The Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA) is advocating for an initiative to improve key industry infrastructure in southern Queensland.
Last week, the ALRTA held a meeting with the Livestock and Rural Transporters Association of Queensland (LRTAQ) and the Toowoomba Regional Council to discuss the availability of infrastructure supporting livestock effluent and truck washing for transport operators.
ALRTA Executive Director, Anthony Boyle, said the state of the industry’s current infrastructure is ill-equipped to assist transport operators with these matters.
“Queensland processes around 11,000 head of cattle alone each day, with total livestock movements across the state reaching approximately 30,000 head daily, not including sheep and pigs,” he said.
“This staggering volume translates into a major challenge for waste and hygiene infrastructure – but it’s not just about livestock effluent.
“The lack of multi-use truckwash facilities also presents a serious biosecurity risk, particularly when it comes to commodity cross-contamination, such as fertiliser residues left in grain tippers and other bulk freight movements into ports and feedlots.”
The ALRTA, LRTAQ and Toowoomba Regional Council reviewed potential infrastructure options to combat these issues.
These included integrated dump points, wash bays capable of handling multiple commodity types and the prospect of reusing captured waste in biodigester systems.
“It was equally encouraging to meet with a potential private investor interested in supporting solutions this space,” Boyle said.
“There’s a real appetite for innovation and collaboration to get this right.”
The ALRTA reiterated the fact that the issue of infrastructure availability is not isolated to Queensland.
Sibling associations across Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory are exploring and advocating for similar infrastructure improvement initiatives.
“This growing momentum across the country tells us one thing: the industry is ready to tackle this problem nationally – and to do it properly,” Boyle said.
“The ALRTA is now working with all state member associations to ensure we’re building a unified approach, and I look forward to sharing more details on this exciting initiative in the near future.
“Together, we can help share the next generation of clean, compliant and sustainable transport infrastructure from our sector.”
In other news, Transport Refrigeration Services has appointed Daniel Wilton as CEO.
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