TRANSCRIPT: AUSTRALIAN TRUCK RADIO WITH SIMON SMITH, 28 MARCH 2024
Subjects: Trucking Industry, Road Safety during Easter
E&OE
STARTS: 10.00am
SIMON SMITH
Across Australia, you’re listening to Australian Truck Radio. Simon Smith is my name. Nice to have you on board right now ahead of an Easter Long Weekend. It’s my pleasure to have the Federal Member for Riverina on the line. I’ve got Michael McCormack. G’day, Michael. How are you doing?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Very well, thank you, Simon. I drove back from Canberra late last night, back to Wagga Wagga and I tell you what, there are a lot of trucks on the road and even though a lot of people pause and stop over the Easter weekend, the truckies don’t because they keep our country running.
SIMON SMITH
And, you know, particularly, again, we’re heading into an Easter Long Weekend, we talk about sharing the road, but particularly a weekend like this, the transport industry doesn’t stop, but it’s all about sharing the road, isn’t it? I mean, road safety, particularly this time of year, people out and about and, of course, getting away for a long weekend. A lot going on there, but the transport industry doesn’t stop.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
More road users, double demerit points already in place and people just need to remember that trucks need more room. And trucks often can’t see drivers if they stay in blind spots, if they drive in the wrong lane, if they don’t allow trucks room when they cut back in after overtaking them. And people just need to be responsible and respectful of the absolute honour and privilege it is to go on our roads, but give the trucks a little bit of room, give them a little bit of time and appreciate that the trucks are transporting the goods and the groceries all around the nation on our behalf and for us. And, you know, they’re going to be busy. They don’t stop. While everybody else might have a bit of a break and chocolate Easter eggs and hot cross buns and all the rest — the truckies don’t stop. They keep going and we thank them for it.
SIMON SMITH
Exactly right, exactly right. A couple of interesting events over the last couple of weeks; in Victoria, the Victorian Transport Association had their annual conference and a big get together a couple of weeks ago and so many heavy hitters from the transport industry there and a lot of discussion — it’s all directed at the future. And one of the big issues, Michael, and again with your experience and particularly with what you’ve done over Government over time, one of the big issues that they’re talking about in the transport industry is cybersecurity. And an interesting discussion with that. And it doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, but particularly with the transport industry, security, particularly with infrastructure, with technology today, is just such a paramount issue, isn’t it?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Absolutely. And the more technology we put into our trucks, the more technology that we put into our point-to-point and cameras on the sides of the roads and on those big overbays on our roads and indeed, in all the infrastructure that connects us via the road network, the more chance there are for cybersecurity interventions by nefarious characters. So, Australia’s been very conscious of that. That is why the Huawei network, I know when we were in Government, we didn’t allow that particular network to be spread right across the nation because we were fearful that there would be interventions in the cybersecurity space. But, you know, technology, we need technology, of course, and our trucks are much better for it. And the driver reaction technology that keeps our truckies safe, that keeps, particularly, the big transport operators who have implemented much of that technology,
the Linfoxes, the Ron Finemores of the world — and shout out to Ron, he was 80 the other day and happy birthday to him. But the more technology we place into our trucks, the safer our trucks will be, the safer roads will be. But we just need to continue to be vigilant and the Government needs to continue, as it will. And it doesn’t matter which side of politics is in power, I know they place a huge emphasis on cybersecurity and making sure that we stop these malicious attacks, but they’re getting more sophisticated and we just need to be aware of it.
SIMON SMITH
Exactly. It’s amazing you should talk about technology. One of our clients here at Truck Radio is a terrific organisation, Australian mob, based out of here in the Hunter Valley, WHG. And it’s just incredible, Michael, today, when you talk about the transport industry
and you look at trucks today, and particularly an organisation up on the north coast,
Brown & Hurley, and a big article in The Australian newspaper on the weekend. And last year, interestingly enough for Brown & Hurley — and of course, they move a lot of Kenworth trucks — they sold 1,000 Kenworths in 2023. And it just goes to show the importance of the transport industry, but it just doesn’t stop, but an astounding number.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
It’s vital. And of course, we need our truck fleet to be renewed and refreshed all the time.
And they’re not inexpensive pieces of equipment, our trucks, but for the transport operators, they are turning over their trucks — and that’s good because the newer the trucks, the better the technology and the safer they are.
SIMON SMITH
The other big issue, and again, out of the VTA conference a few weeks ago — and of course this is an ongoing issue, but particularly in your electorate with the Riverina that cuts through an enormous part of the state — paramount issue, and it’s an ongoing thing about the road network and it’s all about funding and making roads safer. And that’s an ongoing issue, Michael.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
I know my colleagues in North Queensland and Central Queensland are very upset at the moment that funding has been cut to the beef roads. I put that in place, knowing how important that industry is to Queensland, but to our national economy as well, to get those cattle moving around Queensland and elsewhere. Funding has been cut. The infrastructure budget was reviewed. It was supposed to be a 90-day review that the Minister, Catherine King, put in place. It ended up being more than 200 days and a lot of people left those projects. And they’re very tardy to resume some of the projects and some of the projects were absolutely cut off the agenda. That is a shame and much of it is in regional Australia. And regional Australia needs good roads. It needs the very best roads because it has the traffic that is very heavy, as far as heavy vehicles are concerned. And when you get those big B-doubles and even larger driving all the goods, the cattle and everything else around the countryside, you need the very best of roads — and we can’t afford any dollar to be taken out of the infrastructure budget. Unfortunately, it has, under this Labor Government, but we’ll continue to fight hard and lobby and advocate for better regional roads and more regional road funding.
SIMON SMITH
Exactly right. Always great to catch up with you. You get it. You understand it. Regional Australia is just so important. Have a wonderful Easter, Michael. Great to catch up with you,
and we’ll catch you down the road.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
You too, Simon. And drive safely everybody and look forward to catching up with you in a couple of weeks.
ENDS: 10.07am