ALRTA News – 10 September 2021

THANK YOU TO OUR NATIONAL SPONSOR
LOWES

Maximise your membership entitlements link your Lowes Petroleum account. Haven’t got a Lowes account for your bulk fuel, talk to a Lowes Sales Manager phone 1300 4 LOWES (1300 4 56937) or CLICK HERE

MANDATORY VACCINATION COMMENCES

Victoria
From 23 September, Victoria will introduce mandatory vaccinations for freight workers with Specified Worker (Multiple Entry) Permits crossing into Victoria and having been in an extreme risk/red zone in the previous 14 days. 
 
Freight workers with Specified Worker (Multiple Entry) Permits receive priority bookings for free COVID-19 vaccinations, even if they are not a Victorian resident. 

Permit holders must call 1800 675 398 to book in at any state vaccination centre and advise the operator that you are a Commercial Freight Worker for a priority booking. 
 
Permit holders that have been to an extreme risk / red zone in the past 14 days must book into a red zone clinic for their vaccination. 

Red zone clinics are located at:

  • Melbourne Showgrounds
  • Sunshine
  • Sandown Racecourse
  • Ford Campbellfield
  • Wangaratta

 Learn more about booking vaccinations.
 
Other Jurisdictions
Similar requirements were introduced in South Australia before being quickly revoked. Mandatory vaccination requirements apply in some NSW LGAs and the QLD/NSW Border Zone. 
 
In perhaps a sign of things to come, American President Joe Biden has announced that mandatory vaccination will apply to all federal employees and contractors, military personnel and health care workers receiving government Medicare or Medicaid. For all businesses with more than 100 employees, each employee must either be vaccinated or tested weekly. More than 100 million people will be affected.  
 
ALRTA Representations
Following on from our letters opposing mandatory vaccinations for freight workers issued last week, ALRTA has discussed problems likely to arise with the Federal Government (in the presence of all state and territory jurisdictions) and with the Director General of QLD Transport and Main Roads. While transport officials appear sympathetic, decisions ultimately rest with State Premiers and Chief Health Officers.  We are working with our state associations to reinforce our message. While each state and territory will make its own decision, ALRTA will strongly oppose any move to include mandatory vaccinations in the National Freight Protocols.

REINFORCING ADD ON INSURANCE POSITION

ALRTA has been working with the ATA and Australian Furniture Removalists Association (AFRA) to reinforce our position on the provision of add on insurance products.
 
While we are pleased with the exposure draft legislation proposing to exempt certain add on insurance products from new regulations (that would otherwise unreasonably restrict availability), we have formally recommended that the definition of ‘add-on transport and delivery insurance product’ be modified to expressly encompass ‘incidental storage’.
 
Legal advice recently obtained by ALRTA on behalf of each association has reinforced the view that clarity concerning the definition is required to deliver a workable exemption.  We trust that our further representations to government will underscore the importance of modifying the exemption.

COVID SCARES AT KEY LIVESTOCK SITES

Illustrating the difficulties in controlling the delta outbreak and potential for significant disruption of the livestock supply chain, there has been COVID detections at the Dubbo Regional Livestock Market (NSW) and Big River Pork abattoir in Murray Bridge (SA).  While the Murray Bridge case has been contained with minimal impact on operations, the Dubbo outbreak has resulted in cancellation of a sheep sale on 6 September and a prime cattle sale on 9 September.
 
While sales on 13 & 16 September had originally been cancelled, these will now proceed under COVID safe protocols.  Carriers are to remain with their truck and must not attend the sale.

LBRCA FUNDED TO REDUCE ROLLOVERS

The LBRCA has been successful in obtaining funding to deliver a Heavy Vehicle Rollover Prevention Program. The funding will be provided under Round 6 of the NHVR’s $5.2m Heavy Vehicle safety Initiative, with support from the Federal Government.
 
The program will deliver a high quality and comprehensive online industry training program aimed at tackling heavy vehicle rollovers and crashes within the Australian bulk carrier industry. The program will be accessible and free of charge to all transport stakeholders in Australia.
 
Find more information on the HVSI and view the list of successful projects here.

R U OK?

Yesterday 9 September 2021 was R U OK? Day.  

The message for R U OK? Day 2021 was  ‘Are they really OK?

It isn’t too late to ask someone today R U OK?  Ask the people in your world how they’re really going.

ROAD TRAINS TO ACCESS FULL NEWELL

The NSW Government has announced that all eligible vehicles up to 36.5m long and PBS Level 3 vehicles will be allowed access to the entire length of the Newell Highway.  Access has been gradually expanded with the Parkes section the last to be opened.
 
LBRCA has been working closely with the NSW Government to provide full access, including during recent trials focusing on drought fodder and grain harvest.

NHVR SPEED LIMITER CAMPAIGN

The NHVR has released a targeted education campaign focused on the safety risks caused by illegal speed limiter tampering.
 
NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said the latest campaign aimed to prevent speeding before the foot touched the accelerator pedal.
 
“Speed is a major contributing factor in road deaths and serious injuries involving heavy vehicles,” Mr Petroccitto said.
 
“In the past year, 70 per cent of fatalities involving articulated trucks occurred in speed zones of 100km/h or above.
 
“Tampering with a heavy vehicle’s speed limiter to increase speed capacity not only poses safety risks to the driver and other road users, but it is illegal.
 
“I encourage drivers who believe they are driving a tampered truck to report it through the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Confidential Reporting Line on 1800 931 785.
 
“It is also essential that supply chain parties are doing their bit and not adding time pressure on the transport industry to meet unrealistic deadlines.
 
“The NHVR’s highest priority is safety, and we’ll continue to work with the industry to ensure we’re all doing our part to tackle illegal remapping and make Australia’s roads safe for everyone.”
 
The NHVR is running a series of speed limiter tampering campaign messages across outdoor advertising, publications and via social media.
 
For more information on the campaign and to find out more on the risks and penalties, visit www.nhvr.gov.au/engineremapping

DATA INCONSISTENCY RETARDS REFORM

AustRoads has released a new report on Data to Support the Heavy Vehicle Road Reform
 
Increasing the amount and improving the quality of nationally consistent information about the nature and condition of Australia’s roads, is a critical component of building a more efficient, fairer system for making decisions about road spending.
 
While there are many distinct components that form part of developing a suitable data system able to provide solid baseline data, the report highlights the difficulties that arise due to different jurisdictional data collection systems.  Data collection systems are not built ‘from the top down’ to produce consistent data relevant for support a new charging and infrastructure provision system. Rather, each level of government has developed their own system ‘from the ground up’ based on their own perceived needs. Even data that is captured under the same ‘name’ can be different, as data capture may have been developed for different purposes and with different definitions in mind.
 
All in all, the report demonstrates some key failings of the current system for charging and infrastructure provision, and flags significant challenges in moving to a new, nationally consistent, platform.

FRIDAY FUNNY