With the federal election coming up this weekend, the campaign is intensifying, with all sides of politics putting their best policies forward in the lead-up to Australia hitting the ballot.
When it comes to the trucking industry, the 2025 election is set to be a defining one, with a myriad of issues depending on the outcome. In the weeks leading up to the election, OwnerDriver chatted to various members of the transport industry about what they want to see from the next federal government.
A common theme among associations is that there is no singular issue that demands the most attention from the government. Victorian Transport Association (VTA) CEO Peter Anderson has four immediate areas he wants the next government to address in 2025.
“Our priorities should include productivity improvements, intermodal connectivity, reforms to the Heavy Vehicle National Law and changes to driver licensing to attract young people to the industry,” he told OwnerDriver.
“Both sides of politics must prioritise policies that enhance productivity within the transport sector – this includes investing in innovative technologies and optimising logistics processes to improve efficiency and reduce operational costs.
“Additionally, fostering intermodal connectivity is essential. Integrating road, rail, air and sea transport will ensure seamless freight movement, which is vital for maintaining and improving the standard of living for all Australians.
“The next federal government should prioritise the development and implementation of a comprehensive intermodal strategy. This strategy should support the integration of various transport modes to handle increasing freight volumes effectively.”
For Anderson, his key goal is for both sides of politics to understand the importance of prioritising productivity. Over the past year, he has particularly focused on the HVNL reform, as well as changes to the national heavy vehicle driver licensing framework. He says these reforms must ensure agencies work with the industry to provide the best regulation for the sector.
“Policies that promote intermodal harmonisation and support the entire transport and logistics industry are of utmost importance,” he says.
“Agencies like Austroads and the National Transport Commission must engage with the industry to develop policies that improve the working environment for all stakeholders.
“My message to the next federal government is clear: We must work together to create an environment that supports the efficient and safe movement of goods. By embracing intermodal connectivity, investing in infrastructure and prioritising productivity improvements, we can shape a prosperous future for the transport and logistics industry.
“The collaboration between public and private sectors is essential to achieving these goals and ensuring a resilient and efficient freight system for years to come.”
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This multi-faceted approach to tackling major transport industry issues is echoed across the sector. In the weeks leading up to the election, the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) drip-fed a long list of priorities for the next government, while the National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) cut its Road to 2028 agenda to five key issues for both sides of politics to focus on.
Encompassing safety, workforce, costs, increased productivity and lower emissions, NatRoad CEO Warren Clark says the five-point plan is critical to creating a better industry.
“Deaths and injuries on the road network are getting worse, the driver shortage is significant, industry is under severe cost pressure, the red tape burden from access permits continues to increase and we still lack a cost-effective plan for emissions reduction,” he told OwnerDriver.
“NatRoad is calling for the next federal government to come to the table and implement measures to tackle the key industry issues within the next three-year term. This includes eliminating 90 per cent of access permits by 2028, establishing a $3.5 billion Clean Transport Fund, long term reforms to road user charges, delivering a national road freight workforce plan and ensuring infrastructure upgrades prioritise building a safer road network.”
Clark says he wants the additional rest area funding provided by Labor to continue. He says it’s also important that the Coalition’s proposed temporary fuel excise reduction prioritises relief for small trucking operators.
“All government decisions need to focus on keeping cost pressures low. About 98 per cent of trucking operators are small businesses with limited economic bargaining power to pass on higher costs. The industry has an average profit margin of just two per cent.
“The time has also well and truly come to modernise the HVNL. The review has stumbled along for seven years, and there is now an urgent need to implement better, risk-based fatigue management and to fix access.”
At the Truck Industry Council (TIC), it has one sole priority it is pushing the next government to implement – modernising Australia’s truck fleets.
“Given that Australia has one of the oldest truck fleets in the world, we’d like to see major political parties provide strategic leadership in the form of financial and regulatory policies that incentivise the uptake of the new ADR 80/04 (Euro VI) and low and zero emission heavy vehicles,” TIC CEO Tony McMullan told OwnerDriver.
“This would allow us to meet the national challenges associated with improving road safety, meeting the nation’s commitments towards net zero by 2050, reducing noxious emissions and enhancing vehicle productivity.”
While NatRoad’s future plan couldn’t be limited down to a single election focus, Clark says he has a clear message for the next federal government. Regardless of the outcome, he wants them to know that trucking is an essential industry, meaning government must back the people who keep the economy moving with national leadership on critical industry issues.
“With so many operators under significant pressure, we need to see sensible solutions delivered within the next three years to avoid a deepening crisis,” he says.
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