ALRTA News – 20 October 2020

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ALRTA NATIONAL SPONSOR

ALRTA members can earn triple Qantas Points with a new BP Plus fuel card go to https://www.bpplus.com.au

LATEST ON BORDER CONTROLS

Friday 30 October
The duration of the Queensland Border Declaration Pass (Freight and Logistics) will be valid for 14 days (previously 7 days) from the day of issue or unless a freight and logistics operators’ circumstances change, whichever is shorter.
 
For more detailed information https://www.health.qld.gov.au/system-governance/legislation/cho-public-health-directions-under-expanded-public-health-act-powers/border-restrictions/freight-services-protocol-30oct
 
Wednesday 28 October – Tasmania
Entry requirements for Essential Freight workers arriving from Victoria to Tasmania have not changed with the recent easing of some restrictions. Tasmania still classify Victoria as a hotspot and as such:

  • a G2G border pass
  • submitting to a test upon arrival or providing evidence of  test within the last 7 days
  • close contact record keeping and practicing appropriate social distancing in line with the health directive

 is still required for entry to Tasmania.
 
Whilst in transit on the Spirit of Tasmania, essential workers are still required to self-isolate in their cabs and food and drink will be brought to the vehicle. A swab testing facility is available on arrival in Devonport for testing requirements.
 
https://coronavirus.tas.gov.au/travellers-and-visitors/g2g-pass
 
Friday 23 October – Victoria update
Advice to operators utilising the National COVID-19 Emergency (Holiday Travel Condition) Derestriction Notice 2020 (No.7).
 
At the request of the Victorian Department of Transport, this notice will expire on 31 October 2020 and will not be extended. The holiday travel conditions will revert to conditions prior to the implementation of the notice in March 2020. Please ensure you factor this expiration into your operational requirements.
 
More Information
For the latest summary of border rules and testing sites click here.

IMPROVING WELFARE: DRIVERS & ANIMALS

The ALRTA National Driver and Animal Welfare Committee met via zoom this week to consider a range of issues including ramp standards, injuries, user-pay infrastructure, effluent management, electronic NVDs, accreditation systems and language/definitions.



ALRTA recently decided to reconstitute our animal welfare the committee and broader it’s mandate to include driver welfare. As all of our operators know, you need good driver welfare to have good animal welfare. The committee now includes the following representatives:

  • Chair: Graeme Hoare
  • QLD: Jared Seiler & Jack Burke
  • NSW: Reggie Sutton & Wilba Haslem
  • VIC: Graham Howell & Trevor Fry
  • SA: Peter Edmonds & John Heinsen
  • WA: John Mitchell & Mark Talbot
  • TAS: Adam Viney
  • TruckSafe: Peter Callanan

 The committee will next meet in December 2020.

ALRTA MEETS PACCAR & DEALER INDUSTRY FUND

ALRTA Immediate Past President, Stephen Marley, and Executive Director, Mat Munro, caught up with the team at PACCAR & Dealer Industry Fund this week to provide an update on our activities in 2020 and priority issues for 2021. Joining us from PACCAR was Brad May, Paul Wiffrie and Kate Sykes.
 
ALRTA relies heavily on the support of our National Partners to undertake our advocacy and project work.  We ask our members to show their support by considering the products of our national partners in all purchasing decisions.

HEAVY VEHICLE CHARGING REFORM

ALRTA Executive Director, Mat Munro, has met with government officials twice this week to progress discussions on heavy vehicle charging reform. On Monday, joint talks were held with the Department of Treasury and Department of Transport to explore oversight mechanisms that could potentially apply to future charging decisions under the Heavy Vehicle Road Reform agenda, likely to involve road service level standards, independent price setting, a forward looking cost base and more direct user charging.
 
On Thursday, discussions continued with the National Transport Commission about the separate, but related, review of the current PAYGO model. The meeting explored new estimates for updating the ‘Equivalent Standard Axle’ measures across vehicle classes and application of the MaxMan model which attempts to account for network restrictions applied to road trains.

HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW REVIEW

ALRTA ATA Representative, John Beer, and Executive Director, Mat Munro, participated in two ATA workshops this week to develop and refine an industry response to the HVNL regulatory impact statement.   The main topics of discussion related to NTC options for changes to the access system, accreditation, use technology and regulatory tools.
 
ATA will finalise submissions to the NTC prior to the revised closing date of 20 November 2020.
 
ALRTA will provide a supplementary submission supporting key ATA positions and providing additional advice on issues of particular relevance to the rural transport sector.

NEW NHVAS BUSINESS RULES

The revised National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) Business Rules and Standards will better align with modern safety systems when they roll out from February 2021.
 
NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said the reforms for more than 7,600 NHVAS customers had been finalised following a review of the scheme and widespread industry consultation.
 
“Through the NHVAS review and our engagement with industry, we identified several areas where we were able to improve the structure of the system to make it more logical and easier to understand, and to remove gaps within the framework,” Mr Petroccitto said.
 
“In particular, key changes have been made to more closely align NHVAS with safety management systems to better assist customers meet their requirements under the Chain of Responsibility laws”.
  
Some of the other key reforms being introduced include:

  • requirements for crash and incident reporting of major and significant events
  • a register of infringements and defects notices received
  • fit and proper person requirements as part of the assessment criteria
  • maintenance strengthened to now include daily inspection of tow couplings and drawbars.

More details on the revised Rules and Standards, as well as the Notice of Final Rule Making, are available at www.nhvr.gov.au/nhvas-review.

REGULATORY BENEFITS FOR TRUCKSAFE?

An expert report into heavy vehicle accreditation has explored allowing multiple schemes, including TruckSafe, to operate under an accreditation framework run by the NHVR. Trucking businesses in any scheme could be eligible for regulatory exemptions.

The  Report of the Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Working Group sets out the potential model in detail, including draft national accreditation and audit standards.

The model parallels the proposal that the ATA put forward in the issues paper stage of the HVNL review. 

The Acting CEO of the ATA, Bill McKinley, said the report showed it was feasible for the NHVR to regulate multiple industry accreditation schemes, with the schemes responsible for certifying their members.

“The model could enable TruckSafe certified operators to receive the benefits of the regulatory exemptions associated with alternative compliance,” Mr McKinley said.

“It would also dramatically reduce the NHVR’s regulatory task, because it would be responsible for overseeing two or three scheme providers rather than 7,600 certified operators.

“As part of the ATA’s approach, we would also want to see amendments to the law so that businesses certified under an approved accreditation scheme – such as TruckSafe – would be deemed to comply with their safety duties under the national truck laws.

“In addition, customers and other chain parties, including prime contractors, should be able to rely on a trucking business’s certification as evidence that the business was compliant with its safety duties and obligations. The chain party would be able to focus on meeting its own obligations rather than demanding unnecessary, repetitive audits,” he said.

In addition to government, NHVR and NTC officers, the working group included representatives of the ATA, Queensland Trucking Association, Western Roads Federation, NatRoad, ALRTA and TruckSafe. The Australian Logistics Council and Bus Industry Confederation were also members of the group.

Read the full report here 

REMINDER ABOUT FIT TO LOAD RULES

WoolProducers Australia, Sheep Producers Australia and Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association have joined forces to remind the sheep industry about ensuring that all consignments meet the requirements of the fit to load guide.
 
WPA CEO, Ms Jo Hall said “Adhering to the criteria of the guide is one of the many ways Australian sheep producers and wool growers can demonstrate they are serious about sheep welfare.”
 
The guide is designed to help producers, livestock agents, buyers and transporters meet their legal obligations under the Australian Animal Welfare Standards for the Land Transport of Livestock and help to ensure high animal welfare standards are maintained throughout the livestock industries. Topics in the guide include preparation of livestock for transport, feed and water, examples of animals that are unfit to load and what to do if an animal is unfit to load.
 
It is the responsibility of the person in charge to ensure that animals are prepared correctly, will cope well with the entire journey and are not suffering any illness or injuries.
 
To further enhance industry’s ability to meet these requirements, ALPA are currently undertaking a number of Industry Awareness Days with a strong united focus on implementing practical and appropriate measures to achieve this aim.
 
Read more here.

MENTAL HEALTH MONTH

Even though Mental Health Month is drawing to a close, open communication about mental health must continue.

TruckSafe’s Mental Health poster can be displayed in your workplace or shared with employees via your social media or email.

TMC IS GOING ONLINE FOR 2020



The format will include both live and pre-recorded elements accessed via an online conference platform.

Registrations will be open soon and be free of charge. 

Delegates will be able to access on demand content at any time that suits them, as the platform will remain open for seven days.  

Exhibitor opportunities are now available in the TMC Online Expo. Put your products and services on display digitally at the trucking industry’s premier national gathering of technology and maintenance professionals – Sponsor Opportunities

NORTHCONNEX

NorthConnex is scheduled to open this Saturday 31 October 2020, which means some changes for heavy vehicles.

Trucks and buses (over 12.5 metres long or over 2.8 metres clearance height) travelling between the M1 and M2 must use the tunnels unless they have a genuine delivery or pick up destination only accessible via Pennant Hills Road.

Two gantries will monitor trucks and buses on Pennant Hills Road – in the north at Normanhurst and in the south at Beecroft / West Pennant Hills. Cameras in the gantries will record the height and length of trucks and buses. Trucks and buses (over 12.5 metres long or over 2.8 metres clearance height) which pass both gantries with the flow of traffic will receive a fine of $194 with no loss of demerit points.

View the NorthConnex heavy vehicle guide

LOWES DISCOUNTS FOR ALRTA MEMBERS

Reminder from 1 November 2020 ALRTA members can enjoy Premium Blue Ribbon discounts.  For more information click here.

FRIDAY FUNNY

An optimist, a pessimist and a realist are standing next to each other.

The optimist sees light.

The pessimist sees light at the end of a tunnel.

The realist sees a truck at the end of a tunnel.

The truck driver sees three idiots which he’s about to run over.

ALRTA STAFF AVAILABILITY AMIDST COVID19

ALRTA staff have progressed back to the office, to enable safe distancing there will be only two members of staff present at any one time.

Email office@alrta.org.au or call Colleen on the ALRTA mobile 0490 515 681 or Mathew (ED) on 0421 082 489.

SAVE THE DATES FOR 2021

LBRCA Conference – Wagga Wagga NSW – 4-6 March 2021 – The Range Function Centre
LRTAQ Conference – Roma QLD – 9-11 April 2021
LRTASA Conference – Adelaide SA –  18-19 June 2021