Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges the importance of the road transport industry to Australia's economy;

(2) notes that intergovernmental agreement on heavy vehicle regulatory reform was reached at the Council of Australian Governments meeting on 19 August 2011;

(3) acknowledges the significance of this agreement to Australia's road transport sector; and

(4) commends the federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport for his work in bringing about this agreement.

The Intergovernmental Agreement on Heavy Vehicle Regulatory Reform, reached at the Council of Australian Governments meeting of 19 August this year, is aimed at resolving a century of inconsistent regulatory practices between the states and territories which have constrained and frustrated transport business operating across our borders. The introduction of national laws and single national regulators for heavy vehicles, rail and maritime will generate a range of benefits for businesses. Elements of the agreement also aim to improve occupational safety in the industry by removing confusion and applying best practice across jurisdictions. Single national regulators will also enable heavy-vehicle owners and operators to conduct business with government at one place—that is, there will be a 'one-stop shop' approach. For example, heavy vehicle registration renewals and access permits would be managed through a single contact point.

The road transport industry is critical to Australia's economy. In Australia, our expansive land mass and dispersed city and regional populations require us to rely heavily on road transport. Whilst the Australian rail network is a valuable mode of transport, it is not sufficiently developed to transport goods to all places, particularly between remote areas. I understand that the majority of goods are transported within Australia by road trains, a trucking concept used to transport goods, particularly in remote areas. Australian governments have invested substantial funds in developing good roads. As part of that investment, safety barriers and other safety features are of a high standard on new roads in Australia. It has not been a simple task nor a cheap one. The total network length of all public roads in Australia is over 810,000 km—it is the most expansive road network of all developed nations.

Transport specific businesses contributed 4.63 per cent of total GDP in 2006-07. This amounted to $46.2 billion in 2005-06 prices. The transport sector provided 492,875 jobs, or 4.7 per cent of total employment in Australia, in 2007. Despite this, there are some troubling issues that need to be addressed in this sector. Around 20 per cent of workplace deaths in Australia occur in the trucking industry. Road transport results in around 300 deaths each year. Anything that can be done to address this situation should be urgently explored. The impact of deaths and serious injuries from road accidents inevitably flows on to family members, and the economic costs to the nation are also significant. A report prepared by the Hon. Lance Wright QC and Professor Michael Quinlan for the National Transport Commission, released in 2008, asserted that the high level of control exercised by clients over price, timing, destination and route means that operators have to bear costs that are ordinarily borne by customers. They sometimes attempt to recover this cost by not paying truck drivers for all of the work performed and by paying them incentive rates. In a survey of truck drivers undertaken by the Transport Workers Union of Australia two years ago, 64 per cent of respondents said that they had been pressured by their employers to use unsafe work practices. In the same survey, 29 per cent of respondents had been pressured into carrying illegal loads and 44 per cent had been pressured into driving excess hours, all of which obviously compromises the safety of truck drivers. Truck drivers are the people we rely upon to literally drive an industry that enables our economy to function.

It would be trite to say that truckers can choose not to carry illegal loads and drive excess hours as employment is often conditional on compliance with an operator's direction and client deadlines. To meet such unreasonable demands, truckers often drive tired, exceed the speed limit, take drugs and cut costs on the maintenance of their vehicles. The survey I referred to showed that 56 per cent of respondents said that, due to economic pressures, they were forced to lower maintenance standards.

Several academic and judicial reports have found a direct relationship between remuneration and safety outcomes, yet truck drivers continue to receive poor salaries for work that is a critical function of the national economy and, indeed, of the nation. Reducing their overheads and time demands through simplified compliance standards will make their lives so much better, and the agreement is a step in the right direction.

When the Australian Transport Council established a plan to reform the transport industry in 2008, one of the proposals was the establishment of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator. The Intergovernmental Agreement on Heavy Vehicle Regulatory Reform agreed to by COAG on 19 August will overhaul the existing outdated transport regulations. I note that Western Australia did not formally sign the Intergovernmental Agreement on Heavy Vehicle Regulatory Reform but expressed support for the reforms. I understand that the Western Australian minister wishes to consult with his government before Western Australia formally agrees to sign the heavy vehicle intergovernmental agreement. I also understand that national transport regulators should be in place for heavy vehicles by January 2013. The signing of the intergovernmental agreement represents a landmark economic reform through the establishment of national standards which, when complete, will significantly reduce the number of regulators.

There are numerous inconsistencies between state road laws and regulations that hopefully will be addressed by this agreement, which will improve safety for Australian drivers. Earlier this year I raised a private member's motion in this place about inconsistencies in our national road laws and the problems caused for all road users. The same applies with respect to the trucking industry. There are many examples that could be referred to which highlight the discrepancies between the regulations that apply from one state to another. In fact, on 22 August, in response to a question on this issue by the member for Moreton, the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport referred to the cartage of cattle and how the number of cattle allowed on a truck changes as soon as you cross a border. Similarly, there are discrepancies with respect to the number of hours a heavy vehicle driver can spend behind the wheel after a rest break. If you look across the country, from Queensland to New South Wales to Victoria and South Australia, you will find that there are different regulations with respect to the rest period required—again, causing all kinds of confusion to the drivers of those vehicles. The inconsistencies cause serious problems at times because, as you cross from one state to another, whilst you have complied with the law in one state you have not complied in the next, and that leaves you in a real quandary. I am sure other members will refer to many of the inconsistencies that currently exist which they are familiar with when they speak on this motion.

These reforms are well past their time. The benefits to Australia's $61 billion transport industry that will come from the agreement will certainly be welcomed in terms of the additional productivity that will arise, as well as efficiency and safety outcomes. It is expected that the heavy vehicle regulator reforms alone will provide a $30 billion boost to the Australian economy over the next 20 years. That is a considerable amount of additional funds that will go into the Australian economy. The industry will also see the harmonisation of laws across states and, again, that is something that will no doubt be welcomed by transport operators across the country.

In closing, I commend the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. The agreement is long overdue and has been talked about for years and years. I am sure it has been lobbied for by the trucking industry around Australia. It would not have happened if some leadership had not been shown, and that leadership was shown by Minister Anthony Albanese in his discussions with the states and by finally bringing about the consistencies that have been called for for a long time. They will benefit not only the trucking industry in Australia but the whole Australian economy. I commend the minister for his actions.

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