The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) is urging all parties in the livestock supply chain across the country to follow safer transport practices, following 14 crashes involving livestock in the first four months of 2024.

The NHVR is joining its partners across the Livestock industry, including farmers in sharing this important reminder during National Farm Safety Week.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto OAM said this year’s statistics are alarming, and the NHVR is working collaboratively with the livestock industry to ensure this trend doesn’t continue.

“If the same rate continues, the number of crashes this year involving livestock could nearly double last year’s total – a devastating outcome for the industry and community,” Mr Petroccitto said.

“Farm safety is a shared responsibility, and preventing crashes requires attention from all stakeholders in the agricultural and livestock sector.

“During National Farm Safety Week, we aim to raise awareness and promote best practices for safe livestock transport.”

Here are some safety tips for livestock transport operators and the wider supply chain:

• When scheduling livestock transport, work with stock agents, primary producers, saleyards, feedlots, and abattoirs to ensure that trip planning prioritises driver safety and animal welfare.
• Ensure drivers are trained in animal handling and welfare and empower drivers to refuse loads that do not meet expectations and could cause a risk on the road.
• Consider ways to deter non-compliance, such as adding excess cleaning fees when animals have not been correctly prepared for transport and reporting non-compliance to appropriate authorities such as the NHVR Heavy Vehicle Confidential Reporting Line.
• Never accept a booking that would cause or encourage a driver to speed, skip rest breaks, or drive while fatigued.

Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA) Executive Director Rachel Smith said that transporters work with the farming community to safely transport goods and livestock from paddock to plate and from farm gate to market.

“Providing proper heavy vehicle access, safe on-farm infrastructure, and maintaining effective communication with transport operators and drivers helps keep Australian agriculture safe, sustainable, and profitable,” Ms Smith said.

The NHVR has partnered with the livestock industry to develop new Regulatory Advice to improve safety and simplify the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) primary duty and the Chain of Responsibility (CoR) for parties in the livestock industry.

The Regulatory Advice – Livestock provides guidance for managing heavy vehicle safety risks and helps ensure all parties, from primary producers to transport operators to facility owners to stock agents, understand their responsibilities.

Source: NHVR. For more information, please visit Regulatory Advice – Livestock.