ALRTA News – 19 November 2021

THANK YOU TO ALRTA 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

CHECK BEFORE YOU GO

Flooding
After widespread rains across most of the country, members are urged to check road conditions in advance of trips. You can find a useful resource here.

COVID-19
As states and territories ease border restrictions, members can check changing border requirements here.

Please remember to plan for any pre-border crossing testing requirements, especially when venturing into states that are opening up and providing a lower level of free testing service.

ALRTA has been in discussions recently with the Federal Government and States and Territories concerning a refocusing of the National Freight Protocols to remove (or greatly reduce) requirements for double vaccinated freight workers and instigate risk-based protocols that allow unvaccinated freight workers to participate in cross-border movements under appropriate conditions.

WORKPLACE FATALITIES FALL IN 2020

According to the Safe Work Australia report ‘Work-related Traumatic Injury Fatalities. Australia 2020’ workplace fatalities in the Transport, Postal and Warehousing industry have fallen 50% since a peak in 2007. However, 3 out of 4 fatalities across all industries involved vehicle!


LONG VEHICLE WARNING SIGN CHANGES

The NHVR is reminding operators of long vehicles or road trains to ensure that they are fitted with the correct signage when travelling.

The requirements were simplified in 2019 and transitional arrangements for these changes will end on 9 December 2021.

Combinations 22-30 metres require a Long Vehicle sign fitted to the back of the vehicle, while combinations 30+ metres long require Road Train signs fitted to the front and back of the vehicle.

Operators should also be aware of the conditions of their vehicle’s access approval and continue to observe the road rules and speed limits as set out in each jurisdiction.

For more information about the sign changes, click here.

VISA OPTIONS FOR SKILLED WORKERS IN REGIONAL AUSTRALIA

The Department of Home Affairs and Migration Queensland (MQ) will present free virtual information sessions about skilled visa options for employing workers in regional Australia.
 
The Department of Home Affairs will provide information in relation to regional skilled initiatives and visa options to assist with navigating work force shifts during the recovery of COVID-19 and where positions cannot be filled by Australian workers.  MQ will provide information on the Queensland state nomination program.

  • Session information: Online, 10:30am (QLD Time), 24 November 2021.

 You must register before the event here.

MANAGING RISK: SHIPPING CONTAINERS

If you transport shipping containers, you should check out recently published NHVR advice on:

  •  understanding the risks of your heavy vehicle tasks
  • identifying who is responsible for managing those risks
  • determining what actions you should take to minimise those risks
  • ensuring your business is complying with the HVNL.

Check out the advice here.

SAFETY DURING GRAIN HARVEST

Following questions from operators, the NHVR recently released advice that has assessed that a comb mounted on a frame (trailer) designed and built for that dedicated purpose is an agricultural vehicle.

This makes it eligible to operate as part of an agricultural combination under the National Agricultural Vehicle Notice (i.e. subject to meeting all other applicable notice conditions).

Combs carried on a flatbed or low loader or other types of trailers designed for general transportation work are not considered ‘agricultural vehicles’ under the HVNL and cannot operate under the National Agricultural Vehicle Notice.

Click here for the National Class 1 Agricultural Vehicle and Combination Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice Operator’s Guide.

Click here for more information on heavy vehicle safety this grain harvest season.

NEW RESEARCH: COMPLIANCE MONITORING

The Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) has been engaged by Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) to investigate best practices for monitoring heavy vehicles across Queensland’s road network.

The collaborative ARRB/TMR research team delved into TMR’s heavy vehicle monitoring practices to identify gaps in their current methods, as well as the types of data TMR needs to collect, such as vehicle size, speed and classification. Initially information was collected through a large stakeholder workshop and an accompanying survey.

Moving outward from Queensland, the review covered the practices of other Australian states, in particular, NSW and Victoria, and expanded to include practices in the USA and Europe, based on their history and innovation in the heavy vehicle space.

The research provided examples of different technology types that jurisdictions use to monitor and enforce heavy vehicles compliance, such as infrared-based, video-imaging, multi-sensor and high speed weigh-in-motions, and telematics.

With this knowledge, recommendations for improving TMR’s heavy vehicle monitoring methods were drafted. The entirety of the research and the recommendations were reported to the leaders of the Heavy Vehicle and Structures teams in TMR. This project is expected to continue for at least another two years.

See this article in full on the ARRB website: Heavy vehicle compliance review of best practices (arrb.com.au)

HAVE YOUR SAY: FAMILY & DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LEAVE

The Fair Work Commission (Commission) is conducting a review of entitlements to family and domestic violence leave in modern awards. As a part of this review, the Commission is also considering a claim advanced by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), that all modern awards be varied to include a new clause that provides all employees (including part-time and casual employees) with:

(a) 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave per annum; and
(b) Once that entitlement is exhausted, 5 days of unpaid leave on each occasion that the employee is entitled to the leave.

ALRTA members have been invited to participate in this survey. Help provide your insights and feedback by completing this survey before 3 December 2021.

What will the survey ask?
The survey will take less than 10 minutes to complete and asks about four main topics:

1. Your organisation and your employees. For example, where your organisation is, how many employees you have and how many employees are covered by a modern award or an enterprise agreement.

2. The unpaid family and domestic violence leave entitlement in the Fair Work Act 2009. This includes questions about any unpaid leave requested by your employees, if you granted the leave and the types of evidence you required from your employees.

3. Any paid family and domestic violence leave provided by your organisation. This includes questions about who can access the paid leave and when they can access it.

4. Any other family and domestic violence leave or support available in your organisation. This includes questions about any formal or informal policies you have in place, the types of support provided to employees and whether you have received any requests from employees for support.

What will your responses be used for?
The Commission will use your responses to understand how employers assist employees who are experiencing family and domestic violence. This understanding will be also used by the Commission as part of its review of family and domestic violence leave, to assist it in determining whether provisions should be made for paid family and domestic violence leave in modern awards.

The survey is conducted by the Commission and your responses are anonymous.
Click here to complete the survey.

If you have any questions or concerns about your privacy or how the data will be used, please contact surveryresearch@fwc.gov.au

bp PROMOTION FINISHES 30 NOVEMBER

Save 9c a litre with bp PLUS

Looking for more ways to save on business expenses? With a BP Plus fuel card your business can save 9 cents per litre, for your first 4 months when you sign up by 30 November^.

Plus, if you’re on the road a lot, you can make every trip even more rewarding and earn up to 100,000 bonus Qantas Points when your business refuels at bp within the first 4 months^. Use those points to reward yourself, your team or offset your business expenses on flights, accommodation, car hire or
something special from the Rewards Store

Do business the clever way. Sign up for a BP Plus fuel card today.

Use code ALRTAQBR9FOR4

Sign up now

T&Cs apply ^ visit www.bpplus.com.au
^To earn bonus Qantas Points with BP Plus your business must 1) successfully sign-up for a BP Plus account between 1 September and 30 November 2021, 2) be approved for a BP Plus account, and 3) be a Qantas Business Rewards member, or within thirty (30) calendar days of being approved for a BP Plus account, become a Qantas Business Rewards member.
Approved businesses will receive 9 cents off per litre off the pump price of Ultimate 98, 91, 95, Diesel and Ultimate Diesel, for a period of 4 months commencing from the date of the BP Plus application being approved, with the offer expiring after 4 full months have passed.
When the discount period has ended, BP Plus account holders will revert to the ALRTA base offer. Your business will earn up to 100,000 bonus Qantas Points on eligible fuel purchases within 4 months of successfully opening a BP Plus account; bonus points will be awarded as follows: Purchase 3,500 litres to earn 20,000 bonus Qantas Points; or Purchase 7,000 litres to earn 50,000 bonus Qantas Points; or Purchase 16,500 litres to earn 100,000 bonus Qantas Points. Bonus Qantas Points for the qualifying tier of spend will be awarded within 8 weeks of the final day of the 4 month discount offer period.
BP Plus and Qantas Business Rewards terms and conditions apply. Qantas reserves the right to determine the award of bonus Qantas Points to eligible customers.

FRIDAY FUNNY