ALRTA Weekly News - 13 December 2024

Lowes: Partner of the Week

ALRTA Executive Director Update

Welcome to my last weekly update of 2024.  The year has flown by.

I can't believe it's December and there is only 2 weeks left of 2024. The year has been a big one for ALRTA and I want to thank our members, industry partners and stakeholders for their support over the past twelve months. 

From an advocacy perspective, 2024 started off with a bang with ALRTA strongly advocating against the Closing Loopholes Bill, although ultimately the Bill was passed, ALRTA did achieve a 'Livestock Transport Exemption' from the Road Transport Contractual orders.  We are yet to see the full affect of these changes and there has been a small number of applications to the Fair Work Commission, including minimum payment terms which could be of benefit to industry. 

ALRTA participated in the National Animal Welfare Roundtable hosted by the Saleyards Associations in partnership with the Department of Agriculture.  All supply chain parties were represented and it was heartening to see commitments from industry and government to animal welfare and progressing these standards.  ALRTA will host the next roundtable in Brisbane at the new NHVR offices in February 2025. 

On animal welfare, ALRTA is supporting the development of a new Animal Welfare Accreditation scheme with work being undertaken by CoRLink in partnership with LBRCA.  ALRTA provided a submission to the National Animal Welfare Strategy review and continues to be part of stakeholder groups pertaining to this. 

In exciting news, working with Industry Skills Australia, ALRTA successfully put a proposal up to design and deliver accredited 'Livestock Operations' training.  More info to come on this in the new year, as a working group / advisory committee will need to be formed and include industry representatives. 

ALRTA also participated in the National Grain Freight Strategy Launch by GrainGrowers, I was invited to speak as part of a panel at the launch event on all things rural transport and where I see challenges and opportunities.  Access was a consistent theme across the panel participants. 

Driver safety is paramount to the work of the association, ALRTA worked collectively with the broader transport industry to advocate for changes in licencing, training and medical requirements.  ALRTA continues to advocate for driver facilities, rest areas and roadside effluent disposal sites, all critical in ensuring drivers can do their job safely.  ALRTA participated in Road Safety Roundtable hosted by Senator Glenn Sterle in Canberra, where there was industry wide commitment to improving driver training and licencing requirements, with a focus on competency. 

Working alongside the ATA, ALRTA has been advocating for train lighting and supporting Lara Jensen's campaign. 

ALRTA now has representation on the Council of Small Business Organisations of Austalia (COSBOA), as I was successfully elected to their board.  This will support ALRTA advocacy efforts in small business matters, taxation and industrial relations reform.  Speaking of small business, ALRTA is in discussion with other associations with regard to a campaign for the reduction in company tax for small to medium businesses in the lead up to the federal election. 

In 2024, ALRTA finalised the 'Effluent Code Awareness' Project funded under HVSI grant money.  A big thank you to Sue for all her efforts in delivering this key milestone prior to her retirement.  ALRTA will continue to promote the 'mind your pees and poos' campaign across our social channels. 

The 'Braking Habits' campaign is also close to being finalised in partnership with the National Road Safety Partnership Program (NRSPP) with guidance from Adam Gibson, NTI.  Watch out for the official launch early in 2025, there will be a suite of tools available including fact sheets, tool box talk kits, webinars and much more!  Thank you to Frasers Livestock Transport and Betts Transport for participating in this valuable project demonstrating how EBS systems can inform driver behaviour and increase safety for livestock transport operators. 

I was on the road, or rather on a plane, a fair bit this year, meeting with stakeholders and attending our member conferences.  It was great to meet so many members and engage on critical issues affecting industry. 

In partnership with LRTAQ, ALRTA hosted a very successful conference in Toowoomba with a broad range of speakers from across the agriculture and transport sectors, including discussions on fuels, skills, infrastructure and enforcement.  2025 is the 40th anniversary of ALRTA and preparation is well underway for the National Rural Carriers Convention in April 2025, in partnership with LBRCA.   This is set to be a great event and a celebration of the association, so please save the date. 

As we look forward to 2025, the Federal Election is front of mind, in 2024 ALRTA engaged Michael Morgan from Your NorthStar to assist in the development of an election campaign and messaging, 'In the Driver's Seat: The Road to Understanding Rural and Livestock Transport'.  The messaging from this campaign will underpin our advocacy efforts in the first quarter of 2024 highlighting ALRTA members contribution to regional economies and food security.  Collectively our members contribute over $5 billion to the Australian economy. 

In October at the AGM there was several changes to ALRTA Executive, welcoming Gerard Johnson as President Elect.  A big thank you to Scott McDonald for his service to the organisation as President over the past five years, over this time the organisation has changed and faced some significant challenges including a global pandemic.

In the Secretariat we have had several staff changes over the past twelve months, we farewelled Elanor in June when she moved onto a role within the Public Service and said goodbye to Sue in November after 6 years of dedicated service.  In April, we welcomed Tara Edgar to the organisation in the newly created role of Partnership and Stakeholder Manager. In the new year, ALRTA will recruit for a part time Policy Officer role to support ALRTA and its members. 

ALRTA transitioned to a new CRM (HubSpot), launched a new website, changed IT providers and upgraded our IT infrastructure and streamlined internal systems including transitioning from MYOB to Xero. 

Watch out in early 2025, for ALRTA's inaugural yearbook, highlighting and reflecting on stories and successes from 2024. 

A reminder ALRTA Secretariat offices will be closed from close of business Friday 20 December 2024 and reopening on 6 January 2025.  

From me and the team at ALRTA, we wish you a very happy and safe Christmas. I look forward to working with you in 2025. 

Until then! 

Rach 

A Win for Safer Roads 

Rest areas aren’t just pit stops—they’re a must for keeping our drivers safe and rested. The NSW Government’s upgrades to heavy vehicle rest areas are a big step in the right direction, with better lighting, clearer signage, and updated facilities making life on the road a little easier.

It’s great to see investments like this recognising the challenges our drivers face every day. But there’s always more to do! Keeping the conversation going about safety and wellbeing is how we’ll continue to see real change.

Check out the full story in Trailer Magazine https://www.trailermag.com.au/nsw-heavy-vehicle-rest-areas-get-big-upgrades 

Lachy Day 

Days Whiteface, South Australia  

Maintaining condition of stud bulls and rams in transport

When buying stud bulls and rams, Lachy Day from Days Whiteface in South Australia says preparing for the journey home can minimise stress and keep the animals in condition ahead of joining. Lachy shared his top tips on what to do to keep your new purchase in the best possible condition:

• Use rubber flooring or sawdust to reduce leg soreness, particularly on long journeys
• Maintain good airflow and shade – heat can impact fertility
• Transport bulls and rams well ahead of joining – it gives them time to settle into the new environment. The bigger the change in climate and nutrition, the longer they need to adapt.
• Be careful loading – use safe loading facilities and trucks.
• Never load bulls and rams alone.
• Sheep can be particularly susceptible to disease – ensure trucks are clean and vaccinations up to date.
• Livestock transport fundamentals apply – preparation and communication are key!

Have your say! Bruxner Highway, NSW

The New South Wales Government is inviting locals to have their say on the proposed corridor for upgrading the Bruxner Highway between Wollongbar and Goonellabah.

Your feedback will help shape the final alignment for the eight-kilometre upgrade, running from Sneaths Road in Wollongbar to Kadina Street in Goonellabah. It will also help secure the land needed for future work on the road corridor.

For more information check out the Transport NSW link:  https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/current-projects/bruxner-highway-wollongbar-to-goonellabah 

Do you know a future leader? 

The 2025 Daimler Truck Future Leaders’ Forum (FLF) is a premier professional development program designed to nurture the next generation of leaders in the trucking industry. Open to nominations from the ATA's network of eleven member associations and the TruckSafe program, FLF offers an opportunity for up-and-coming professionals to gain valuable skills in areas such as government policy, advocacy, and media relations.

Now in its eighth year, the FLF program has already graduated over 50 participants, many of whom have gone on to secure prominent leadership roles within ATA member associations and other key industry bodies. This program has proven to be an essential stepping-stone for those seeking to make a significant impact in the future of the trucking industry.

Recently, the FLF program was recognised with the LearnX Platinum Award for Best Learning & Talent Development in the Industry-Specific Leadership Development category, which reinforces the quality and impact of the program. This award is a testament to the program’s effectiveness in developing the skills and expertise of emerging industry leaders.

We’re proud to highlight the success of Ann Ferry, a member of the Livestock & Rural Transporters Association of Victoria (LRTAV), who graduated through the FLF program last year and has since made notable contributions to the industry.

Ann Ferry, 2024 Future Leaders Forum 

Nominations are now open, and we encourage members to consider nominating outstanding individuals for this year’s cohort, as the Future Leaders’ Forum continues to play a role in developing the talent that will guide our industry forward.

Reach out to your ATA member association or TruckSafe representative for more info or visit the website https://new.truck.net.au/flf/

Celebrating 40 years of the ALRTA at the LBRCA National Rural Carriers Convention

4-5 April 2025 | Canberra

The 2025 National Rural Carriers Convention will be held in Canberra at Thoroughbred Park, the home of horse racing Canberra.

LBRCA is hosting the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA) to bring to you the largest gathering of rural carriers in Australia to celebrate 40 years of the ALRTA.  

Our event will provide a unique opportunity for the rural transport industry from across Australia to meet and reflect on the past 40 years and focus on the next forty.

Our dynamic program, focusing on genuine issues, people, and solutions, will feature Ministers, regulators, state and federal transport authorities, local government representatives, supply chain partners and transporters from all federation partners including the LRTAWA, LRTAV, LRTASA, LRTAQ and LTAT.

Save the dates for 2025

• LBRCA/ALRTA National Combined Conference. 4 – 5 April 2025, Thoroughbred Park, CANBERRA ACT -  REGISTER HERE 
• LRTAQ State Conference. 13-14 February 2025, Gold Coast Turf Club & Event Centre, QLD - MORE INFO HERE 
• LRTASA State Conference. 13-14 June 2025, Adelaide SA 
• LRTAV State Conference. 8-9 August 2025, Move Museum, Shepparton, VIC - MORE INFO HERE  
• LRTAWA State Conference.  INFORMATION COMING SOON 

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