2025 is a year for hope and commitment to improvement by governments, regulators, enforcement agencies, HV operators and associations.
Improvement in safety is our top priority.
Improvement in productivity, facilitated by a more effective implementation of a genuinely reformed HVNL. Improvement in co-operation between jurisdictions, local governments and the NHVR, with a singular focus on facilitating safe optimisation of road freight productivity which is essential in underpinning a competitive and viable economy.
Improvement in collaboration between industry associations, focused on what’s best for the industry.
Improvement in collaboration between enforcement agencies and the industry. Improvement in enforcement through dropping the outdated cops-and-robbers mentality and adopting safety-focused and risk-based policies and practices instead the counter-productive black-and-white-letter law enforcement where there is no safety issue or risk.
Road freight is not an incidental sidebar to society and the economy. It is central. Ensuring safe productive and fully integrated road freight movement must be treated as priority core business by all governments and agencies.
We can’t afford the jurisdictional and inter-agency turf wars that have marred progress and seen government reforms lag well behind industry progress.
After 30 years as SARTA’s Executive Officer, I for one am sick and tired of the politicisation of road freight and infrastructure and the three yearly cycle of warm fuzzy platitudes and promises that are far too infrequently lived up to by governments and agencies.
Yes, there have been some good advances, but they have been too limited and delivered at little better than glacial speed.
Enormous amounts of tax-payer funds have been repeatedly wasted on failed reviews, drawn-out studies and pilots and ineffective system developments. Process has typically prevailed over outcomes.
Let’s make 2025 the end of all that and the start of an era of genuine, tangible and comprehensive outcome-based improvement.
- Steve Shearer is Executive Officer at the South Australian Road Transport Association (SARTA). This story is part of our 2025 New Year Wish Lists feature, in the January 17 issue of Big Rigs.