Trucking lobby welcomes NHVR’s commitment to collaborate with industry.
The trucking lobby is putting its faith in the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) pledge to collaborate more with industry, but has warned any more stuff-ups cannot happen.
The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has been the first to welcome newly announced changes at the NHVR, which has put forward a plan to improve its business and organisational structure.
Senior executives Angus Draheim and Philip Halton have departed the NHVR as part of the changes, while NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto has committed to a “new phase of collaboration and partnership with industry and government”.
“The ATA strongly supports the NHVR, and we want to see it succeed. However, its expected benefits will only be achieved when it is able to provide productivity-improving initiatives to industry, and to process documentation at an appropriate rate,” ATA CEO Stuart St Clair says.
“At the same time, the NHVR can’t afford to have any more false starts.”
Petroccitto and National Transport Commission (NTC) CEO Paul Retter attended a recent ATA meeting and provided an overview of the goals and the future direction of each organisation.
“The importance of both the NTC and the NHVR working together to achieve the expectations of the industry cannot be overstated. While both have different roles, it is important that there is a close working relationship and understanding of the other’s commitments,” St Clair says.
“Sal has described the changes in the NHVR’s leadership structure as part of the process to allow the regulator to meet these outcomes for industry.
“We wish Sal well with the changes in his executive team, and will continue to liaise closely with the NHVR as it progresses towards the outcomes industry expects.”
Petroccitto is effectively rebuilding the NHVR since taking over as CEO earlier this year.
He told this year’s National Local Roads and Transport Congress the permit failures that marked the national launch of the NHVR could have led to the agency’s demise.
Petroccitto has emphasised the issue of heavy vehicle permits as a key priority for the regulator and says authorities must do more to improve the time taken to process applications.