ALRTA News – 13 September 2019

The value that Cummins is bringing to the industry goes beyond engines.

Learn more at cummins.com.au

Cummins power for a world that’s always on.

SENATE INQUIRY INTO ROAD TRANSPORT

The Australian Senate has voted in support of Labor Senator Glenn Sterle’s motion to launch an Inquiry into the importance of a viable, safe, sustainable and efficient road transport industry.

ALRTA President Stephen Marley speaks following the forum that recommended the Inquiry. 

The Inquiry will be undertaken by the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee (Chaired by Senator Sterle) which must report by April 2020.  The Inquiry will have particular reference to:

  1. the importance of an enforceable minimum award rate and sustainable standards and conditions for all stakeholders in the road transport industry;
  2. the development and maintenance of road transport infrastructure to ensure a safe and efficient road transport industry;
  3. the regulatory impact, including the appropriateness, relevance and adequacy of the legislative framework, on all stakeholders in the road transport industry;
  4. the training and career pathways to support, develop and sustain the road transport industry;
  5. the social and economic impact of road-related injury, trauma and death;
  6. efficient cost-recovery measures for industry stakeholders, including subcontractors;
  7. the impact of new technologies and advancements in freight distribution, vehicle design, road safety and alternative fuels;
  8. the importance of establishing a formal consultative relationship between the road transport industry and all levels of government in Australia; and
  9. other related matters.

The closing date for submissions is 17 October 2019.  ALRTA encourages all members to get involved.
 
For more information or to make a submission click here.

ANIMAL ACTIVIST BILL

The Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs has recommended that the Criminal Code Amendment (Agricultural Protection) Bill 2019 be passed.  The Bill was referred to the Committee for review by 6 September 2019.
 
The Bill was introduced into Federal Parliament in response to widespread protests by animal activist against livestock producers and processors undertaking legitimate farming activities.  It includes new provisions that will outlaw the use of carriage services (e.g. facebook) to incite illegal activities on agricultural land. 
An ALRTA submission to the Committee strongly supported the Bill but also recommended that an additional office be included to prevent the use of carriage services to incite illegal activities against trucks.  We supplied many examples of why this is necessary.
 
The Committee Report states that:

  • The Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association recommended that the provisions should be extended to protect heavy vehicles transporting produce and animals. This suggestion was supported by the NFF.

 In response, the Attorney-General’s Department stated:

  • …the government was, as you appreciate, responding to a series of incidents that happened predominantly earlier this year, where there was increasing concern about trespass and other activities taking place on agricultural land.  The government wanted to respond to this and to dissuade people from undertaking those activities.  In doing so, it was careful to confine the application of these two offences to the mischief in question, which is the commission of these offences on private property.  As soon as you step out of that realm and move into incidents that might occur in public spaces, there is a range of other issues and complications that come into the picture.  That wasn’t the government’s primary concern at that time.  It wanted to focus and be targeted on how it was responding to the issue that was at hand.

ALRTA would still welcome passage of the Bill in its current form and will continue to advocate in the interests of protecting road transporters from illegal activist activities at every opportunity.

HVNL REVIEW

The NTC has released the Effective enforcement issues paper, the seventh of eight issues papers to be released concerning elements of the review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).
 
The purpose of the paper is to:

  • describe how compliance, enforcement, data and technology relate.
  • summarise the current state and identify challenges under the HVNL.
  • elicit options for a future HVNL enforcement approach for making better use of information, data and technology.
  • seek feedback on whether the paper has captured all the relevant issues.

The NTC welcomes written submissions and online feedback by Thursday, 31 October 2019.
 
Click here to upload a written submission or to submit your ideas through the dedicated HVNL review site.
 
Reminder: Consultation for Assurance models open
The NTC wants to hear your views on how an assurance framework can work best for heavy vehicles.

Click here to upload a written submission or to submit your ideas through the NTC’s dedicated HVNL review site.
 
Consultation closes Friday, 25 October 2019.
 
This week, LRTAV President, John Beer, attended an NTC consultation workshop in Melbourne on the enforcement and assurance issues papers.

PROGRESS ON EFFLUENT CODE

ALRTA hosted a teleconference of the Effluent Code of Practice Working Group this week. The Working Group includes representatives of transporters, producers, saleyards, agents, processors, enforcement, biosecurity and animal welfare advocates.
 
The code is progressing well with the opening sections now agreed, livestock preparation principles established and feedback is being sought on other specific draft risks and controls. The Working Group will next meet face-to-face in Melbourne during October. 

ROAD SERVICE LEVEL STANDARDS

ALRTA Executive Director, Mat Munro, attended a meeting hosted by the Australian Government to discuss the development of national service level standards and road classifications.  The project is part of the Heavy Vehicle Road Reform agendas that ultimately aims to replace the PAYGO (RUC / REGO) charging system with an alternative, most likely telematics-based mass-distance-location charging.
 
Establishing road service level standards will potentially inform future investment decisions by identifying roads, segments of roads or networks that do not meet agreed standards. This will improve transparency and hopefully result in better funding and charging decisions.
 
At this stage, basic principles have been identified relating to productivity, safety, amenity, community connectivity etc with further sub-classifications (i.e. what are the important elements of amenity) under development. 

SHIPPING FUEL STANDARDS

From 1 January 2020 a new global cap on the sulphur content of fuel used for maritime shipping will commence.
 
This is expected to result in higher demand for diesel from ships. There have been some predictions that this could lead to a spike in diesel prices.
 
The latest predictions suggest that any changes to diesel pricing will be small. Global refining capacity is increasing, overseas diesel demand is not growing as fast as expected and more ships are switching to alternative options.
 
Ultimately diesel prices are heavily dependent on global market conditions, with price increases and changes possible at short notice.
 
Trucking operators should consider diesel pricing in their contracts with customers.  More guidance on contracts is available from the Australian Trucking Association’s contract checklist, which is available for members of the ALRTA and our state associations.

SEEKING FUTURE LEADERS

The trucking industry faces great change. To deal with it, we need a new generation of industry leaders.
 
In conjunction with Daimler Truck and Bus and the Australian Trucking Association, ALRTA is calling for nominations for the 2019 Daimler Truck and Bus Future Leaders’ Forum.
 
The Future Leaders’ Forum will deliver a career-defining professional development program to a hand-picked group of 18-40 year old trucking business owners and employees.
 
The highly successful forum is now entering its third year.  
 
ALRTA’s 2018 representative was Wade Lewis who over the past 12 years has been a driver, logistics manager, intermodal manager and trainer, as well as LBRCA representative to the NHVR and a member of the NSW Freight Connectivity Committee. 
 
ALRTA’s 2019 representative was Angela Mumma who has extensive experience in the transport and logistics industries, particularly the heavy vehicle freight sector.  While working at Stockmaster, she has negotiated KPIs with key customers, introduced a new accounting system and overseen the rollout of safer new technology such as EBS across the fleet.
 
The 2020 program will consist of:

  • Two days of intensive workshops in Canberra on 25-26 November 2019
  • A take-home leadership project
  • A digital check-in meeting
  • Participation in Trucking Australia 2020, to be held in Cairns from 1-3 April 2020.

Participants will:

  • Learn how government policy is developed and how businesses and industry associations can have an influence in an effective and ethical way
  • Learn how to handle media interviews
  • Develop a leadership project on a key industry issue with facilitation and mentoring from Wisdom Learning. Participants will present the results at Trucking Australia 2020
  • Development a strong professional network with like-minded industry leaders

Daimler Truck and Bus will pay the full cost of the program, including travel, accommodation, delegate fees and meals.

To apply for the ALRTA vacancy in the program, send an email to your State Member Association (LRTAQ, LBRCA, LRTAV, LTAT, LRTASA or LRTAWA) by 3 October 2018 with the following:

  • Your full contact details
  • Your age
  • The outline of a leadership project you would like to undertake.

Visit www.truck.net.au/futureleaders for more details.

NHVR – CHAIN OF RESPONSIBILITY GAP ASSESSMENT TOOL 

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) is reviewing their Chain of Responsibility Gap Assessment Tool. To give your feedback and thoughts on the tool and to offer suggestions for improvement, take a quick survey.