News
WA Police move into electronic infringements
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fter more than half a century of handwriting traffic infringements, police will do away with their carbon copy pads and pencils and move to electronic infringement capability. Since the 1970s, officers have handwritten traffic infringement notices on carbonated P140 General Infringement Notice books. After issuing an infringement at the roadside, officers had to further submit a copy once they returned to the base so it could be manually uploaded to a central infringement processing system. Currently this occurs for up to 180,000 handwritten traffic infringement notices per year. From now on, Police will introduce the electronic traffic infringement application on their personal mobile devices. This will allow an officer to retrieve person and vehicle data from their mobile devices and populate the required fields on the electronic infringement notice. The roll out of electronic infringements will bring Western Australia into line with other jurisdictions including Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania, who all have electronic infringement notice capability. Motorists will continue to receive their
infringements in the mail and will still have 28 days to pay. The McGowan Government has invested more than $40 million in digital policing initiatives including the roll out of personal mobile devices, bodyworn cameras, automatic number plate recognition cameras and drones. Police and Road Safety Minister Paul Papalia said, "This is a giant step forward in policing and will result in significant efficiencies. "It's hard to imagine in this day and age our police were still using the archaic manual process of handwriting infringements.
Clear information for those travelling interstate
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he NHVR has updated its website with guidance on close contact worker requirements that covers each state or territory, so drivers understand their obligations if they have been identified as a close contact. NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said it is important that drivers and operators have a one-stop shop for information. “Heavy vehicles operate across all Australian borders thousands of times a day and it’s vital that they are able to find clear information to assist in them,” Sal said. “The NHVR will continue to provide updates on changing conditions and requirements across all jurisdictions, such as truck access-friendly COVID-19 testing facilities, roadhouses and service centres.” To view the close contact worker requirements etc. visit www.nhvr.gov.au/about-us/ coronavirus-response?
PRIORITY SKILLS MIGRATION LIST
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he ALRTA has written to the Federal Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business, the Hon. Stuart Robert MP, seeking support for amendments to the Priority Migration Skilled Occupations List (PMSOL). The Australian Government can adjust the PMSOL in cases where the National Skills Commission (NSC) provides advice of an urgent need to support our economic recovery. ALRTA says to Minister Robert, “Across the nation, Australians are currently confronted with empty supermarket shelves. Critical supplies of food staples and household products are simply unable to be delivered. This is also affecting a diversity of businesses throughout the supply chain with many waiting longer for transport services and paying higher prices.
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WATM • March 2022
“Despite obstacles including fires, floods, drought trade wars and the pandemic, the rural trucking sector is experiencing unprecedented demand for road transport services. At the same time, we are experiencing an acute lack of skilled workers to support this growth. In some cases, trucks are idle because there simply are not enough drivers or support staff. “ALRTA appreciates that there are
We are experiencing an acute lack of skilled workers to support this growth. In some cases, trucks are idle because there simply are not enough drivers or support staff
initiatives being progressed such as a new National Driver Apprenticeship and a move towards experience-based heavy vehicle licencing (rather than time-based licencing), however it will be some years before new skilled workers are delivered. Our transport businesses need access to skilled workers now. As these persons cannot be sourced domestically, the most practical solution in the short term is skilled migration.” ALRTA has advised Minister Robert that the most critical skills shortages are: • Truck drivers (top priority) • Forklift drivers • Schedulers/logistics professionals • Diesel motor mechanic • Fitter (general) • Automotive electrician • Welder (first class) metal fabricator
