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Issue 2
Issue 133
28/9/2020 - LNP- propsing to duplicate the Bruce Highway to Four lane the Bruce Highway
09/10/2020 - LNP Official Response
21/10/2020 - Labor Party - proposing to fund Queensland Inland Highway - 2nd Bruce Highway
29/10/2020- Labor Party Official response to QTA Blueprint
Katter Party Media Release
Caravan Industry Association of Australia & Caravanning Queensland recently approached the QTA to be involved in the filming of some educational videos on rest areas to spread awareness and educate the recreational camper/caravan users on the use of rest stops and the laws around prohibited use of heavy vehicle rest stops.
Thanks to Sarah from Nolan's Interstate Transport and #ironman Don Kaiwai from J.R Stephens & Co Pty Ltd who did their employers proud by demonstrating how to share rest areas with trucks and the importance of caravanners not using truck only rest stops.
Click here view the video
NorthConnex will be open to motorists on Saturday 31 October 2020. Ahead of the opening, the community is encouraged to plan their journey using new driver experience videos of all entries and exits, take a virtual guided tour with 360 degree tunnel vision atwww.northconnex.com.au. NorthConnex is a $3 billion investment by the Australian and NSW Government in partnership with Transurban. NorthConnex will deliver faster, safer, more reliable and more efficient journeys for road users. Changes for buses and trucks When NorthConnex opens, trucks and buses (over 12.5 metres long or over 2.8 meters clearance height) travelling between the M1 and M2 must use the tunnels unless they have a genuine delivery or pick up destination only accessible via Pennant Hills Road or meet certain exclusion criteria. Two gantries will monitor trucks and buses on Pennant Hills Road, in Normanhurst and in Beecroft/West Pennant Hills. Trucks and buses (over 12.5 metres long or over 2.8 meters clearance height) which pass both gantries on Pennant Hills Road with the flow of traffic will receive a fine of $194 with no loss of demerit points. TfNSW have been working closely with truck and bus industry members since last year, to ensure they are provided with sufficient information about the regulation and understand what it means for their business. An awareness campaign is also underway to remind industry members. Benefits of NorthConnex
During 2019, Department of Transport and Main Roads and Brisbane City Council developed the Port of Brisbane Declared Freight Precinct which allows additional heavy vehicle mass and dimension exemptions for the movement of freight travelling between the Port of Brisbane and key adjacent customer destinations.
The precinct covers all roads in the Lytton, Hemmant and Murarrie areas, east of the Gateway Motorway. See map below.
Transport operators are reminded that you can now apply for a route specific Class 3 permit through the NHVR Portal to access the additional mass and dimension exemptions for the Port of Brisbane Declared Freight Precinct outlined below:
PBS level 2 vehicles above 85 tonnes
Note: PBS standard exemptions only apply to PBS approved vehicles operating under a permit within this Declared Freight Precinct. All PBS standards must be met for any travel on roads outside of a Declared Freight Precinct.
Flat rack and open top freight containers
Dimension allowancesOperators must comply with all requirements under the Multi-State Class 1 Load Carrying Vehicles Dimension Exemption Notice 2020 (No. 1).
Transport & Logistics Groups Support ACCC Concerns On Monopoly Of Privately Owned Ports Joint Association Media Release - 23.10.2020
A national coalition of peak transport and logistics groups is calling on State and Federal Governments to act on concerns about the monopoly power of privately-owned ports as raised this week by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) - at a time when truckies continue to face financially-crippling access fees and other operational charges imposed by stevedores at the Port Botany terminal. Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, ACCC Chair Rod Sims noted that ‘ … there is currently no or little regulation of monopoly privately-owned ports. When these were government-owned political pressure on Ministers kept prices reasonable. But the ports were sold, usually with no control over their pricing in order to maximise the proceeds of sale. The resulting unfettered market power of some ports is costing our nation dearly. In my view, we need a new 'Part IIIB' monopoly regulation regime that would see owners of significant infrastructure with market power subject to some form of price regulation.’ Commenting on Mr Sims’ remarks, Road Freight NSW (RFNSW), the Australian Trucking Association (ATA), the Queensland Trucking Association (QTA), the Victorian Trucking Association (VTA), International Forwarders and Customs Brokers Association (IFCBAA), Australian Furniture Removers Association (AFRA), Western Roads Federation (WRF), South Australian Road Transport Association (SARTA), Australian International Movers Association (AIMA) say port Infrastructure and Access Surcharges and Empty Yard Fees, as a percentage of total operating costs, had risen exorbitantly over the past three years, but had failed to deliver productivity gains. RFNSW Chief Executive Simon O’Hara said: “The recent industrial action at Port Botany showed that the port isn’t functioning. What’s apparent is that the monopolistic behaviour of the stevedores and the NSW Government’s unwillingness to impose much-needed regulations, has led to the current systems failures, which are impacting the whole supply chain. All the industrial action did was rip off the band aid” ATA A/Chief Executive, Bill McKinley, said: “The ACCC has confirmed, again, that the we need effective price regulation for ports and monopoly infrastructure assets. Without effective price regulation governments are allowing large, mostly foreign-owned corporations to extract market power and price gouge small and family businesses. Governments need to regulate now.” Peter Anderson, CEO of the Victorian Transport Association said: “What our operators are looking for at the Port of Melbourne is fairness and transparency in how increases to costs are calculated. We would endorse a move to create Part IIIB monopoly regulation power proposed by the ACCC Commissioner in conjunction with a review of Part X of the Competition law that deals with shipping line behaviour. We aren’t against costs, but they have to have fairness of application.” Gary Mahon from the Queensland Trucking Association (QTA) said: “The QTA endorses the comments made by Rod Sims at the National Press Club. The nation is paying dearly for unregulated monopoly privately owned ports and we endorse his proposal of a new part IIIB Monopoly Regulation that would see owners of significant infrastructure with unchecked market power being subject to some form of price regulation. “ CEO International Forwarders and Customs Brokers Association (IFCBAA) CEO Paul Damkjaer said: “If we stop for a second, have a think about everything around you, the clothes you wear, the car your driving, and the TV that you watch, 9 times out of 10 it’s been imported from overseas. As we know aircraft are not operating to their normal capacity so the majority of items we import are coming by sea. 42.5% of all goods in New South Wales households come through Port Botany and the figure would be similar across Australia. How can the stevedores substantiate such increases in a time that all Australian companies are feeling the pain of COVID-19?” AFRA and Australia International Movers Association Executive Director Joe Lopino said: “Port charges are adding unwarranted costs to the movement of goods across our borders. Without urgent policy reforms, there are no constraints on stevedores from continuing to impose crippling cost increases on vulnerable transport operators, without any productivity gains.” Cam Dumesny from Western Roads Federation, said “As the nation embarks upon its COVID-19 recovery strategy, it’s imperative that Governments impose a moratorium on all increases at ports around the country, to ensure stevedores promote economic efficiency and productivity.” Steve Shearer from the South Australian Road Transport Association (SARTA) said: “The lack of regulation of monopoly privately owned ports has seen increases for operators across Australia and through the supply chain. SARTA endorses Rod Sim’s proposal yesterday and we need new price regulation to deal with the increased costs for our truckies to deliver fairer outcomes particularly given the pressures of COVID mean that the industry cant afford unjustified price increases without productivity outcomes.”
QTA Election Blueprint
QTA Election Priorities - Key Messages
Media Release from Minister for Transport and Main Roads 26.08.2020
The Queensland Trucking Association (QTA) has been allocated heavy vehicle safety funding for the “Driving Heart Health” Project to improve the health and wellbeing of Australian truck drivers. The project will be funded through the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) 2020 Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative, provided by the Federal Government and as announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack and Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport earlier this month.
Full Media Release
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