ALRTA News – 5 November 2021

THANK YOU TO ALRTA NATIONAL SPONSOR BYRNE TRAILERS

New Delivery – Maloney Livestock Transport Tamworth NSW

4 x 2 B Double convertible
Fitted with light weight composite sheep decks

Byrne Trailers is a proud Australian Family owned and operated business. Leading the way into the future in Livestock Transport design and engineering.
Visit ByrneTrailers website.

View the video produced by Byrne Trailers for the 2021 ALRTA/LTAT National Conference – a great insight into behind the scenes.

NEW DIRECTOR IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS

If you are a company director, you need to apply for a director identification number.

Sole traders do not need to apply.

The date you must apply depends on the date you became a director:

  • Directors appointed from 1 November 2021 must apply within 28 days.
  • Directors appointed on or before 31 October 2021 have until 30 November 2022 to apply.

Director IDs will create a fairer business environment by improving data integrity and confidence in knowing who the directors of a company are.

You need to apply for your director ID yourself to verify your identity. No one can apply for you.  Your authorised tax, BAS or ASIC agent can help you understand the new requirement.

 For more information click here.

$150M FOR REMOTE ROADS UPGRADES

The Liberal and Nationals Government have launched a new $150 million Remote Roads Upgrade Pilot Program.

Acting Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said the trial program would target unsealed roads throughout remote Australia, many of which haven’t been upgraded since the Great Depression.

Mr Joyce said the program would offer councils between 80% and 100% of funding to upgrade unsealed roads and improve safety with works including resurfacing, removing dangerous corners and managing vegetation.

“This is not about sealing roads; it is about making them safer. It is about putting down gravel to stop parents getting bogged in the rain when they drive their kids to school; it is about removing dangerous corners. Many of these remote roads haven’t been touched since the Great Depression,” he said.

“The Liberals and Nationals Government will partner with local government in delivering this new funding to address many neglected roads that are out of sight to most people. We recognise the costs of upgrading rural and regional roads are often prohibitive for local governments.”

Mr Joyce said guidelines for the new program would be released by the end of the year to target unsealed roads more than 20 kilometres long.

ATA SEEKS ACTION ON HVNL REVIEW

The National Transport Commission has withdrawn its proposal to slash the income of truck drivers by reducing their weekly hours – but problems remain.

The decision followed an industry workshop on Monday 25 October and high level discussions between industry representatives and the commission.

ATA Chair David Smith welcomed the NTC’s decision to withdraw the proposal, but said it did not fix all the problems with its approach to fatigue or address the broader issues with the national truck law review.


ATA Chair David Smith. 

“When they meet in December, Australia’s transport ministers should start again and develop an approach to the national truck law based on best practice from around the world and the insights of the industry,” Mr Smith said.

“Otherwise, the review will continue to be a waste of time and money.”

DANGEROUS GOODS CODE UNDER REVIEW

The NTC has released a draft version 7.8 of the Australian Dangerous Goods Code.

Interested parties can access the draft here and comment until 17 January 2022.

RAPID ANTIGEN TESTING PILOT AT GOONDIWINDI 9 & 10 November

On Tuesday 9 November and Wednesday 10 November 2021, a COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) Pilot will be conducted at the Goondiwindi freight and logistics dedicated testing site.

Freight and logistics operators are currently subject to a 7-day rolling program of surveillance testing using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing, when operating under the QLD Freight Protocol.

When you present for your PCR test at Goondiwindi, you will have the opportunity to be part of the RAT Pilot and have a second COVID-19 test. Participating in this pilot will inform the viability of the broader implementation of rapid antigen testing in Queensland.

Rapid Antigen Test results can be provided within 15-30 minutes and you will not have to wait for those results at the testing location.

This is joint initiative between Queensland Health with Darling Downs Health, Department of Transport and Main Roads and Queensland Police Service. Industry representatives have been consulted during the planning of the pilot.

Participation in the pilot is voluntary and drivers and operators must be asymptomatic to have the rapid antigen test.  When operators go for a PCR test, they will be offered a RAT test as well.  

Freight and logistics operators will not be required to wait for their result. The results will be sent to operators via SMS as soon as they are available and operators will be able to check their test results when they make their next stop.

If the RAT returns a positive result, the operator will be contacted by Queensland Health and arrangements will be made for them to isolate while a priority analysis of the PCR test is undertaken to determine if the result is a true positive. This is because a PCR test provides a more accurate reading for whether a person is or isn’t positive with COVID-19.

If the PCR test is positive, appropriate arrangements will be made by Queensland Health.

PROTECTING PLANT HEALTH

Last week the Dept Agriculture, Water and Environment (DAWE) hosted a webinar focused on plant biosecurity issues facing Australia now and into the future. Our biosecurity measures work to protect Australian agriculture, worth 60 billion per annum, and preserve Australia’s unique native flora and fauna. Two thirds of Australia’s plant-based produce is exported, feeding around 60 million people outside of Australia.
 
There were three presentations, by Sarah Corcoran, CEO of Plant Health Australia and Dr Gabrielle Vivian-Smith and Adrian Dinsdale of DAWE, who:

  1. discussed the shared responsibility we all have for maintaining Australia’s plant health and the critical importance of implementing national plans to prevent and respond to plant pests;
  2. identified and described the potentially devastating impact of the number 1 threat to Australian crops – Xylella Fastidiosa and how we are managing the risk; and
  3. provided an insight into the robust ‘science and innovation’ approach of the Plant Innovation Centre at Post-Entry Quarantine (the PIC team at PEQ).

 Xylella is a bacteria that affects the water vessells of a plant, appearing as leaf scorch. It is ingested and spread by sap-sucking insects. There is no known cure for Xylella. Its eradication relies on producers destroying and replanting crops. The bacteria can’t survive outside a plant or vector, but could hitch a ride into Australia via a number of different arrival pathways.

RENEWAL APPLICATION EXTENSION

The NHVR has revised the timeframe for current renewal application submissions, from six weeks to 12 weeks. The increase in time provides industry more flexibility and time to plan as industry can renew anytime within the 12-week window.

This change also provides road managers additional opportunities to consider changes or improvements to heavy vehicle access, including new assessment of infrastructure since the last approval, or new alternatives such as bypass options.

The NHVR encourages operators to ensure they have taken the time to undertake any route amendments or additions before submitting renewals. Amendments can still be made up to six weeks prior to the renewal date.

The revision is in place now, with further information located via the NHVR’s Road Access page

COURT ORDERS DRIVER TO USE EWD

A driver facing four charges of fatigue breaches and a maximum penalty of $67,320 has instead been ordered to obtain an Electronic Work Diary (EWD) by the South Australian court.

This is the 3rd successful application of a Supervisory Intervention Order (SIO) by the NHVR and the first time a court has ordered an EWD to address fatigue breaches.

The NHVR has also recently approved Q by Quallogi as the first Electronic Work Diary (EWD) to operate on an additional Android and two iOS devices.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto confirmed the addition of Apple iPhone SE and iPad (5th Generation) last week, having approved Q by Quallogi in May this year as the fifth official EWD approved for use.

REAPPOINTED NHVR BOARD 

Reappointed NHVR Board releases vision for modern regulation.

Delivering truly borderless operations and increasing flexibility for safe operators are key features of a modern regulatory approach, as outlined in the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) Strategic Directions 2021-2026 document.

NHVR Chair Duncan Gay said the release of the NHVR’s long term Strategy (first released in 2016) came at a critical time for industry, as the regulator pursues ambitious and relevant industry reform to the Heavy Vehicle National Law, currently under the spotlight.

To view the latest Strategic Directions document click here.

FULL MEDIA RELEASE

LTAT AGM ELECTION RESULTS

ALRTA congratulates Nick Hingston on being re-elected LTAT President at the AGM held 23 October 2021.  The senior members of the LTAT Executive now include:
 
President: Nick Hingston
Vice President: Adam Viney
Treasurer: Tony Seers
Secretary: Sara Woodruff
Immediate Past President: Spencer Griggs

MEETING NOTICE: ALRTA COUNCIL

Members are advised that the ALRTA Council will next meet via Zoom on Friday 12 November 2021.
 
Please contact the ALRTA Secretariat via office@alrta.org.au for details.

FRIDAY FUNNY

SAVE THE DATES FOR 2022

LBRCA Conference – Wagga Wagga NSW – 10-12 February 2022 – Registration
LRTAQ Conference – Sunshine Coast – 4-5 March 2022