Peak NSW trucking body outlines election priorities

AS the state’s voters head to the polls on March 25, Road Freight NSW (RFNSW) has issued its list of election priorities, which it says will deliver a range of positive outcomes for truckies, all road users and the wider NSW community.

RFNSW has identified seven critical issues currently facing its members. Importantly, the peak body also recommends what needs to be done by the incoming government to ensure a safe and sustainable trucking industry. The priorities identified are:

Priority 1: Maintaining and strengthening PBLIS RFNSW strongly supports the continuation of the Port Botany Landside Improvement Strategy (PBLIS) in its current Regulation, with some minor improvements to further strengthen operations. RFNSW believes the incoming NSW government must be wary that any sale or administration of PBLIS by a third party would potentially undermine productivity gains delivered by PBLIS across the supply chain and the broader economy. PBLIS must remain a fully funded function of Transport for NSW.

Priority 2: Port reforms

Stevedores’ unfair landside port charges continue to compromise the viability of many NSW truck operators. RFNSW is calling on the incoming government to ensure that terminal access charges or infrastructure surcharges and other fixed fees for delivering or collecting containers from a terminal are regulated so that they can only be charged to shipping lines, not transport operators.

Priority 3: Pallets

The current pallet hire system is hurting the NSW economy, small business and consumers, with higher prices and low stock availability. Truck operators continue to deal with complicated and unfair contract arrangements from pallet companies for the use of pallets. RFNSW recommends the incoming government makes representation to the federal government regarding the inequity of pallet contracts for freight operators and look to commence a federal government review.

Priority 4: Road repairs and safety

RFNSW is committed to ensuring that NSW road safety is the cornerstone of what our truck drivers do each and every day and is calling on the incoming government to invest in a new community road safety education campaign. The incoming government must also collaborate with the federal government to strengthen a commitment to delivering a robust infrastructure pipeline across the state, with sustainable funding for truck rest areas, bridge upgrades, freight routes, regional and rural roads.

Priority 5: Tolling

Tolls in NSW are impacting road freight businesses, workers and their families. Heavy vehicle tolls have progressively been increased on most routes to three times the rate of light vehicle tolls. The recently announced NSW Government Toll Rebate Scheme offers nothing for the majority of the NSW freight industry who coincidentally carry most of the cost and deliver most of the profit on toll roads.

RFNSW is calling on the incoming government to consider a range of tolling options for heavy vehicles, ensuring costs and benefits of toll roads are better aligned, including off-peak/ time-ofday discounting; a ‘per km’ distance-based tolling system; incentivising truck companies to use toll roads by way of rego relief and/or a cash-back scheme; consideration of tolls based on a truck’s mass and consideration of tolls based on a truck’s environmental features (the cleaner the truck, the lower the toll). RFNSW has welcomed the widening of the M7 Motorway.

Priority 6: Rest areas for truckies

The lack of rest areas in the Sydney metropolitan area is of significant concern for NSW freight operators. Rest areas also represent dignity and respect for a profession that kept the Australian economy and community in food, medicines and PPE during the Covid pandemic.

RFNSW recommends that the incoming government convene a summit to examine the lack of rest areas in the Sydney metropolitan area.

Priority 7: Skills and education

Road freight in NSW faces significant shortages of labour for the foreseeable future. Not only skilled labour, but also low skilled young and new entrants at the beginning of their career. RFNSW recommends that the incoming government commence a review of the role of TAFE to best utilise fully-funded placements in partnership with the industry operators we represent.

RFNSW CEO Simon O’Hara said: “Our election priorities are informed by the day-to-day experiences of hard-working truck operators – they’re the critical issues which continue to impact the NSW freight industry.

“Ahead of the March election, RFNSW is calling on all political candidates to listen to the concerns of truck operators and commit to actions which ensure better safety and economic outcomes not only for truckies, but the wider NSW community.

“As the Covid pandemic has shown, without trucks Australia stops – the new government will need to improve its support of the freight industry.”

The Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway, MLC, and the Shadow Minister for Roads John Graham, MLC will be attending the 2023 RFNSW Conference on March 2, where O’Hara will be presenting the Election Priorities Submission to members.