ALRTA News – 23 December 2022

THANK YOU ALRTA NATIONAL PARTNERS

ALRTA National Partners provide support to the ALRTA to achieve important outcomes “on the ground” for the Australian livestock and rural transport Industry.

Consider ALRTA National Partners in your next business decision to support your industry! Their partnership and support to our industry is invaluable.

ALRTA NATIONAL PARTNERS

LIVESTOCK PARTNERSHIP DELIVERS NEW CODE OF PRACTICE FOR MANAGING EFFLUENT

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has registered a new national code of practice developed in partnership with the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA) to reduce the hazards and risks associated with effluent spillage during the transport of livestock.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said the Managing Effluent in the Livestock Supply Chain Code of Practice had been specifically developed by industry for industry, but would have far-reaching benefits for all road users and communities.

“The ‘Effluent Code’ is a practical guide that helps livestock transporters and other parties in the livestock supply chain meet their primary duty and other obligations under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) when managing livestock effluent during road transport,” Mr Petroccitto said.

“It combines industry knowledge and experience in suggesting measures to minimise effluent loss that can be implemented at each stage of a land transport journey – from preparing livestock for transit to unloading – without impacting animal welfare.

“I’d like to congratulate ALRTA and the other parties involved for addressing this difficult issue and helping make the livestock transport task safer for all road users.”

ALRTA President Scott McDonald said ALRTA had worked with a wide range of stakeholders – including livestock producers, transport operators and drivers, vehicle manufacturers, agents, saleyards, feedlot managers, processors, regulators, animal welfare advocates, government agencies and the community – to develop a code that was both practical and workable.

“Historically livestock transport drivers have been left solely responsible for managing livestock effluent in transit,” Mr McDonald said.

“This code is a game changer because it makes it clear that Chain of Responsibility applies to off-road parties in the livestock supply chain, and articulates the measures they can take to minimise the risk of effluent accumulation and spillage.

“This is a supply chain problem that requires a supply chain solution.

“While the Effluent Code will help to improve road safety, it will also improve animal welfare outcomes, mitigate biosecurity threats and contribute to the sustainability of the livestock industry.”

The NHVR is currently working with stakeholders to develop further industry codes of practice, and welcomes enquiries and suggestions about other new codes.

Note: An industry code of practice provides practical guidance for achieving the standards of heavy vehicle safety and compliance required under the HVNL. In particular, it assists users to comply with their primary duty, which is an overarching safety duty (Chapter 1A, HVNL).

A Registered Industry Code of Practice is relevant to any person or business that has a duty under the HVNL, because they are a party in the CoR for a heavy vehicle, or because they are an executive of a business that is a party in the CoR.

CHRISTMAS DAY PROMOTION – bp & HEALTHY HEADS

bp are excited to announce a Christmas Day promotion with Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds to thank everyone across the road transport, warehousing and logistics industries, and those who move goods across Australia year round.

As such, users of the Healthy Heads app can grab a free Christmas Day meal on us at participating bp truckstop sites.


Participating bp sites on Christmas Day

Healthy Heads Christmas Day Menu

BIG LIFT IN HEAVY VEHICLE CHARGES ON THE WAY

Australian Transport Ministers have directed the National Transport Commission (NTC) to commence consultations on lifting heavy vehicle registration and road user charges between 6 and 10 per cent each year for the next three years.
 
Over recent years, ALRTA has been a lone voice asking Ministers to lift heavy vehicle charges sooner, and by a more moderate amount. Continual delays in lifting charging rates has caused our modelling predictions to come true – road expenditure will exceed PAYGO charging revenue by around 38 per cent for 2023-24. The only way to fix it is large charging increases for the foreseeable future.
 
The NTC consultation paper is formally proposing a 6 per cent increase to both the road user charge (RUC) and vehicle registration charges.
 
Comments are due to the NTC by 20 February 2023.  ALRTA National Council will consider options on 17 February 2023.

INQUIRY INTO IMPACT OF WEATHER ON RURAL, REGIONAL AND REMORE ROADS

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport has commenced an inquiry into the implications of severe weather events on the national regional, rural, and remote road network.
 
The inquiry will look at road engineering and construction standards to strengthen road resiliency against natural disasters, including the critical role of climate change trends and data to inform infrastructure standards. The Committee is concerned about the increasing deterioration of the nation’s road network, particularly in regional, rural and remote areas.
 
The extreme flooding events and other natural disasters across the nation have impacted many Australians, and the Committee is seeking to understand how road planning and construction may be improved to enhance road climate resiliency and support Australian communities.
 
ALRTA National Council will discuss the Inquiry on 17 February 2023 and lodge a submission prior to the closing date of 28 February 2023.
 
Interested members can also have your say directly here.

FRASERS YARN IN THE YARD 2022

ALRTA Executive Director, Mat Munro, attended the Frasers Livestock Transport Yarn in the Yard in Warwick last week. Apart from it being a great opportunity to visit members and VIP guests, it was a stellar speaker line up on par with some of our state conferences. Speakers included:

  • NHVR National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
  • Meat & Livestock Australia
  • Transport & Main Roads QLD
  • Biosecurity Queensland
  • Queensland Police Service Road Policing command –Task Force
  • Heart of Australia
  • A first responder’s perspective
  • Are you bogged mate?
  • An ode to the Country Women’s Association
  • Queensland Trucking Association
  • Paccar and Cumins

Kudos to Athol Carter for organising a stellar event! If you are in the area you can’t afford to miss the 2023 Yarn.


Photo (L-R): ATA CEO Michael Deegan, NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto, LRTAQ Vice President John Rogers, ALRTA Executive Director Mat Munro, QTA CEO Gary Mahon, Frasers Livestock Transport Athol Carter and Ross Fraser.

DRIVER AND ANIMAL WELFARE COMMITTEE

The ALRTA National Driver and Animal Welfare Committee met via video link this week. Important items listed for discussion include: application of chain of responsibility laws at saleyards; the Australian Government Heavy Vehicle Rest Area Initiative; Effluent Code; Horse Transport Standards; and renewal of the National Livestock Welfare Work and Rest Exemption Notice 2020 (No. 1).

FIRST PRIMARY DUTIES CONVICTION

A transport company Managing Director was found to be a party in the Chain of Responsibility and was convicted as a scheduler. The judgement highlights that the HVNL operates based on what duties you perform, not the title you hold.

The breaches occurred when the Managing Director failed to ensure adequate systems and procedures to manage driver fatigue, speed and compliance with work and rest hours.

This case is the first NSW Supreme Court judgment for primary duty offences under the HVNL. The transport company received a $180,000 fine and the Managing Director was fined $15,000.

Further information can be found on the NHVR website here.

DO YOU KNOW A RISING STAR?

ALRTA and PowerTorque have established a prestigious Rural Transport Rising Star Award to recognise the outstanding young contributors in our industry.

The winner will receive a cash prize from Goodyear to support their career development, with the award presentation to be made at ALRTA’s National Conference in 2023. Entry is now open.

Click here to find further information about the award and a link to the nomination form.

FAST AND EASY – THE eNVD APP IS HERE

The eNVD Livestock Consignments app is now available to be downloaded for free from the App Store and Google Play Store. The new eNVD Livestock Consignments app provides a completely mobile, offline solution for livestock consignments.

The electronic National Vendor Declaration (eNVD) supports end-to-end electronic transfer of livestock consignments including Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) NVDs, Meat Standards Australia Vendor Declarations, National Health Declarations and National Feedlot Accreditation Scheme forms.   

Benefits for industry

ISC has been working with stakeholders across the supply chain to increase adoption. Moving to a digital system has some major benefits, including:

  • eNVDs are easy to read, understand and don’t get lost
  • Information is securely stored and always available to view
  • Increased completeness of information supplied, as eNVDs must be completed before they can be submitted
  • Answer questions once with the responses populated across multiple forms, saving time
  • Ability to create templates to pre-populate regular consignments
  • Simplify LPA audits by having all NVD documentation in the one place

Consignments submitted via the app or online platform can be printed at any time.

View the eNVD checklist for transporters here

You can also access eNVD how to guides and videos – all resources are available at this central eNVD app help web page.

ADBLUE GRANTS

To help Australian trucks keep moving goods, the Labor government is funding $16.15m in grants to promote local manufacture of a diesel exhaust fluid additive (DEF), making trucking and distribution less reliant on imports.




The grant program will support the sovereign manufacture of Diesel Exhaust Fluid and Technical Grade Urea in Australia and make our trucking industry more resilient.

READ MORE

ALRTA CHRISTMAS SHUTDOWN

ALRTA Council, Executive and Staff (Mat, Sue, Elanor and Colleen) would like to wish all our members and partners a safe and happy festive season. 

ALRTA staff went to the Revelation Puzzle Rooms for our Christmas function. We had to solve many puzzles in a 50’s diner used for money laundering which was upturned by a gang war.  Great team work was needed to complete the puzzles and Mat is pleased to report we managed to escape. 

This will be our last newsletter for 2022. The ALRTA office will be closing over Christmas/New Year from Friday 23 December 2022. The office will reopen on Thursday 5 January 2023.

If you have an emergency please contact Mat Munro on 0421 082 489.

HOLIDAY TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS AND REGULATORY SERVICES

Over the Christmas and New Year period, there are travel restrictions in place for certain Class 1 heavy vehicles as outlined here.
 
Please note: For vehicles operating under a permit, operators should check the permit’s conditions to establish whether Christmas or public holiday travel restrictions are explicitly listed or are referenced in related notices. All heavy vehicles are subject to conditions of access under their relevant notice or permit.
 
NHVR is also operating limited office hours and permit services between 24 December 2022 and 2 January 2023 inclusive.  For more information visit here.

NTI REMINDER THIS FESTIVE SEASON

“As Australians continue to shop online for last minute Christmas gifts, a bumper freight season has begun, prompting a reminder from trucking experts for all motorists to take care on the roads.
 
An increased number of heavy vehicles is delivering Black Friday sales purchases and Christmas orders. Australia Post figures reveal 52 million parcels were delivered in December last year.
 
Australia’s largest transport and logistics specialist insurer, NTI, is urging all road users to drive carefully. NTI’s own annual data report, representing the largest on record for heavy vehicles in Australia, shows in 70 per cent of all fatal crashes involving a car and truck, the car driver is at fault.
 
NTI Chief Customer Officer Janelle Greene said this year was the first festive season since 2019 with no border closures in place.”

MEDIA RELEASE

SAVE THE DATES FOR 2023

LBRCA – 9-11 March 2023 – TAMWORTH NSW – Information & Registration
LRTAQ – Postponed – TOWNSVILLE QLD
ATA TRUCKING AUSTRALIA 2023 – 29-31 March 2023 – SUNSHINE COAST QLD – Information & Registration
LRTASA – 16-17 June 2023 – Adelaide Entertainment Centre SA
LRTAWA/NATIONAL Combined Conference – 4-5 August 2023 – WA (Venue TBC)
LRTAV – 11-12 August 2023 – BALLARAT – VIC