Chester, Fletcher and Cash remain effectively in place with some responsibilities changed or added
There are minor changes at the top of the transport and logistics national political tree with the re-appointments of infrastructure and transport minister Darren Chester and the appointment of Paul Fletcher as the minister for urban infrastructure.
With the new ministry being sworn in today, Chester gets the added responsibility of being deputy leader of the House of Representatives while Fletcher gets a portfolio alteration from major projects, territories, and local government.
Meanwhile, fresh from having led the push to abolish the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT), employment minister Michaelia Cash has also had more added to her plate, becoming minister for women and minister assisting the prime minister for the public service.
National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) chair Bruce Baird says Chester has been a strong advocate for the heavy vehicle industry and the on-going reforms being undertaken by the NHVR.
“I look forward to continuing to work with Mr Chester on road safety initiatives and policies that build a stronger heavy vehicle industry,” Baird says.
“As the Member for Gippsland since 2008 and born and bred in regional Australia, he knows the importance of a safe and efficient freight industry and giving regional economies the best chance for growth.
“In the past five months since he has taken on the transport portfolio, Mr Chester has been an active and vocal supporter of the Regulator, announcing Australia’s first gazette notice for Performance-Based Standards truck and dog combinations, advocating for stronger safety measures and consulting widely with trucking operators and the industry.
“On behalf of the NHVR board, our chief executive and NHVR staff, I congratulate Mr Chester on his re-appointment and confirm our commitment to working with him to reduce red tape for the heavy vehicle industry, deliver consistency across borders and boost road safety for all road users.”
The Australian Logistics Council adds Fletcher to its reappointment welcome.
“ALC congratulates ministers Chester and Fletcher and we look forward to working with them to support policies that will improve the efficiency and safety of our national supply chains,” ALC managing director Michael Kilgariff says.
“Both ministers are experienced in the portfolio and understand the economic and social benefits of moving freight around Australia more efficiently and safely.
“The need to focus on national supply chains is underscored by an ALC Report which found the industry represented 8.6% of the national economy and that a 1% increase in supply chain efficiency can deliver a $2 billion benefit to Australia’s economy.
“To help achieve this, ALC believes it is critical that the newly appointment ministers prioritise responding to the Infrastructure Australia’s 15-Year Plan, which sets out a long term blueprint to ensure Australia’s infrastructure can deal with future challenges.
“In particular, ALC is encouraging the government to provide the necessary resources to develop the proposed National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy.”
Development of the strategy, which would incorporate the interlinked components of national and international supply chains, was one of the plan’s high-level recommendations.
“It is critical Australia has a long-term plan to deal with future freight growth and to maximise the logistics sector’s benefits to the Australian economy,” Kilgariff says.
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) Kate Carnell has congratulated incoming small business minister Michael McCormack on his new appointment, and has welcomed the Prime Minister’s pledge to make small business engagement a key performance measure of his Government.
McCormack replaces Kelly O’Dwyer who in the new revenue and financial services minister, with the title ‘assistant treasurer’ dropped.
“Mr McCormack will be a strong advocate for the sector, particularly in rural and regional areas; I congratulate him on his new role and look forward to working with him to assist in the continued creation of policy and legislation that allows this vital sector to grow, innovate and employ,” Carnell says.
“While the portfolio has been moved to the outer ministry, I have every confidence all ministers sitting around the Cabinet table will have small business at the forefront of their minds when it comes to making decisions impacting on the sector.
“As the Prime Minister himself said, ‘every minister is a minister for small business’.
“I’d like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the outgoing small business minister Kelly O’Dwyer who has done an outstanding job in raising the profile of small business issues, particularly in highlighting the impact the recent Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal’s (RSRT) Payments Order had on mum-and-dad small business operators.”