VTA calls on new federal government to work towards genuine reform

IN congratulating the incoming federal government, the Victorian Transport Association called for renewal and transport industry participants to come together and attain genuine reform that will benefit the industry.

VTA CEO Peter Anderson said there is a tremendous opportunity to attain positive structural reform in the transport industry under the incoming Labor government, especially in consideration of its commitment to act on Senate recommendations for an independent body to set universal, binding standards to make the transport industry safer, fairer and more viable.

“The VTA provided numerous recommendations to the Sterle Report and with Labor in government we look forward to working constructively with them and other stakeholders so that the genuine reform we have been working towards can be enacted,” Mr Anderson said.

“If we all work together and contribute constructively to the formation of an independent body, we will all benefit from the protection of universal standards. With the emergence of the gig economy and the Amazon’s of the world, now is the time to act to prevent a further erosion of standards.”

Mr Anderson also called on the incoming government to heed the calls of the VTA and the broader transport industry to correct the imbalance created when the halving of the fuel excise in the recent federal budget was not fully passed on to the transport industry.

“Operators only received a fuel saving of 4.3 cents per litre because of their inability to claim the Fuel Tax Credit, which provides no ability for them to create any meaningful savings for customers and consumers,” Mr Anderson said.

“After wages, fuel is the second biggest direct expense for transport companies, accounting for around a third of costs. And with freight margins already wafer thin and operators facing higher labour costs because of driver shortages, the paltry saving cannot be passed on.”

Mr Anderson thanked outgoing assistant minister for road safety and freight transport Scott Buchholz for his efforts to bring about positive change to the industry over the past three years.

“Scott was always willing to listen to the concerns of the VTA and the broader industry and we wish him well going forward,” Mr Anderson said.