Submission: National Heavy Vehicle Regulator – National Vehicle Safety Initiative, Dunnies for Drivers
In March, APTIA submitted Dunnies for Drivers calling for funding to address the fundamental issue of driver accessibility to facilities whilst on route, specifically urban and metro routes.
Access to facilities was a key issue raised in the Recruitment and Retention Project. In the submission, we identified the clear link between a lack of accessible toilets and driver fatigue and distraction, emphasising that this lack of access to facilities and timetabling contributed to driver engagement and retention.
The submission, if awarded, will contribute funds to the project allowing us to engage with expertise and bring on new resources to undertake research and develop plans, surveys and liaise with industry. We intend to use existing mapping and software to create tools which overlay existing routes with facilities. Further work will then be undertaken to assess for vehicle accessibility, safety and willingness of private organisations to participate in a scheme. Scoping for the project with geospatial engineers and AI experts has commenced. The outcome of the project will not be known until the third or fourth quarter of the year.
Additionally, the project will undertake research with the submission of a paper to bolster the industry’s advocacy in this important area.
Despite the short turnaround from conception to submission, we received three letters of support from industry and have opened the door for further collaboration with Continence Australia, other heavy vehicle associations and unions alike.
I welcome further input and collaboration on this very important issue. Please let me know if you’d like to be involved.
Road Transport Advisory Group – Contractual Chain Order Subcommittee
APTIA has successfully obtained a position on the Contractual Chain Order Subcommittee of the Road Transport Advisory Group. We have also registered our interest in being part of any committee formed to review the Cash in Transit (2025/1) matter currently before the Fair Work Commission.
We were represented by the National Industrial Relations Manager and the Chair of BIC and APTIA at the first meeting on 3 April 2025. While it’s a case of ‘Chattem House Rules’, what we can say is that some very encouraging discussions were had and that there are opportunities within this piece of legislation that will be of benefit to those operating under state contracts.
Watch this space – it’s an exciting time for the industry!
Apprentice and Training Funding – Industry Reference Group
APTIA is actively involved in an Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) industry reference group that will be advocating to ministers and senators regarding incentives for trainees and apprentices.
The Group will meet within the next month to develop an advocacy position. However, the overall consensus is that employer incentives work and that any further incentive schemes should be targeted in this way. We also continue to advocate for more consistency between the state and federal jurisdictions in the administering of funding opportunities.
NHVR – Fatigue Regulatory Advice Working Group
The NHVR, in conjunction with industry representatives, has been working on a bus driver specific regulatory advice.
The proposed regulatory advice has now been circulated internally prior to being released to working group members earlier this month.
Your industry representatives will review the document, with a deadline of 3 May 2025. If you were not part of this group, but would like to have a say, you can reach out to me at any time to ensure that your views are considered as part of our response.
National Transport Commission – Driver Health Screening
Public consultation has now commenced with targeted emails and a member alert going out to all BIC and APTIA members.
Members were also provided with the information required to register for the NTC information session held on the 8 April 2025. If you missed it, there are resources available…
If you glanced over Have Your Say, this is your second chance to get involved in one of two virtual roundtable discussions with interested parties to consolidate an industry wide response.
Make sure you register so that we can coordinate a consolidated industry response…
AustRoads – National Heavy Vehicle Driver Competency Framework
If you or your business is involved in training and upgrading of heavy vehicle licences, then this is one for you to be across.
APTIA attended the second working group on the harmonisation of the national heavy vehicle competency framework. Pending adoption by the states and territories, the framework seeks to provide clearer and safer competency progressions between the levels of heavy vehicle licencing.
We made sure that bus is in the minds of the experts creating the competency frameworks, and challenged assumptions that bus and truck licencing and operating are synonymous. As BIC National Technical Manager Dean Moule will tell you, “a bus is not a truck”.
The working group identified that there remains a significant amount of work to be undertaken by the group and AustRoads before a comprehensive framework can be launched. In light of this, further meetings have been added to the schedule and an update will be provided with opportunities for targeted consultation to members.
Keep an eye out for information on how to register for updates on these changes.
Advocacy Day
On 26 March 2025, we attended the BIC and APTIA advocacy day at Australian Parliament House in Canberra, alongside BIC Council representatives. Ahead of the day, we developed a one-pager, along with links to the recruitment and retention project.
As mentioned in The Round Up, in our snappily titled #ThrivetoDrive, we called on government and opposition to help us end the shortage by:
- increasing the earnings cap on the pension to allow drivers to work longer hours;
- recognising the professionalism of our drivers and to open up funding and pathway opportunities in training and immigration, as well as be afforded protections under the Criminal Code, and
- harmonising of licencing, authorities and training to make it easier to become and remain a driver.
We know that there are many more challenges facing the industry and welcome your input and knowledge in any further advocacy sessions. It’s so important that we have the people on the ground in front of the politicians to tell their stories and put a face to the facts that we provide.
Keen to get involved? We’re holding an Industrial Relations and Technical Forum at Australian Parliament House in Canberra on 14 August 2025. The event offers the opportunity to collaborate with your colleagues and speak directly to parliamentarians and employee representatives.
Spaces will be limited, so keep an eye out for more details in the coming month.
