Volume 44     Issue 27     23 February 2024

• In the News
• Regional Road Freight Forums - Register Now
• Sustainability Benefits of Fleet Telematics
• Limited Tickets Available for Diversity in Transport Breakfast 6/3/24
• Small Business Financial Counselling Service (Free)
• Cyber Insight Series webinar of 2024

• Member Service - QTA Employment Relations Advice and Support

• OHS Alert - Fatality inquest makes recommendations for workplace seatbelts

• Workforce Insights Survey

• Get Support for Employee Superannuation Needs

• New Cultural Capability Resource
• Register now for Trucking Australia 2024
• ATO training for small business success

• QLD Road Conditions

  • Increased Vehicle Eligibility, Bremer River Bridge, Warrego Highway, Karalee (at 19.02.24)

• NSW Road Conditions

  • Changed traffic conditions on Hume Highway at Marulan

  • 3.5m clearance lane closed, Alexandra Parade, North Lismore

• WA Road Conditions

  • Eyre Highway Operating Conditions (as at 23.2.24)

  • TC Lincoln
  • Great Northern Highway Closure

• DAF flexes muscle (Owner Driver Magazine)
• Roadboss features QTA Members in on-the-road and sea videos

  • Life as an outback cattle transporter - Fraser's Livestock Transport

     

  • Truck with HEART - ROADBOSS

Industry connection and communication will be the theme of the 2024 Regional Road Freight Forums to support the drive for regional solutions.

A key priority of the QTA is to establish an all-weather freight route in Queensland for high productivity vehicles, connect regions and increase efficiency and productivity in the supply chain.

Developing access solutions and navigating workable solutions involves input from both operators and industry stakeholders. So this year, we are inviting you to attend a productive road freight forum that will facilitate an opportunity to meet and discuss common issues faced in your regions, help drive workable solutions to benefit your businesses and the wider road freight industry. 

Topics will be relevant to your region, information will be useful and conversation will be professionally facilitated towards creating mutually beneficial industry connections and outcomes.

Joining QTA Staff will be presentations from NHVR, TMR, QPS and local Council.

The presentation at each location may change slightly based on regional issues/needs however the general topics will include:

• Connecting the freight network
• Opening up road access
• Navigating workable solutions

Locations/Dates:  Click below to Register for your preferred location.

Time: 8:30am to 12:30pm (catering included)

Cost:   QTA Member - $50+gst per person

  Non-Member - $75+gst per person

Places are limited at each location. Payment will need to be settled prior to the event.

For any further information or questions about the Forums, please contact Frances Schafer frances@qta.com.au or Ebony Harber ebony@qta.com.au

In businesses that manage fleets of any size, sustainability is no longer a buzzword—it's a key part of strategic planning. As industries worldwide grapple with their environmental impact, telematics is helping to shape the future of fleet management. As an industry leader, Teletrac Navman is helping to revolutionize environmental and business sustainability through fleet telematics. To find out what you need to know to keep your business on track to a more sustainable future click here .

EVENT DETAILS

Wednesday 6 March 2024

Hillstone, St Lucia Golf Links

Event Theme:   Inspire Inclusion

Thanks to TWUSUPER who are the Principal Event Sponsor, and Purple Sponsors Transurban, BP and Steering Health Minds

• Lisa Burquest-Chief People Officer, Virgin Australia

• Bronwen Howell-Director, VE Group, 2023 QTA Trucking Woman of the Year
• Drew Hipwood-Manager Corporate Affairs Manager, IOR

Panel Facilitator: Kirsten MacGregor

TICKET PRICES

Members:

$88 inc gst/ticket - Book Now

$670 inc gst/Table of 8 - Book Now

Tickets selling fast - Get in Early and purchase your TICKETS now

SPONSORSHIPS STILL AVAILABLE

If you'd like to get on board to showcase your brand to a sold out crowd, CLICK HERE to find out more.

The Small Business Financial Counselling Program provides a free service for small businesses experiencing financial challenges in their business. Business owners can meet with a financial counsellor for free, one-on-one financial support, including cash flow planning, budgeting, insolvency advice and dispute resolution assistance.

Take a look at how the service helped the owners of the Aramac Hotel in Western Queensland.

Services available all around Queensland:

North Queensland

Southern Queensland metropolitan service

Financial Counsellors can help you work through your business’s money problems and get your finances back under control. Assistance can be obtained with:

business goal setting, action plans, improving cash flow, commercial lease negotiations, creditors, dispute resolution services and accessing financial support.

Chat with on the phone, via a video chat or a counsellor can visit your business, home or other suitable location.

The SBFCS Southern Queensland also offers free and confidential  business wellness coaching. If you’re a small business owner in Queensland experiencing mental health or emotional wellbeing stress, then you may be eligible for one-to-one customised emotional coaching and wellbeing support.

Join Gallagher's first Cyber Insight Series webinar of 2024 to explore the cybersecurity landscape in Australia.

Gallagher's experts will discuss evolving techniques used by cybercriminals and how these threats can impact your business. They will discuss proactive measures that can be taken to strengthen your cybersecurity posture and mitigate potential risks.

Help your business stay ahead of the curve as our experts reveal their top cyber risk predictions for 2024.

Topics include:

• The latest cyber threats and criminal techniques
• How to protect your business
• Vulnerabilities in the supply chain
• Nation-state sponsored attacks
• The increasing sophistication of cyber criminals
• Insider attacks

Event Details

Date: Wednesday 21 February 2024
Time: 12-1pm AEDT

Speakers

Robyn Adcock, National Practice Manager - Cyber & Technology, Gallagher

Michael Bruemmer,  Vice President, Global Data Breach & Consumer Protection, Experian

Theresa Lewin, National Head, Professional & Financial Risk, Gallagher (moderator)

REGISTER FOR WEBINAR

Article courtesy of OHS Alert 21.02.2024 (a subscription service)

A coronial inquest into a young worker's death in a forklift crash has found his employer didn't have any written safety policies or enforce critical WHS rules, before appearing to defy WHS caselaw by concluding the business was not obligated to instruct the worker to wear his seatbelt or not perform unloading work on slopes.

Read full OHS Alert here

The Workforce Insights Survey is a survey seeks the views and experiences of a broad range of Queensland employers in areas including recruitment, staff retention, skills development, workforce planning and workforce development support. 

Deloitte Access Economics has been engaged by the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training to conduct and manage this survey.

If you would like any further information about the survey before participating or experience any technical issues completing the survey, contact the Deloitte Access Economics project team at workforcesurvey@Deloitte.com.au

The survey is open until 22 March 2024 - https://desbt.qld.gov.au/employment/support-employers/workforce-strategy/workforce-insights-survey

TWUSUPER Qld Account Manager Sam Smililie is available to visit your workplace and talk to your employees and assist them with any superannuation related information, advice or paperwork. Sam is flexible with times and is able to come out when you can get your drivers together. She can be contacted on 0424 511 164.

The Queensland Government has released a new Cultural Capability Resource designed to empower small and medium-sized business employers in building their cultural competence while attracting and retaining an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce. 

The information, resources and tools as a starting point to help you:

• build awareness and cultural safety in your workplace
• provide support to First Nations employees
• help your business be better positioned to respond to your present and future workforce needs.

The Resource provides valuable insights into establishing a culturally safe work environment, such as recruiting First Nations employees, addressing workplace racism and unconscious bias, cultivating cultural capability, fostering supportive and effective collaboration with First Nations peoples, and respect for First Nations protocols.

Find out more at business.qld.gov.au/cultural-capability-resource

Article extracted from the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training - Business Queensland Connect - February 2024 newsletter

Want to improve your skills in business planning, finances, record keeping and registration, tax and super management? 

Essentials to strengthen your small business is a new free, online learning platform where you can upskill in those critical areas. It includes 21 short, free courses in record keeping, cash flow, deductions, GST, super and more.

• Increased Vehicle Eligibility, Bremer River Bridge, Warrego Highway, Karalee (at 19.02.24)

Changed traffic conditions on Hume Highway at Marulan

There will be changed traffic conditions on the northbound carriageway of the Hume Highway, Marulan for Oversized and Overmass (OSOM) vehicles from  Monday 26 February to Friday 22 March, weather permitting.

During this time, OSOM vehicles wider than 4.5 metres will be required to utilise the designated pullover areas and contact the Project Team on  0499 073 715 to arrange access through the work area.

OSOM pullover locations are as follows:

• Southbound travel: Hume Highway just south of Eagles Lane at Marulan
• Northbound travel: Hume Highway just north of Tiyces Lane at Carrick.

During this time, the heavy vehicle weighbridge will be temporarily closed with all heavy vehicles advised to remain on the highway.

OSOM vehicles wider than 4.5 metres travelling between 6am Saturday 16 March to 6am Wednesday 20 March will be required to delay their journey. There will be no access through the work area.

For the latest traffic information, visit www.livetraffic.com, download the Live Traffic NSW app or call 132 701.

Changed traffic conditions on Alexandra Parade, Lismore

Damage to the rail-over-road bridge at Alexandra Parade, North Lismore has closed the 3.5 metre clearance single lane.

A heavy vehicles detour is in place via Winterton Parade, Orion Street, Dawson Street, Ballina Road, Elliott Road, Wilson Street, Terania Street and Tweed Street.

A timeframe for the re-opening of the 3.5 metre clearance single lane is yet to be determined until further investigation is completed. 

Heavy vehicles are advised to plan their journey and allow extra travel time.

For the latest traffic information, visit www.livetraffic.com, download the Live Traffic NSW app or call 132 701.

Information from Western Roads Federation (WRF)

Eyre Highway Operating Conditions

DFES have advised that whilst the bushfire remains a threat, that:

• Trucks will be escorted through the risk area daily at 0500 (5 am) and 1700 (5pm) daily.
• Transport operators are to ensure that they have sufficient food, water and any prescribed personal medications  on board for up to 48 hours.

This incident arrangements may stay in place for a few days.

For those critical of WA's resource allocation to the bushfire, I would remind them that DFES and Main Roads are stretched with this fire a 1000 East of Perth, Flooding in the Kimberley and an incoming Cyclone 1400 km North of Perth.

WRF I am appreciative of the efforts of DFES and Main Roads to implement solutions to keep freight moving, whilst simultaneously fighting the fire.

TC Lincoln

Expected to cross as a Cat 2 between Carnarvon to Coral Bay on the weekend.  

BUT follow EmergencyWA for up dates and Main Roads Travel Map

In the lead up to the TC, there is expected to be lightning and high fire danger ratings in the region,

Plan on flash flooding impacting the NW Coastal highway, so in addition to TC preparation Freight operators should plan on the NW Coastal highway being impacted by flooding.

NW Coastal Closure
The NW Coastal highway is expected to be closed at 0700 tomorrow North bound from Northampton and South bound from Nanutarra Roadhouse.  For actual closure times follow Main Roads Travel Map

Great Northern Highway Closure

The Great Northern highway is closed South East of Fitzroy Crossing near GoGo Station due to flooding.  It is expected to be a short term closure.

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Queensland's road freight voice since 1907. Trusted to Deliver. Driven by Service.

www.qta.com.au | 0733944388