Livestock transport is rarely thought of as a national resilience issue. I think it should be.
Where does Australia’s food security begin?
For many Australians, the answer may be in a paddock, on a farm or in a supermarket.
I’d suggest it begins much earlier, on a truck.
As I commence as Executive Director of the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA), I do so with immense pride and a strong sense of responsibility.
I am also grateful to continue serving as Director of Corporate Affairs at Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds.
Far from competing, these roles are deeply complementary. One focuses on the sustainability, productivity and future of a critical industry sector; the other focuses on the health and wellbeing of the people who power it.
Both are ultimately about building a stronger, safer and more resilient Australia.
For more than 40 years, ALRTA and its state associations have provided the national voice for livestock and rural transport operators.
Since 1985, the organisation has championed safer roads, stronger businesses, better regulation and practical outcomes for the operators who provide the first and last link in Australia’s agricultural supply chain.
It is a role no single jurisdiction can fulfil alone, because the challenges facing this industry, from regulation and road access to animal welfare, workforce and biosecurity do not stop at state borders.
As I spent time reading through ALRTA’s history, I was struck by a simple truth understood by those who built it: if livestock and rural transport operators wanted a say in their future, they needed to work together. This remains so true today.
We are navigating Heavy Vehicle National Law reform, workforce shortages, infrastructure investment, animal welfare expectations, biosecurity risks, productivity pressures and an increasingly complex regulatory environment.
Livestock and rural transport is a highly specialised part of Australia’s freight task, with operating conditions and responsibilities that differ markedly from general road freight. It requires focused representation, practical advocacy and a strong national voice.
So while the challenges have evolved, the solution remains remarkably familiar.
We need strong operators, strong state associations and a strong national body capable of carrying the issues that no single jurisdiction can solve alone. And we need to keep lifting our game.
We also need that advocacy to remain grounded in the lived experience of operators in every state and territory, with ALRTA directly connected to the businesses and people doing the work.
Not because we are failing, but because this industry is too important not to strive for continual improvement.
Many Australians may never see the work of a livestock transporter, yet every Australian depends on it.
Every supermarket shelf, every export market, every regional community and every Australian family relies on a supply chain that begins long before products reach the consumer. Livestock and rural transport connects farms to processors, producers to markets and regional Australia to the national economy.
In an increasingly uncertain world where supply chain disruption, natural disasters, biosecurity threats and geopolitical instability are becoming more common, the work of ALRTA members extends far beyond moving freight.
It helps underpin Australia’s food security. It strengthens national resilience. And it contributes to our nation’s preparedness when systems come under pressure.
The ability to safely and efficiently move livestock and agricultural products across this vast country is not simply an industry issue. It is an economic issue. A regional Australia issue. And increasingly, a national interest issue.
That is why strong advocacy matters. And that is why ALRTA matters.
Strong industries are built by people who contribute, participate and invest in something bigger than their own business. Whether through membership, sponsorship, leadership or volunteering, the future of our industry will be shaped by those prepared to help build it.
To those operators who are not yet members, now is the time to get involved. The decisions being made on regulation, productivity, infrastructure, safety, animal welfare and workforce capability will shape the future of your business for years to come.
Membership is more than a subscription. It is an investment in ensuring livestock and rural transport operators have a direct voice in the national decisions that will shape their future.
To our existing members, thank you. Your united support has allowed ALRTA to advocate, influence and deliver outcomes on behalf of livestock and rural transport operators for decades.
To current and future sponsors, we need your support too. Effective advocacy, industry programs, research, safety initiatives and stakeholder engagement all require investment. Sponsorship is not simply support for an association; it is a vote of confidence in a stronger, safer and more sustainable livestock and rural transport industry.
The issues before us are bigger than any individual operator, business or jurisdiction. The future of Australia’s livestock supply chain will be shaped by decisions being made today, and those decisions deserve a strong, credible and united industry voice.
So I commence this role with optimism, proud of the people who built this organisation, respectful of the responsibility that comes with leading it, and excited about what we can achieve together in the years ahead.
Our predecessors built an organisation that has served this industry with distinction for more than four decades. Now it is our turn to lift our game, strengthen our voice and grow our membership.
And we must ensure livestock and rural transport is recognised not simply as a freight task, but as a critical contributor to Australia’s economy, food security and national resilience.
Because no single operator can influence national policy alone.
Together through ALRTA, we can.