In the media
Federal Court dismisses ACCC appeal on PN Aurizon
case
The Full Court of the Federal Court has delivered its
judgment on the ACCC's appeal in relation to proceedings
brought to stop Pacific National's acquisition of the Acacia
Ridge Terminal in Brisbane by Aurizon.
The ACCC had appealed the 2019 judgment of the Federal Court which
held that the acquisition would not be likely to substantially
lessen competition due to an undertaking that Pacific National had
offered the Court (06 May 2020).
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Disclosure requirement welcomed but maximum payment term
still sought
Businesses with a total annual income of more than $100
million would be required to report on how and when they pay their
small business suppliers, following legislation introduced to
Parliament. The Payment
Times Reporting Bill 2020 will also ask large businesses to
detail their use of supply chain financing practices to highlight
when used to extend payment times (14 May 2020).
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ARTC rail relief welcomed by Australian Government
The Australian Government has welcomed measures
implemented by the Australian Rail Track Corporation
(ARTC) to provide immediate financial relief to
rail freight operators maintaining the supply of essential goods
throughout the COVID-19 pandemic (14 May 2020).
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Funding for Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity
Program nears closure
Local councils and state and territory governments have
been encouraged by the Federal Government to apply for funding
available under Round 7 of the Heavy Vehicle Safety and
Productivity Program (14 May 2020).
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Cold chain storage and logistics set to make quickest
recovery post-pandemic
Warehouses and other industrial properties will likely be
the commercial asset class to emerge after the COVID-19 crisis as
the most unscathed, according to new research, with cold storage
facilities especially set to benefit (14 May 2020).
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Ships to be worked upon arrival at Gladstone
Vessels that arrive at the Port of Gladstone in Queensland
will be allowed to berth on arrival as of 23:59 hours on 15 May.
Maritime Safety Queensland advised Shipping Australia that the
rules on when ships can approach port at the Port of Gladstone
will, at that point, be aligned with the Port of Brisbane and the
Port of Townsville (12 May 2020).
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Toll confirms cyber attack accessed corporate data
Toll has confirmed it was the victim of a cyber attack
involving ransomware known as 'Nefilim'.
According to a statement from Toll, this server contains
information relating to some past and present Toll employees, and
details of commercial agreements with some of our current and
former enterprise customers (12 May 2020).
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Industry group to facilitate generational shift on rail
network
The Liberal and Nationals Government will work with
Australia's leading rail freight companies to establish an
oversight group for the development and implementation of a
state-of-the-art train management system (11 May 2020).
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SA cross border control requires record of close
contacts for transport and freight Industry
From 11 May 2020, an essential travellers in the transport
and freight category must keep and retain records of close contacts
for a 14 day period from the date of their arrival in South
Australia (or, if they remain in South Australia for a period of
less than 14 days, for that period) (11 May 2020).
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Second coming for NHVR's Gap assessment tool
A modern online safety assessment tool has been revamped
to assist heavy vehicle operators to identify gaps in their safety
systems. Queensland Transport and Main Road Minister Mark Bailey
said the NHVR's Gap Assessment Tool had been simplified and
upgraded to assist operators to examine their current systems
against known risks and recognised best practice (07 May 2020).
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Freeze on heavy vehicle registration increase
Positive news for the transport industry, NatRoad welcomes
the Transport and Infrastructure Council's, decision to freeze
truck and bus registration charges. The decision was made at a
meeting this week with the transport ministers agreeing to freeze
heavy vehicle registration charges at their current levels for the
year July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 (07 May 2020).
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Updated Guide to Traffic Management improves pedestrian
safety, access and health
Austroads' Guide to Traffic Management has been
updated based on learnings from multiple Austroads research
projects to reflect current (15 May 2020).
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Published – articles, papers, reports
NHVR Newsletter (industry updates)
On the Road is our fortnightly newsletter providing
important information on the heavy vehicle industry, including the
latest NHVR news and events, relevant law and policy changes, and
resources to help industry members comply with the HVNL.
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Practice and Regulation
Applications open for Driver Reviver funding
Owners of Driver Reviver locations across the nation can
now apply for a share of $3 million in Australian Government
funding to upgrade their life-saving rest sites. The first round is
a demand-driven grant round with applications closing 29 May 2020.
Further information, including application guidelines and
submissions, is available at www.grants.gov.au (15 May
2020).
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NATROAD: RMS restricted access vehicle network maps -
update
The online
RAV maps provide information on the enforceable road network
restrictions and routes available for use by heavy vehicles in NSW.
The maps were last updated on 06/05/2020 and include the following
changes to
access (07 May 2020).
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AMSA Reminder: New requirements for vessels carrying
passengers
The new changes have been made through Marine order 504
(Certificates of operation and operation requirements –
national law) Amendment 2020. From the 31 May 2020, any domestic
commercial vessel that carries passengers must meet new
requirements for passenger safety. Make sure your safety management
system adequately addresses your passengers' safety.
More....
NHVR Gap Assessment Tool
The re-launched Gap Assessment Tool included a number of
new features, outlined here (07 May
2020).
AMSA: 03/2020 - Shutdown of AMSA's differential
global positioning system service
This marine notice informs vessel owners, operators and
masters of the shutdown of AMSA's radio beacon differential
global positioning system service from 1 July 2020 (05 May 2020).
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AMSA: 03/2020 - Shutdown of AMSA's differential
global positioning system service
This marine notice informs vessel owners, operators and
masters of the shutdown of AMSA's radio beacon differential
global positioning system service from 1 July 2020 (05 May 2020).
More...
Senate: Consultations
Importance of a viable, safe, sustainable and efficient road
transport industry
Status: Submissions closed. Date Referred: 11 September 2019. Next
Hearing: 16 March 2020. Reporting Date: 14 October 2020
AIS: Transport and Logistics Industry Reference
Committee Projects
The Case for Endorsement will be considered at the
Committee's first meeting in 2020.
TLI Chain of Responsibility
TLI Heavy Vehicle Driver Safety
TLI Freight Forwarding
Queensland: Transport and Other Legislation (Road
Safety, Technology and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2020
The Bill was referred to the Transport and Public Works
Committee for detailed consideration. The committee is required to
report to the Parliament by 29 May 2020. The report will be
published here.
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This publication does not deal with every important topic or change in law and is not intended to be relied upon as a substitute for legal or other advice that may be relevant to the reader's specific circumstances. If you have found this publication of interest and would like to know more or wish to obtain legal advice relevant to your circumstances please contact one of the named individuals listed.