DCN October Edition 2019

NEWS IN BRIEF
Stay away from our freight,
Senator warns tech giants
VTA welcomes
passage of Owner
Drivers Act
Industry body the Victorian Transport Association
has welcomed passage of legislation in the Parliament of
Victoria to make transport work safer and fairer for owner
drivers and forestry contractors.
Changes to the Owner Drivers and Forestry Contractors
Act are expected to ensure these workers are paid
correctly, are safer and have the information to run a
successful businesses.
The changes are expected to benefit owner operators
who supply and operate one to three vehicles, including
bicycles to deliver goods, who are working as contractors,
not legal employees.
Industrial relations minister and Treasurer Tim Pallas
introduced the Bill four months ago.
VTA chief executive Peter Anderson said the association
welcomed passage of the legislation.
“We strongly supported this legislation when it was
proposed in May and are pleased with its passage through
the Parliament yesterday,” Mr Anderson said.
“We commend Minister Pallas and the Government for
working with the industry to legislate for better conditions
for transport operators and those they employ.”
Labor Senator Glenn Sterle has pledged to fight “tooth and nail”
to prevent tech giants such as Amazon and Uber dominating the
Australian freight sector.
Senator Sterle represents Western Australia in the
Commonwealth Parliament and chairs the Rural and Regional
Affairs and Transport References Committee and is deputy chair of
Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee.
“There are a lot of very responsible employers, but you cannot
continue to demand lower rates for your freight movements,” the
senator told the 2019 Supply Chain Safety Summit in Sydney.
“That is before we event start on Uber Freight.
“Amazon are on the public record – they’ve just done a contract
with Heineken in Europe – where they have said proudly that they
are disruptors. They will lose money for the next 10 years just so
they can secure all these freight contracts,” he said.
“Well ladies and gentlemen, I’m not in government, but one
thing I can promise you, I will fight tooth and nail, I don’t want
Amazon in this nation in the trucking freight area. I don’t want
Uber Freight.
“Are we seriously going to get on the website because you want
a mattress delivered from Harvey Norman or you want a crate of
tomatoes delivered somewhere and go on something like AirTasker
and see just how cheap we can get the freight rates down?”
The Supply Chain and Safety Summit was organised by
the Australian Logistics Council and the Australian Trucking
Association.
INDUSTRY EVENTS
2019 EVENT
8-10 Oct Pacific 2019 International Maritime Conference, Sydney www.pacificexpo.com.au
28 Oct–1 Nov AMPI Pilotage & Ports Logistics Conference, Sydney www.ampi.org.au/AMPI2019
29-30 Oct Regional Ports, Newcastle www.informa.com.au/event/conference/regional-ports
14 Nov 2019 Australian Shipping & Maritime Industry Awards, Melbourne www.dcnawards.com.au
22 Nov Australian Supply Chain & Logistics Awards, Sydney https://sclaa.com.au/events
2020
23-26 Mar 12th International Harbour Masters Congress, Hobart www.globalportoperations.com
To notify DCN of events please email us at editorial@paragonmedia.com.au
Nattanan726; Lawrence Glass
16 October 2019
thedcn.com.au