The committee, led by chair Glenn Sterle, is aiming to get direct feedback from drivers on where rest areas are needed most in Australia
Key members of the Heavy Vehicle Rest Area steering committee say drivers were put front and centre at the first meeting.
The meeting, held in Canberra in late February, was chaired by Senator Glenn Sterle and was a first for the government and the department.
The meeting was the first time that truck drivers have been at the table directly informing decisions that will impact their work through increasing access to new or improved heavy vehicle rest areas.
The four industry representatives and five truck drivers discussed their priorities for the roll-out of the government’s $140 million commitment to the building or upgrading of rest areas for heavy vehicles.
The federal government says the committee is working on the guidelines for the funding program.
They aim to have the guidelines finalised in coming months so that state, territory and local governments can start applying for funding for heavy vehicle rest area projects by the middle of this year.
“Having truck drivers at the table involved in the delivery of our rest areas election commitment was a key part of the announcement made by federal minister Catherine King and Senator Glenn Sterle during the 2022 election,” federal assistant transport minister Carol Brown says.
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“It was a real privilege to attend part of the first day of the committee’s meeting. The shared knowledge and experience of members of the committee will deliver heavy vehicle rest areas in the most efficient locations.”
Steering Committee Chair Glenn Sterle says the committee is hoping to hear directly from truckies about where they think there are gaps in the rest area network.
“Heavy vehicle drivers are vital for keeping our country running. I’d like to think that thanks to the pandemic and recent natural disasters the Australian community has a much greater appreciation of the role they play in keeping our economy and local communities going,” Sterle says.
“During the pandemic our truckies worked around the clock to ensure people across the country continued to receive the things they needed to keep them safe and well.
“Following the floods in Fitzroy Crossing, truckies took on the challenge of driving an extra 4,500 kilometres to get supplies to flood affected communities.”