BIC National e-Bulletin – January 2023

We hope you have had a refreshing, safe and happy break over the festive season. 2023 is shaping up to be a big year and we are excited to continue advocating and driving sustainable and realistic change for the bus and coach industry.

Registrations are now open for the Bus Industry Summit 2023, early bird accommodation discounts apply so get in quick!

We have recently circulated information to our members about the Bus Industry Summit 2023 sponsor opportunities. If you would like more information please email us at events@bic.asn.au or visit our website.

Industry Advocacy

Kicking off 2023, we made a submission on behalf of industry to the Australian Government’s National Skills Commission, 2023 Skills Priority List Stakeholder Survey. We would like to thank all our members who provided input to our response, which comprised a cross section of operator and supplier members.

On Behalf of members and the Industry, we also submitted a 2023-2024 Pre-Budget Submission to the Hon Stephen Jones MP, Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services. Our submission focused on two pressing industry topics, skills shortages, and the transition to zero initiatives.

Read more below.

New Members

Let’s give a warm welcome to our newest members, Smedley’s Engineers, Systems368, Bus Stop Sales, DSA Vehicle Relocations, and Warrnambool Bus Lines.

We look forward to engaging with you at the upcoming BIC Suppliers Group meeting (14 Feb), Bus Industry Summit and the BIC National Conference in Rotorua.

For more information about these members and their specialisations see below.

Suppliers Group Feedback Survey

We would like to remind our supplier group members that responses to the Bus Expo Feedback Survey is due 3 February 2023. Your views on this issue are important to us. It will help us decide if there is sufficient member support for BIC to host the Australasian Bus Expo going forward rather than around the large state associations. If you can’t find the link to the survey please email Roz Chivers and we will send you a new one.

Expressions of Interest – Scaling Green Hydrogen CRC

The BIC Council and Secretariat have been exploring potential research partnerships related to the transition to zero emissions buses (battery electric and hydrogen) and other issues important to the wider bus and coach industry.  One of these potential partnerships is with the Scaling Green Hydrogen Cooperative Research Centre.

The purpose of the Scaling Green Hydrogen CRC is to bring together key stakeholders from across Australia and internationally to drive and accelerate national capabilities in the emerging green hydrogen sector. A key aim of the CRC is to deliver systems and technologies that enable affordable hydrogen for Australian consumers, with the goal of building a strong domestic green hydrogen industry, as a base for a strong hydrogen export industry. Transport is one of their focus areas and they are particularly keen to partner with the bus and coach industry including our energy and infrastructure providers.

The BIC itself has the option to join as a knowledge partner only (no cash but some in-kind required) to aggregate industry intelligence to inform the CRC’s work program and disseminate knowledge back to the industry or through a consortium approach with our members we can represent the bus and coach industry at a core, key or affiliate partner level. Each level provides a greater level of benefits and input. BIC members can also partner with the CRC in their own right, please contact us for more information.

We are seeking feedback from BIC members interested in participating in such a consortium. If you are interested, please contact Roz Chivers by COB 3 February. This is a non-binding indication of your potential in kind and cash contribution and will assist in determining a consortium’s feasibility. As the BIC is fuel agnostic, we are also examining partnership opportunities related to battery electric buses.

Further information can be found on the CRC website https://hydrogencrc.com.au/

Policy, Advocacy and Technical Updates

2023 Skills Priority List Stakeholder Survey – National Skills Commission

The BIC recently submitted a response on behalf of industry to the Australian Government’s National Skills Commission (soon to be Jobs and Skills Australia), 2023 Skills Priority List Stakeholder Survey. The Skills Priority List (SPL) along with data analysis and consultations with government provides a detailed view of occupations in shortage, nationally, and by state and territory, as well as the future demand for occupations in Australia. The list is a single source of intelligence on occupations in shortage.

Findings from the 2022 SPL show that 31% of occupations assessed are in shortage (286 out of 914) at a national level. The ongoing effects of COVID-19, along with the changing economic landscape have created challenges in many occupations, including ongoing persistent shortages of technician and trade occupations.

We would like to thank all our members who provided input to our response, which comprised a cross section of operator and supplier members.

2023-2024 Pre-Budget Submission

On Behalf of members and the Industry, The BIC recently submitted a 2023-2024 Pre-Budget Submission to the Hon Stephen Jones MP, Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services.

Our efforts focused on two pressing industry topics, skills shortages, and the transition to zero initiatives.

Skills Shortages

Evidenced by data in Commonwealth led surveys, there has been a sustained fall in the nation’s unemployment rate and an exacerbated nationwide shortage of bus and coach drivers as a result of the tight labour market. Evident pre-pandemic, the shortages are now at a stage where services are being cut and essentials roles left unfilled.

The BIC are advocating for a national approach to address the driver crises. This is essential to support the estimated 3000 individual bus and coach companies who continue to struggle with attracting and retaining drivers.

Our recommendations to Government included:

• Recognising passenger transport as essential services, with bus and coach drivers essential to providing those services.
• Including bus and coach drivers on the ANZSCO level 3 skills list to enable drivers to become eligible for the 482 temporary skills visas.
• To work with the state and territory governments to (temporarily) waive the requirements that drivers must have a valid Australian licence for 12 months before they can obtain a Bus Driver Authority and recognise prior overseas experience driving heavy vehicles.
• Extending the $4000 income bank credit to allow aged pensioners to earn more before their pension is reduced. This will help us retain our driving workforce which has an average age of 58.
• Contributing $4million over 4 years to support an industry wide campaign that seeks to promote the benefits of using public transport and to act as a recruitment and workforce development campaign. Key focusses of the campaign will be increasing female participation (only 14% of the driving workforce is female) and supporting the transition to zero emission buses.
• Designing and implementing industrial relations laws which acknowledge the work flexibilities needed to encourage more females into transport work (women make up about 27% of Australia transport workforce), enable our ageing workforce to continue working (the average age of bus drivers is 58 years) and the seasonal nature of the casual school bus driving workforce (40 weeks per year with drivers typically having long term careers).

Transition to Zero

The bus and coach industry in Australia is uniquely placed to be an exemplar of how to transition heavy vehicles to zero emissions operation. Undertaking public transport tasks daily, industry operations are ideally suited to adopt dedicated battery and hydrogen technology.

Whilst the Government has begun the transition to zero emission buses and coaches, outlined in our submission on the Governments National Electric Vehicle Strategy Consultation Paper we have identified several significant constraints that could derail the transition. Considered a major transition challenge is the lack of enabling policy for charging and refuelling infrastructure and the uncertainty around the supply and cost of green energy from the grid. BIC members have cited a lack of a national framework which incentivizes increased commuter use on zero emission public transport.

Benefits to utilising the bus and coach industry for such an initiative include decreased demand for private transport, reduced network energy demand and accelerated movement towards our transition to zero emissions targets.

Our recommendations to Government included:

• Government and Industry co-develop a National Zero Emission Bus Roadmap to ensure a smooth transition to ZEB’s, identifying the challenges, maximising opportunities, and outcomes, creating Australian jobs, and stimulating innovation.
• Proposing and implementing a 10-year national bus procurement plan detailing the forward procurement intentions of each state and territory government to provide certainty to operators, bus and chassis manufacturers, bus body builders and auxiliary equipment suppliers (including energy providers) who need to invest significantly in infrastructure, training, and recruitment of appropriately skilled workers to facilitate the transition to ZEB’s.
• Prioritising investment in heavy vehicle recharging and refuelling infrastructure, to ensure by 2030 that reliable and affordable renewable energy (electric and hydrogen) is available across the nation.
• Funding a campaign to encourage people to use public transport as their first choice when travelling, and
• Investing in high-capacity bus service infrastructure such as bus rapid transit to link population centres with employment and activity clusters to augment other services and fill rail network gaps.

Updates from Government

NHVR urges operators to inspect brakes

Following recent intercepts in the Blue Mountains, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) is urging operators to check their brakes. Intercepts found that 5.2 per cent of heavy vehicles inspected had a brake defect, 14 per cent of which were major.

NHVR Director of Operations Central Region Brett Patterson said that the results of these intercepts, which took place at the Mount Boyce Safety Station late last year, were particularly concerning given the road environment in the Blue Mountains.

For more information visit the NHVR website.

Canberra’s first zero emissions bus has hit the road

The ACT’s first permanent electric bus has hit the road delivering access to the latest comfort and reliability in public transport technology.

“This is an important milestone for our city as we deliver the infrastructure to bring our public transport system away from diesel and into cleaner sources of fuel,…We’ve been ambitious with our investment program to deliver this technology, with 11 more battery electric buses to begin operations across Canberra in the coming weeks and procurement to purchase 90 more underway.

This is just the start of our program that will see Canberra eventually move to a completely zero emissions public transport network that is powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2040 or earlier.” said Minister for Transport Chris Steel.

Canberra’s first 12 electric buses are Yutong E12s. Yutong is supplying charging infrastructure as part of the delivery of this new technology.

For more information visit the ACT Government’s website here.

Heavy Vehicle Charges Consultation Report – December 2022

The National Transport Commission has recently released the Heavy Vehicle Charges Consultation Report. The purpose of the report is to support public consultation on the Infrastructure and Transport Ministers Meeting’s (ITMM’s) proposal to increase heavy vehicle charges between 6 to 10 per cent each year between 2023–24 and 2025-26.

Submissions are open until 20 February 2023.

For more information visit www.ntc.gov.au.

2022 Review of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002

The Federal Government is currently seeking views on whether the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 (the Transport Standards) are effectively removing discrimination for people with disability on public transport services. Government is also interested in what changes are recommended and required to improve public transport services.

The BIC is putting forward a response on behalf of the entire bus and coach industry, incorporating government contracted and non-government operations. We have been consulting with members in our review of the Stage 2 reforms and have engaged members from all jurisdictions to ensure completeness in our response.

For more information about the review visit here.

Events

Upcoming Events!

BIC Suppliers Group Meeting

The first BIC Suppliers Group meeting of the year will be held 14 February, 2:00-4:00pm. This is a member only event, and is open to any Supplier Group staff members who you think would benefit from attending.

We have circulated invitations to the meeting, if you have not received one and think you should have please contact us.

Bus Industry Summit 2023

This 21 to 22 March, join us in Australia’s capital for the Bus Industry Summit 2023. The Summit is to be held at the National Ballroom, Hotel Realm, Canberra. The 2023 Summit provides BIC Members, Government representatives and the greater industry, with a platform to come together to network and hear about National Heavy Vehicle Law, Zero Emissions Busses and Environmental and Social Governance. The Summit will have concurrent sessions on technical issues, Industrial Relations, and workforce on day 2.

We are excited to announce to members, we have teamed up with Accommodation Link to provide Summit delegates discounted accommodation rates. For more information and to book your accommodation now, visit our website.

The Summit is open to the whole of the bus and coach industry and registrations close midnight, 3 March 2023.

Keep an eye on our website events calendar and our LinkedIn for more information.

2023 BIC National Conference

The 2023 BIC National Conference will be held 16 to 19 October at the Energy Events Centre, Queens Drive, Government Gardens, Rotorua, New Zealand.

The BIC National Awards will soon open for nominations, for more information look out for our e-Bulletins and keep an eye on our website events calendar and our LinkedIn.

Welcoming our New Members

Everybody Out – APTIA

This edition of Everybody Out, find out about APTIA’s first Advisory release of 2023, Vol 1 to 3. This volume centres on enterprise bargaining, sexual harassment, and Labour Agreements.

For more information, please visit the APTIA website.