CONSULTATION is underway to assess the health of Australia’s 520,000-strong heavy vehicle fleet.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said information had been released to each state and territory to measure the roadworthiness of heavy vehicles later this year.

“For the first time in Australia, we’ll be conducting a national survey of heavy vehicle roadworthiness using trained inspectors to gather consistent safety information,” Mr Petroccitto said.

“Different data is currently compiled by each state and territory which means that the roadworthiness of heavy vehicles nationally is unclear. It’s a fundamental roadblock to understanding the safety of the fleet and to achieving national consistency.

“The National Roadworthy Baseline Survey is on track to roll out in August and September and we’ll be speaking to the industry and government in the coming months to discuss the impacts.”

The survey will sample approximately 9000 heavy vehicles, including rigid, articulated, B-doubles, road trains, buses and plant equipment.

Inspections will be conducted by authorised officers at roadside check points and in depots throughout Australia. Each vehicle will have a comprehensive visual inspection, expected to take up to 45 minutes.

“For the first time all heavy vehicle inspections will rely on a consistent inspection manual, also due to be adopted nationally in the coming months,” Mr Petroccitto said.

“This health check of the heavy vehicle fleet is an important building block to a nationally consistent inspection system.”

Further information will be available at www.nhrv.gov.au

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AFTER almost six years of environmental assessments, legal challenges and bureaucratic delays, Townsville Enterprise acknowledges the actions of the Palaszczuk Government and Minister Lynham over the weekend with the signing of three mining leases for the Adani Carmichael Mine Project.

This is a major vote of confidence by the State Government in the project and in North Queensland.

Townsville Enterprise Chief Executive Officer Patricia O’Callaghan said the move signals the beginning of a significant economic opportunity.

“We’ve been lobbying the State and Federal Governments for years to provide the approvals for this project. The mining leases are a step towards the proposed creation of thousands of jobs and the generation of $16.5B into the economy from the Adani project alone.

“But this is about much more than one project. This approval paves the way for mining projects to commence right across the Galilee Basin which will have flow on impacts across the north.

“Opening up the Galilee Basin provides an opportunity for Townsville North Queensland to become the services and workforce hub of the north, equipped with the skills and resources to service the resources and energy sectors.

Ms O’Callaghan said that the biggest challenge the Adani project will now face is from green and minority interest groups.

“Successive legal challenges to science-based approvals are a major obstacle for jobs and economic development in North Queensland.

“We know that Australia has the highest environmental reef standards in the world. Never before have we seen Governments so focussed on getting the right balance of policies that protect the Great Barrier Reef and our tourism industry and at the same time also allow major job-creating mining projects to prosper.

“We cannot let minority interests deny the job-creating benefits of this project's mine, rail and port projects to our region, our state and our country.”

Townsville Enterprise will be meeting with Adani and the Queensland Government over the coming weeks and will join with economic development bodies and Councils across the State to support the opening up of the Galilee Basin.

www.tel.com.au

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CORPORATE services providers that establish companies in tax havens on behalf of their clients should be subject to Australia’s strict anti-money laundering laws, according to an expert in transnational corporate crime at the University of Sydney Business School.

David Chaikin, an associate professor in business law, was commenting on the so-called leaked Panama Papers through ABC-TV's Four Corners program broadcast on April 4, which revealed the extensive use of tax havens to hide personal and corporate wealth.

“Governments both Labor and Coalition, have long failed to effectively apply Australia’s anti-money laundering laws,” Dr Chaikin said.

"The Panama Papers should encourage the government to apply Australia’s laws to corporate service providers that deal with tax havens on behalf of their clients.”

www.sydney.edu.au

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THE Queensland Government’s approval of mining leases for Adani’s Carmichael coal and rail project signals a big thumbs up for economic growth and job creation at a time when resources investment into Australia has tapered off considerably, says national resource industry employer group AMMA.

“The latest Carmichael project approvals could not come soon enough for Queensland. We must grasp this opportunity with both hands and support the development of this significant project,” says AMMA executive director of policy and public affairs, Scott Barklamb.

“In recent years Queensland has seen more than $80 billion in prospective resources projects, and thousands of related job opportunities, fail to proceed. In giving its tick of approval, the state government has recognised the importance of projects of this magnitude going ahead.

“Adani’s Carmichael mine and rail project will deliver much-needed economic and employment benefits for Queensland.

“A potential 5,000 new jobs during construction will be welcomed by resources employees moving on from major LNG and other mining projects recently completed in Queensland.

“A further 4,500 people employed during peak operation of the Carmichael mine will see Queensland families and regional communities benefit from this project for decades.

“This multi-billion dollar project will also deliver critical infrastructure in the Galilee Basin, bolster local business opportunities, and generate millions of dollars in taxes and royalties to help fund important public services.”

Mr Barklamb adds that this major final approval should also mark the end of efforts from environmental activists to block the project and damage Queensland’s reputation as a reliable investment destination.

“Subject to more than 200 environmental conditions, the Carmichael mine and rail project will be one of the most heavily regulated developments in Australia’s history,” Mr Barklamb says.

“The Queensland and federal governments have examined both environmental and economic considerations at length and reached a clear decision that this project will benefit our country.

“This significant project should now be given full support for what it represents – a welcome boost for Queensland’s economy and jobs.”

www.amma.org.au

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