A NATIONAL freight workforce resilience package and a national washdown and managed effluent disposal network for livestock are among recommendations presented this week to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Productivity.
The recommendations were from the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA) whose representatives will today appear before the committee in Canberra, proposing reforms aimed at bolstering economic activity across the rural freight sector.
ALRTA is the national peak body for Australia’s livestock and rural road freight operators, linking farms, processors, saleyards and ports.
Its recommendations included:
Establish a national washdown and managed effluent disposal network for livestock and bulk agricultural freight, designed in collaboration with states and industry. Freight operators are said to lose time and experience delays by having to detour for the cleaning and disposing of waste in vehicles due to irregular access to suitable cleaning facilities. A national standard would save time and improve compliance with biosecurity laws.
Cut regulatory red tape. Freight regulations are said to be complex and often duplicated between jurisdictions. A nationally agreed package is recommended, that is harmonised and reusable, so operators and regulators stop re-proving the same facts and data in different formats across different states.
Establish a national freight workforce resilience package, built around competence and rapid redeployment. ALRTA says there is a truck driver shortage which impacts productivity by having fewer vehicles on the road. Employment and job growth is said to be constrained by slow training and qualifications processes. A national package is recommended to prioritise consistent training and assessment and to reduce duplication and provide clearer pathways for drivers to onboard.
ALRTA executive director Anthony Boyle said the proposals would be a game changer for Australia’s crucial rural freight sector.
“The freight and logistics sector accounts for about 8.6% of Australia’s GDP, which has an immeasurable impact on productivity and impacts all communities,” Mr Boyle said.
“The sector is currently burdened with unnecessary delays, time wastage and red tape, which impedes productivity and reduces certainty and confidence.”
He said “sensible and evidence-based reforms” would strengthen industry resilience, boost productivity and provide everyday Australians with confidence that food and other essentials would be transported quickly, safely and cost effectively.
“These changes would unlock unrealised economic potential, improve investor confidence and bolster supply chain networks, which ultimately benefits all Australians,” Mr Boyle concluded.