient during economic downturns and is a cornerstone of Australia’s economy, the AMPC believes it’s the right time to unite meat processing partners and shine a spotlight on the opportunities available.
“We’re excited about ‘Meat. Your Future.’ and the benefits for the industry as a whole, including attracting new workers to help meet the consumer demand for red meat,” said AMPC chairman Peter Noble. “Red meat processing is a well-respected domain that makes a significant contribution to the economy and it’s time more people knew about the potential that a future in our sector can provide.”
Mr Noble acknowledged the dedication of those currently employed in the meat processing industry, and the transformation it has brought about. With new technologies and scientific developments on producing high quality red meat comes growth and the need for more people to keep the industry sustainable, adapting to new challenges as they evolve.
As an industry, meat processing is often overlooked as a career option, and the AMPC is aiming to highlight the benefits of having a role in an industry that is innovative, diverse and flexible.
“Those working in the industry know that red meat processing does not fit the stereotypes that were created many generations ago,” said Mr Noble. “We have many talented professionals focused on making a significant contribution to the industry, and sharing the stories of these valuable staff will inspire others to consider a career in meat processing.”
Mr Noble commended industry stakeholders for taking care of their employees and for the noted focus on development of career paths for employees. He highlighted that everyone in the industry will benefit by supporting the ‘Meat. Your Future.’ campaign.
The campaign will highlight the positive impacts of red meat processing which are being felt on local, national and international scales, including the provision of jobs and economic health to local communities, whilst exporting to 86 countries around the world.
The campaign will be segmented into three smaller offshoots, of which ‘Meat. Your Partners.’ will be the first to launch. ‘Meat. Your Partners.’ is the ‘call to arms’, to unite the industry by encouraging them to share their experiences about rewarding careers within their field.
The broader campaign will focus on a variety of areas including stakeholder engagement, careers opportunities, and public perception of the industry. The campaigns will include industry events, social media activities, a dedicated ‘Meat. Your Future.’ website, and an integrated marketing campaign.
Mr Noble says this isn’t the first time the AMPC has taken a leadership role within the industry. Just last year, a sustainability report titled ‘Feast of Ideas’ was commissioned by the organisation. The report identified and addressed six material risks that the industry faces, which culminated in the inaugural Vital Ingredient Sustainability Conference, where industry experts came together to map the sector’s collective future.
For more information about current opportunities for meat processing workers, visit www.ampc.com.au.
WA ANNOUNCES REGULATORY CONTROL PROGRAM FOR MANAGING JOHNE’S DISEASE IN CATTLE
The Cattle Industry Funding Scheme Management Committee (IMC) has announced that Western Australia will undertake a regulatory control program to manage the risk of bovine Johne’s disease (BJD) entry and establishment in the state.
Border controls will form part of a broader program targeting BJD in WA, including extensive on-ground surveillance and eradication of the disease, if it is detected. The decision to undertake a regulatory program was made following industry feedback and an economic evaluation of the potential impact of deregulation of BJD management. The program will be developed and implemented on 1 July 2017, when the current interim control program ends.
Chairperson of the IMC, Steve Meerwald, said, “The IMC accepted the recommendations of the WA Industry BJD Advisory Committee to maintain a regulated approach.”
“Although the economic evaluation helped the decision-making process, it did not make a strong case either way. The response from industry was key in deciding to regulate this disease in order to maintain WA’s negligible BJD prevalence and access potential BJD sensitive markets.”
The revised National Johne’s Disease Framework deregulated JD management from 1 July 2016.
“A deregulated environment can never be turned back. However, we can deregulate in the future if there is a major detection that requires a re-think on our policy, or the industry decides that the cost of regulation and a formal surveillance program outweighs the benefits.”
BJD causes chronic wasting and incurable diarrhoea in cattle leading to death. It also causes reduced production levels even before the animal is noticeably unwell.
Producers should not rely only on regulatory disease controls to protect their farming business from the risk of BJD. Biosecurity is everyone’s business — producers should have suitable biosecurity measures in place to protect their herds.
Tools are available from Animal Health Australia to help WA cattle producers manage their JD risk including J-BAS, Dairy Score, biosecurity checklists and the National Cattle Health Declaration, you can find them at www.animalhealthaustralia.com.au/jd-cattle-tools .
Revised interim border controls to protect the WA cattle herd from BJD, whilst allowing risk-based cattle movements in line with the needs of WA businesses, have also been introduced following industry consultation.
The new border controls can be found www.agric.wa.gov.au/livestock-biosecurity/forms-importing-livestock-western-australia in the Livestock Biosecurity Form LB 1. Northern producers seeking to import bulls for the pastoral industry will be able to continue this practice whilst minimising the risk of importing disease as the new import requirements give equivalent levels of assurance as previous controls.
REMINDER: SUPPORT YOUR CANDIDATES IN THE ATA ELECTIONS
The ALRTA has endorsed two candidates standing in the upcoming ATA Council elections.
ALRTA has endorsed Mr John Beer for the ‘owner driver’ position and Mr Lynley Miners for the ‘small fleet’ position.
ALRTA encourages all persons registered to vote to throw their support behind these experienced and passionate candidates.
Voting will close at 5pm AEDT on Wednesday 22 March 2017.
More information about the 2017 ATA election
REMINDER: LBRCA CONFERENCE DUBBO
The annual conference of the Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association (LBRCA) will be held at Dubbo this year 31st March – 1st April.
NSW Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight, The Hon Melinda Pavey, will open the conference on Friday and will meet face-to-face with rural transporters to provide an update on the Government’s road freight achievements and proposed future direction for rural NSW.
“This years’ event is particularly important as we celebrate 30 years. There is a strong line up of presenters from local, state and federal arenas as well as industry” said Lynley Miners, LBRCA President.
“We also have plenty of time for attendees to catch up and network. This aspect is always a highlight of our annual conferences and we make a point of encouraging our members to use this time to meet and network with government and industry representatives”.
The formal dinner on Friday night has the Young Driver of the Year Award presentation, which is of interest to the industry and a way of encouraging the succession of future leaders in our industry.
“The award has been up and running for a couple of years now and attracts a wide interest from across our membership.”
The conference will cover a wide variety of issues over the two days – everything from access, safety, chain of responsibility, business protection, braking technology, industry codes of practice, infrastructure and fatigue.
“We want to use our conference to hear and learn about the current issues affecting our membership and identify particular actions we can take forward to resolve – which in effect sets part of our work program for the next 12 months.”
The Conference Program is available here.
To register, complete the LBRCA Conference Registration Form available here.
For more information on this event contact LBRCA Operations Manager Bec on 02 6295 6651 or email office@lbrca.org.au