This month, the CCAT Board met for its first meeting of 2024. The Board had a deep dive on the strategic plan for CCAT’s National Summit, which will be released to stakeholders next month. The Board’s expertise has been invaluable in shaping the Summit, which will cover important themes relevant to connected and automated transport that require collaborative national action. The Board meeting was followed by CCAT’s first stakeholder event of the year, with a fantastic gathering of Victorian transport leaders who came together to discuss their strategic priorities.
We also released the last of our ‘Get to know the Board’ series of new Board member profiles, with the release of an interview with Sal Petroccitto OAM, Chief Executive Officer of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator. You can read the full series of interviews on our website.
I was pleased to be invited to the National Transport Commission’s (NTC) Industry Forum, a new mechanism for the NTC to share their work program and engage with transport stakeholders. It is great to see these kinds of initiatives, which foster a transparent, collaborative approach to transport reform.
We have continued to meet with new stakeholders across diverse transport-related sectors, including roads, mining, agriculture and investment. These perspectives and connections are vital as CCAT continues our unique ‘whole-of-transport system’ approach to preparations for new technologies.
Rahila David
Executive Director, CCAT
CCAT News
CCAT Board meeting
CCAT’s Board met in Melbourne this month for their first quarterly Board meeting of the year. The Board discussed CCAT’s engagement approach and the strategic plan for CCAT’s National Summit. Themes for discussion included connected and automated transport’s potential to enhance safety, productivity and sustainability outcomes. CCAT member Transurban then hosted the Board and other transport leaders for a boardroom lunch where discussions centred on strategic priorities in the transport sector, including an enlightening discussion about ‘what transport issues keep you up at night?’ Transurban also shared insights about their partnership with Plus and Iveco to bring a new phase of automated truck trials to Melbourne, touching on the importance of collaboration in the transport innovation space.
Member News
NTC Industry Forum
The National Transport Commission (NTC) hosted its Industry Forum in Melbourne this month. NTC Chair Carolyn Walsh and CEO Michael Hopkins spoke about ways that the NTC is deepening engagement with industry, unions, peak bodies and the community. Attendees got a chance to engage with in-house experts who presented on the NTC's key priorities for rail, road rules, heavy vehicle reform and automated vehicles.
The Australian Trucking Association is hosting its flagship event, Trucking Australia 2024, next month in Canberra. Included in the line-up of speakers is CCAT’s Executive Director, Rahila David, who will be speaking alongside others about the transformative potential of automated trucking in Australia.
TIER IV brings their autonomous driving technology to Australia with NTRO
Japanese company TIER IV has teamed up with the National Transport Research Organisation to bring open-source autonomous driving technology to Australia, aiming to deploy automated vehicles across sectors. The partnership seeks to accelerate Australia's adoption of automated vehicles, enhancing road safety and transport efficiency and advancing the country's transport technology ecosystem.
Call for members of new Emerging Aviation Technologies Policy Forum
The Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts has announced a new forum for the Department to consult with on emerging aviation technologies. The Department has called for expressions of interest from stakeholders in industry, academia and government to join the forum
Industry Skills Australia Draft 2024 Workforce Plans
Industry Skills Australia has released its 2024 Draft 2024 Workforce Plans for the transport and logistics, maritime, rail and aviation industries. Each plan sets out the workforce development challenges and opportunities facing the industry, and identifies what needs to be done to build an agile, highly productive and resilient workforce. Included in the plans is discussion of the impact of new technologies including automation. The consultation period on the plans closes on 5 April 2024.
Commonwealth Government announcement on public transport accessibility
The Commonwealth Government has announced new disability standards to help make public transport more accessible. Among the range of reforms are new standards to enable people to get timetable and disruption information in accessible formats, and requirements for onboard next-stop information through signage and audio announcements.
The NSW Government’s Bus Industry Taskforce is investigating key factors relevant to bus operators’ performance in order to make recommendations to improve the reliability, quality and effectiveness of bus services across NSW. The Taskforce is seeking views from the public via a survey or submission as part of its consultation. The consultation period closes on 31 March 2024.
The Victorian Department of Transport and Planning is developing a new plan for Victoria, which will set out the next steps to address the state’s 2050 housing and land use needs, while supporting jobs growth, protecting the environment and ensuring Victoria is more resilient to climate change. The plan will be a blueprint to guide how Victoria grows and develops as whole state. A public consultation period is open until 30 June 2024.
California 'Waymo' Bill aims to give cities more authority over self-driving car companies
A Bill is currently under review in California which seeks to give cities more control over Waymo and other self-driving car companies. Advocates say the Bill will empower local governments to issue permits, impose limitations and establish regulations.
We continue to engage with experts and stakeholders interested in facilitating the transition to connected and automated transport in Australia and New Zealand. If you would like to know more about CCAT, including information on how to join, you can find further details on our website or email us at info@ccat.org.au to arrange a meeting.