Livestock transporters welcome work diary exemption

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Industry groups back 160km work diary exemption and want Victoria to introduce it to ensure national uniformity.

Australasian Transport News / February 9, 2015

The body representing livestock transporters across Australia has welcomed the introduction of a work diary exemption in South Australia, and it is now turning its attention to getting it in place in Victoria.

The Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA) has congratulated the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and the South Australian Government for exempting certain truck drivers from having to fill out a work diary in the state.

As in New South Wales and Queensland, drivers in SA will no longer need to record their movements if they are moving primary produce within 160km (99.4 miles) of their home base.

The measure has also been introduced in the Australian Capital Territory and is due to begin in Tasmania on March 30.

ALRTA president Grant Robins says the NHVR’s announcement shows it can effectively work with jurisdictions operating under national trucking law to deliver more consistency for transport operators.

"The primary aim of the Heavy Vehicle National Law has been to reduce or remove regulatory differences between the states and territories," Robins says.

The SA Livestock and Rural Transporters Association has thanked SA transport minister Stephen Mullghan for supporting the exemption.

"This is an excellent step towards bringing South Australian heavy vehicle regulation into line with competing states," president David Smith says.

He adds that the exemption will reduce the volume of paperwork without compromising safety.

The ALRTA and its state associations have been campaigning since July last year for national consistency on work diary exemptions.

It says the standard 100km exemption should be set at 160km for rural carriers because the local areas they cover are larger than their city-based counterparts, congestion is lower and average speed limits are higher.

The Livestock and Rural Transporters Association of Victoria (LRTAV) is now urging the Victorian Government to agree to the 160km exemption.

LRTAV president John Beer says Victorian authorities need to put aside any differences and embrace national uniformity.

"The whole idea of signing up to the Heavy Vehicle National Law was that all operators would be treated equally. It makes no sense to have different rules in Victoria when every other participating state has agreed on a uniform approach," Beer says.

While drivers working within 160km of their base do not need to keep a diary, company record keeper still need to keep basic information on work and rest times and payment records.