Peter Whytcross

   

National Treasurer Peter Whytcross Mob:0427025591

News from Peter

1/5/2011

After a brief meeting with Heather Jones from the Western Australian Long Distance Drivers Association (WALDDA) at a mine site, I was invited to attend a small gathering on the 16th March at the Karratha International Motel with Alyssa Hayden MLC who has a keen interest in the transport industry. Alyssa travelled in a road train from Perth with Ray Pratt the chairman of WALDDA so that she could gain further knowledge into our industry.

Alyssa reports directly to the WA Transport Minister, Troy Buswell MLA and it was a pleasure to see her enthusiasm for the industry and she is determined to make an improvement to our cause. The meeting had a positive outcome on all topics discussed including parking bays, road maintenance, rest stop facilities and the WA Fatigue Management and Accreditation Scheme that should be left untouched by the NTC and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.

Alyssa accompanied Tony Abbott on a tour of a mine site pointing out the issues we had raised at the previous meeting including the condition of a rough section of road damaged by floods two months earlier (this particular section of road had not had any works done on it since the water receded) but to our delight and somewhat amazement the road was under repair the very next day due to Alyssa’s intervention.

On the return from the mine site tour Alyssa organized for a brief meeting between Tony Abbott, Heather Jones, Ray Pratt and I. He was very receptive and it was a positive meeting. I have since penned a letter to Tony Abbott raising some of the issues facing our industry.

I will keep you informed on any further outcomes.

Regards,

Peter Whytcross

Tony Abbott and Alyssa Hayden MLC

BELOW: Peter Whytcross, Tony Abbot, Ray Pratt, Heather Jones & Alyssa Hayden

At Karratha Truck Stop in front of Pete's Kenworth

 

 

 ***********************************************************

Hi all, just a quick note on the NTC meeting in Port Hedland WA today.

 Approx 25 people mainly truck operators attended which was pretty good.

 The meeting was a presentation by 4 speakers followed by a very short 1 hour question time over a 4 hour meeting.

  Keith Ryan is a lawyer for the NTC gave a good speech on the regulator stating reasons for national reform, as he was responsible for writing most of the information that you can read on the NTC web site on this matter.

I put to him due to the amount of information no one person or group could review the info and make submission within the 10 week time frame allowed. This would allow regs to go thorough unchallenged, and was there scope to modify the laws where they could be found not to work at a later date.

His reply was the anytime we thought something was not working or wrong in the rules it could be changed at a later date, and due to the rush of putting it all together there is bound to be some errors.

 Due to the lack of time very few questions where heard, they made WA rules sound as if they only differed a small amount. They sound like they agree on a lot of the fatigue management and accreditation of WA but stopped short when ask by me why WA logbook not accepted interstate.

 Feelings from the meeting where mixed ranging from sounds good, will it work, to I don’t think we can trust these people from the NTC.

 I spoke to Greg Martin, Keith Ryan & George Konstandakos after the meeting about our fuel proposal sent to the Ken Henry Tax Review, which they showed good interest in as they are having trouble with the rego scheme as it now stands, and asked me to send to the NTC for a serious review which sounds hopeful.

 I have just forwarded the proposal via email to George so he can pass on to the person in charge of the rego review.

 In short I think if we keep tabs on what they are doing there may be a chance the National Regulator can work as they are keen to get it right (I Think), there has been a lot of work done which appear to be good.

 As an association we need to try and review their work ASAP and submit any changes by the due date in May to help get this right as it will be a lot easier now than later.

 This is just a brief outline of the meeting, and as always we came away with more questions than answers.

 

Peter Whytcross

NRFA

Treasurer

 #############################

WORK DIARY 7 IN 24 HOUR BREAKS

For those drivers still having trouble with the 7 hr break in 24 hr period I have been shown an easy way to working it out when working odd hours (as most of us do).

When you start your day/night shift let’s just say 5.00 am count 17 hrs forward.

From 5.00am plus 17 hrs is 10.00pm, put a small mark in your work diary at 10pm, this is when you need to start your next 7 hr break by.

 Regardless of the number of hours you have worked in the last 17 hr period, be it 4 hrs or 14 hrs providing you did not have a 7 hr break prior to 10pm.

You need to have a 7 hr break.

An easy way of counting forward the 17 hrs is go 5.00am to 5.00pm = 12 hrs                   Plus 5hrs =17 hrs = 10.00pm.

So regardless to when you start your shift count forward 17 hrs from your starting time and that time is when you need to start your 7 hr break by if not before depending on the total hrs you have worked in your shift.

When working straight long hours it is not hard to work out but if you work a lot of broken hours though the day this should be helpful for you as I have seen many caught out.

I know of someone breached for working only 4 hours in this period over the day but because he did not have his 7 hr break anywhere prior he was penalized for it, SO BE AWARE.

Also remember anyone checking your book can only count forward from the last major break being of 5 hrs.

See how you go with it & I hope it may help a few fellow operators/ drivers.

REGARDS

PETER WHYTCROSS

 

**********************************************************

 

 

The proposal for the NRFA submission to the Treasury on heavy vehicle registrations is being well received by members across Australia, to download a copy ,click here

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$