2020 Diversity Program

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PROMOTING THE EFFLUENT CODE

ALRTA has lodged a funding application under the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative 2020-21 to promote the adoption of the ‘Registered Industry Code of Practice – Managing Effluent in the Livestock Supply Chain (the Code)’ by providing education and awareness to parties in the livestock supply chain.

The draft Code has been developed in cooperation with representatives of producers, transporters, agents, saleyards, processors, welfare advocates, biosecurity experts and enforcement personnel. ALRTA will apply to NHVR to formally register the code in coming months.
 
If the application is successful, the education and awareness project will deliver:

• resources that promote and explain the ‘RICP – Managing Effluent in the livestock supply chain’ as well as the ‘Transport Master Code’; and
• twelve information sessions in rural and regional centres across Australia to raise awareness of and promote the content and context of the Effluent Code;
• an opportunity to obtain direct feedback from stakeholders about the content of the Effluent Code.

ALRTA thanks the organisations that have kindly provided letters of support for the application.

ALRTA POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT

ALRTA participated in two important political engagements this week.
 
LRTASA President, David Smith, and LRTAWA President, David Fyfe, met with the Federal Treasurer, the Hon. Josh Frydenberg MP, and Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport, the Hon. Scott Buchholz MP to discuss ALRTA’s proposal for a Rural Transport Management Deposit Scheme.
 
ALRTA Executive Director, Mat Munro, participated in a teleconference with the Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. Michael McCormack MP, concerning the Federal Government’s bushfire response.
 
Now that Federal Parliament is back in session, ALRTA will continue to engage key decision makers on these and other issues over coming weeks.

2020 DIVERSITY PROGRAM

Australian Trucking Association (ATA) and Teletrac Navman have announced the participants of a ground-breaking initiative that will celebrate the industry’s diversity and develop diversity champions.

Program participants will be hosted in Cairns this April for a workshop facilitated by program ambassador, diversity champion and comedian Wayne Herbert. They will learn how to create change and facilitate diversity in their workplace and community, share personal insights, develop a marketing campaign that showcases diversity within industry, and develop a strong professional network with like-minded individuals.

Following the workshop, participants will attend the ATA’s Trucking Australia conference where they will connect with industry and share program outcomes with delegates.

Congratulations to ALRTA participant Sarah Woodruff, a livestock truck driver with Tate’s Transport in Richmond, Tasmania.

Sarah has been driving livestock transport trucks for three years, transporting sheep, cattle, calves and goats from farms to saleyards and abattoirs, primarily in South Eastern and Central areas of Tasmania.

Well regarded across the industry, Sarah contributes to the Tasmanian Livestock Transporters Association by attending meetings and providing input to association discussions and activities.

Sarah has a vision to support greater diversity in the livestock and rural industries and promote them as a professional and viable career choice.

To read about the other worthy participants click here.

CONSULTATION ON CHARGING REFORM

The Federal Government has provided advice to ALRTA that public consultation on Heavy Vehicle Road Reform (i.e. charging and infrastructure provision) will commence with the release of a public consultation paper in the second week of March 2020. This will be followed by half-day workshops to be held around Australia March-April 2020.
 
The consultations will focus on:

1. Service level standards;
2. Expenditure planning and recovery from heavy vehicles;
3. Independent setting of heavy vehicle charges; and
4. Dedicated road funding (hypothecation).

 ALRTA will participate in the consultation process and provide more information to our members about opportunities to have your say as soon as possible.

ALRTA COMMENTS ON ROAD TRAIN NOTICE

The ATA and ALRTA have provided comments to the NHVR relating to a draft National Class 2 Road Train Authorisation Notice 2020.  Once gazetted the new notice will replace the existing 2015 version.  While NHVR should be applauded for facilitating some steps towards improved national consistency across HVNL jurisdictions, there is still a long way to go before the state-based route and condition schedules can be removed, if ever.
 
ALRTA will provide more information about the changes in the new notice after publication.

RENEWAL OF ANIMAL WELFARE NOTICE

Members are advised that the National Livestock Welfare Work and Rest Exemption Notice has been renewed for a further three years to 9 February 2023.  The conditions of the notice remain unchanged.
 
The notice allows livestock carriers up to one-hour additional flexibility in managing work and rest times to manage animal welfare risks that may occur. Double the additional work time used must be taken as rest the following day.
 
The NHVR website is yet to be updated to reflect the renewal., but ALRTA expects that the new notice will be available here.

MINOR CHANGES TO HVNL

Minor amendments to the National Heavy Vehicle Law are coming on February 28. The changes remove inconsistencies between self-clearing defect notices, minor and major defect notices.  These changes will:

• align the requirement for a driver who is not the vehicle operator to give the defect notice to the operator as soon as practicable, but no more than 14 days, after the notice is issued;
• allow a self-clearing defect notice to specify the date by which the repairs must be carried out; and
• provide an option for the operator to request permission to use a heavy vehicle subject to a self-clearing defect notice if the repairs have not been carried out by the required date. 

Click here to read more about the changes

LOOK AT THE BROADER PICTURE

In Diesel News this week, Athol Carter, Compliance Manager at Frasers LivestockTransport says “Operators handling the task which was formerly one, which was simply that of getting livestock to the saleyards or abattoir now have to look at the broader picture. The work is now fraught with a wide array of regulatory and compliance issues.”  Read the article.

Are you receiving your complimentary Diesel Magazine?  Take advantage of this free offer, click here.

SWINE FEVER VS SWINE FLU

Confused about the difference between African swine fever (ASF) and swine influenza (swine flu)? Whilst both are diseases of pigs, they are caused by different viruses and affect pigs in different ways. For more information click here for a fact sheet.

ALRTA PHONE 

The ALRTA National Office landline in Canberra is now working with a diversion to the mobile phone. This will be in place until the NBN is installed. This has been a slow process and ALRTA apologies if we have missed any calls due to the transition.

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR 2020

Last week to register for the LBRCA (NSW) Conference on 6-7 March 2020 at Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Convention Centre NSW. Click here to Register. For a Sneak-Peak at the Conference Program Check out the Program here.

LRTAQ (QLD) Conference on 19-21 March 2020 in Roma QLD. Click here to Register.
LTAT (TAS) Conference on 2 May 2020 in Hobart TAS.
LRTASA (SA) Conference on 12-13 June 2020 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre SA.
LRTAWA/ALRTA (WA & National) Conference on 24-25 July 2020. Location in WA to be advised.
LRTAV (VIC) Conference on 14-15 August 2020 at All Seasons Resort Bendigo VIC.