ALRTA News – 31 May 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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ASSISTANT MINISTER BUCHHOLZ TO ADDRESS NATIONAL CONFERENCE

ALRTA and LRTASA are delighted to announce that the Hon Scott Buchholz MP, Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport, will deliver a keynote address at our combined state-national conference at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, 14-15 June 2019.


Photo: Assistant Minister Buchholz.

Assistant Minister Buchholz was confirmed in his portfolio this week and shortly afterwards accepted our invitation to speak at the conference.

Other notable speakers at the conference include:

  • Senator Rex Patrick – Centre Alliance (Crossbench)
  • Sal Petroccitto – CEO, National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
  • Paul Davies – Chief Planning Officer, National Transport Commission
  • Gary Mahon – CEO, Queensland Trucking Association
  • Bill McKinley – Chief of Staff, Australian Trucking Association
  • Ian Norris – Senior Sargent, SA Police
  • Angela Slagter – Senior Policy Advisor, DPTI
  • Mike Edmonds – General Manager – Sales and Distribution, NTI
  • Stephen Marley – ALRTA National President
  • David Smith – LRTASA President and ATA Vice Chair
  • John Beer – LRTAV & ALRTA Vice President
  • Fiona Wild – ALRTA Treasurer
  • Mathew Munro – ALRTA Executive Director
  • Sue Davies – ALRTA Project Officer


Photo: Senator Rex Patrick.

The conference program kicks off on Friday 14 June with 9 holes of golf followed by our National Sponsors Cocktail Reception.  The official opening and formal conference sessions will begin on Saturday morning.  The conference will conclude on Saturday evening with a gala dinner and fundraising auction.

The first-rate program will also include a trade show, special announcements, roving street magician, juke box, lolly bar, food and drinks!

You can find registration information here.

LIVE EXPORTS BY AIR

ALRTA has lodged a submission in response to an issues paper released as part of the Review of the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (ASEL): Air Transport.

This issue was considered by the ALRTA National Animal Welfare Committee on 9 May 2019, with further input from individual carriers with experience servicing live exports by air.  ALRTA has made six recommendations including:

  • Recommendation 1: That ASEL require businesses engaging in live export via air to ensure that good quality, fit-for-purpose loading/unloading equipment is provided including forcing yards, ramps and enclosed gantries.
  • Recommendation 2: That maximum travel time from the property where livestock are sourced to the airport is calculated based on total time off water limits for the entire journey.
  • Recommendation 3: That ASEL require chain parties to communicate the time and date when feed and water was last offered (feed and water should be recorded separately).
  • Recommendation 4: That ASEL require livestock returned to property of origin to be spelled for 24hrs prior to being reloaded for land transport.
  • Recommendation 5: That in due course, ASEL refer to effluent management risks and controls (including curfews) outlined in the registered code of practice for the management of effluent in the livestock supply chain.
  • Recommendation 6: That Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines: Land Transport of Livestock remain the primary source of livestock inspection regulation during land transport.

The review is being overseen by a technical advisory committee.  Submissions will be considered with a discussion paper due for release in late June 2019.

NATIONAL CHARGING TRIALS

LRTASA President, David Smith, and ALRTA Executive Director, Mat Munro, attended an Industry Workshop in Melbourne to discuss on-road charging trials to be undertaken as part of the Australian Government’s National Heavy Vehicle Pilot.

The National Heavy Vehicle Pilot will involve testing of an alternative charging method, primarily based on vehicle mass and distance travelled.  The testing will be undertaken in two parts:

  • Small-scale trial: Up to 50 vehicles, using telematics and self-declaration of vehicle configurations.
  • Large-scale trial: Up to 1,000 vehicles using telematics and manual options, and possibly alternative measures of mass and location.

In both scenarios, participating operators will supply telematics information to government. Government will crunch numbers behind the scenes and supply a mock bill to the operator that compares heavy vehicle charges under the current PAYGO model and the alternative models.

The alternative charges will be set at a level to ensure that there is net ‘cost-neutrality’. So, the only possible outcome is that trucks travelling longer distances will pay more, while trucks travelling shorter distances will pay less.  Not exactly a startling revelation.

ALRTA is not convinced that the trials will achieve anything more than exploring whether or not mandatory telematics is yet reliable enough for distance-based charging. It will not answer our key question:  Will it cost more, or less, to operate heavy vehicles on lower tier parts of the road network?

EFFLUENT CODE OF PRACTICE

The ALRTA’s Effluent Code of Practice Working Group held its first meeting via teleconference this week.  The Working Group was formed following a scoping workshop held in Canberra in March attended by 35 participants.   The Working Group comprises producers, feedlots, transporters, agents, saleyards, processors, enforcement, welfare advocates and biosecurity experts.

The Working Group considered the code development process, timelines, purpose, scope and risk assessment methodology. It will meet via teleconference in June and face-to-face in July.

For more information please contact: project@alrta.org.au.

ALRTA PROPOSES CHANGES TO PIGPASS

Following consultation with pig carriers, ALRTA has made several recommendations to Australian Pork Limited proposing changes to the PigPass NVD.  These include:

  • New chain of responsibility declarations for the producer and carrier;
  • Improved information concerning ambient temperature; and
  • An opportunity for the carrier to record when feed or water has been provided to pigs in transit.

ALRTA CONGRATULATES FRASERS

ALRTA congratulates Frasers Livestock Transport on the acquisition of their 150th Kenworth truck. Ross Fraser OAM was handed the keys of a T659 by PACCAR Australia’s managing director Andrew Hadjikakou earlier this year at the Kenworth plant in Bayswater, Victoria. Long time dealers Brown and Hurley were also in attendance at the handover.


Photo: Andrew Hadjikakou and Ross Fraser OAM. 


Photo: Jim Hurley and Ross Fraser OAM. 

NHVR NEWS

The NHVR will assume responsibility for frontline compliance and enforcement activities in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) next month.  One of the changes that affected operators may notice is the introduction of self-clearing defect notices in the ACT.

The ACT now joins South Australia and Tasmania.  ALRTA understands that Victoria will be next.

NHVR has also issued new information sheets following roundtable meetings on vehicle fires.

For more information click here.

MEETING NOTICE: ALRTA NATIONAL COUNCIL

Members are advised that the ALRTA National Council will next meet face-to-face in Adelaide on Thursday, 13 June 2019.  For more information please contact the ALRTA Secretariat on (02) 6247 5434 or office@ALRTA.org.au

UPCOMING EVENTS

Have you registered for the ALRTA/LRTASA Combined Conference?
Go to https://alrta.org.au/events/events/ to download the Registration Form.