Livestock transport operators have hailed the recent passing of legislation in Queensland as one of the first steps to achieving a truly consistent national regulatory framework and a single regulator for the transport industry.

“The rural transport industry congratulates Queensland’s transport and main roads minister Scott Emerson, on introducing the first part of the National Heavy Vehicle Law,” the national president of the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association, John Beer said.

Under the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, the road transport industry would have the strongest arrangement ever seen in Australia for ensuring legal consistency between the States, he said.

In the new arrangement, the Heavy Vehicle National Law needed to be passed by the Queensland Parliament before it can be enacted by the other State and Territory parliaments across Australia.

“When this is complete, it will create the first unified, and truly consistent legal framework for the trucking industry in Australia’s history,” Mr Beer said.

“The Federal minister for infrastructure and transport, Anthony Albanese, is working closely with the premiers and roads ministers in each state to secure quick passage of the two Bills that will make up the National Law.”

The ALRTA is urging all governments to ensure that the National Regulator is in place and ready to commence operations by January 1 next year.

“Trucking is dominated by family?owned businesses, and for many of our current members, the push to secure legal consistency across borders was begun by their fathers. This has been a fifty year journey for the road transport industry,” Mr Beer said.

“But every bit as important as completing this once?in?a?century legal reform, governments must ensure that the new National Regulator is set up with the proper skills and resources.”

“The rural transport industry is looking for the National Regulator to make a visible difference in boosting productivity, increasing efficiency and improving safety in the livestock and rural transport industry.”

To deliver that, governments needed to ensure that the new body was a truly expert agency, a specialist body that could achieve real excellence in the service it provides.

“The ALRTA is calling on all governments to ensure that the Regulator is established with a top?level chief executive and expert staff. The new Regulator must have the knowledge and leadership skills to work effectively with business, the community and State governments themselves,” Mr Beer said.