The HVIA wants Australian standards for heavy vehicles to be made free
The Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) is calling for members of the transport industry to sign the current e-petition to make Australian standards more readily available for heavy vehicle operators.
The e-petition is currently open on the Australian Parliament House petition register and calls for Australian standards to be made for free or at a reasonable cost for anyone in the industry requiring them to perform their duties.
HVIA chief executive Todd Hacking says access to all Australian standards should be free as he pushes for these standards to be made available to the heavy vehicle industry.
“It is our members who have volunteered their time to develop the industry benchmarks, yet as soon as that is done, Standards Australia is putting them behind a paywall,” Hacking says.
“The Australian heavy vehicle industry comprises thousands of people who are preserving our nation’s ability to produce world leading innovative vehicles, and yet their viability is constantly being hampered and challenged by layers of red tape and profiteering.
“Our members are committed to adhering to these Standards and the regulatory framework, however in 2022 there has got to be a better model.
Hacking is strongly encouraging the HVIA and other members of the transport sector to sign the e-petition to help make the change.
Australian standards are essential to ensure the safety and operability of infrastructure, equipment and services.
For a single task or service, a number of standards may be required, often mandated by legislation.
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“A trailer manufacturer gave me one typical example where a single piece of equipment included reference to twenty different standards, none of which are free,” Hacking says.
“Nobody is questioning the outcomes of setting design, safety and engineering benchmarks – we are all proud of that – but let’s not allow Australian innovation and hard work to be exploited.
“We agree with the petition that the existing model is unsustainable and cannot hope to achieve its very worthy purpose while it is creating barriers for industry to comply.”