1
00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,240
Speaker 1: Plenty of people sort of scratching their heads, going, I

2
00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:05,280
Speaker 1: don't know why a national address was required to say, well,

3
00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:08,360
Speaker 1: not a huge amount. Now joining us live on the

4
00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:12,520
Speaker 1: line is Louise Belato, the executive officer of the Anti

5
00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:14,360
Speaker 1: Road Transport Association.

6
00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:18,400
Speaker 2: Good morning, Louise, Good morning Katie. How are you? Yeah?

7
00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,400
Speaker 1: Really good? Lovely to have you on the show now. Louise,

8
00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:24,000
Speaker 1: tell me what was your reaction to the national address

9
00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:26,000
Speaker 1: by the Prime Minister late yesterday.

10
00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:31,280
Speaker 2: Well, I guess it was something he needed to do. Obviously,

11
00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:35,800
Speaker 2: the road transport industry was aware of those reductions in

12
00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:40,159
Speaker 2: the road user charge and the fuel excise, but unfortunately

13
00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:42,960
Speaker 2: we've already seen the price go up again on the

14
00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:47,199
Speaker 2: first and second of April. So the gains in the

15
00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,480
Speaker 2: long run are trivial and they give us nothing back

16
00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:53,600
Speaker 2: for the cost of fuel that we've all been paying

17
00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:59,120
Speaker 2: for in March. And the problem, Katie with the territory

18
00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,760
Speaker 2: is that we had such a heavy wet season December

19
00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:07,160
Speaker 2: January February. You know, virtually very few wheels were turning,

20
00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:12,160
Speaker 2: whether it's livestock, quarry material, civil construction, so no one

21
00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:16,280
Speaker 2: had the cash flow in those months for the price

22
00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,800
Speaker 2: spike that we've seen throughout March and there was no

23
00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:26,319
Speaker 2: recovering of those costs. We'll get a trivial additional fuel

24
00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:29,440
Speaker 2: tax credit if people put their basses in at the

25
00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:33,280
Speaker 2: end of April. So yeah, on one hundred thousand liters

26
00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:37,400
Speaker 2: of fuel instead of a twenty thousand dollars fuel tax credit,

27
00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,480
Speaker 2: the road transport industry will be eligible for twenty six thousand,

28
00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:45,479
Speaker 2: one hundred dollars fuel tax credit. And when you're paying

29
00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:49,760
Speaker 2: double what you were paying for that hundred thousand liters, Yeah,

30
00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:50,440
Speaker 2: it's not much.

31
00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:53,880
Speaker 1: It doesn't go far enough, Louise. I mean, like, our

32
00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,320
Speaker 1: transport industry, our trucking industry is so critical, and I

33
00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:00,000
Speaker 1: think a lot of people you know you may be,

34
00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,720
Speaker 1: we don't realize just how critical it is until you

35
00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:05,360
Speaker 1: know your goods don't arrive. Well, there isn't actually food

36
00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:09,959
Speaker 1: on the supermarket shelves. Like, how critical is it at

37
00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:13,120
Speaker 1: the moment that we have direction from the federal government

38
00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,040
Speaker 1: in terms of you know, our fuel and that fuel

39
00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,680
Speaker 1: security imperative.

40
00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:23,800
Speaker 2: I mean, the uncertainty is what is impacting most of

41
00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:26,880
Speaker 2: our businesses because you know, a week ago it was

42
00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:30,440
Speaker 2: two dollars seventy today it's back to three dollars. As

43
00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,320
Speaker 2: I said, we don't know what that ceiling is going

44
00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:36,119
Speaker 2: to look like. So it's very, very difficult for them

45
00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:40,720
Speaker 2: to continue to do business. And I mean, we don't

46
00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:43,639
Speaker 2: have workarounds. You know, when they're talking about working from home.

47
00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:46,320
Speaker 2: You know, eighty five percent of the freight task in

48
00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:51,079
Speaker 2: the territory is on roads. Eighty percent nationally is moved

49
00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:54,800
Speaker 2: by road. And you know, we can't do a shortcut.

50
00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:57,320
Speaker 2: We don't have shortcuts. We're lucky to have roads open.

51
00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:03,880
Speaker 2: So you know, those almost platitudes and that's not that's

52
00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:07,720
Speaker 2: not helpful. But Katie, it's not just the fuel cost,

53
00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:11,920
Speaker 2: it's you know, parts, spare parts. So you know, our

54
00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,960
Speaker 2: road network is staffed, we know that, and so the

55
00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:21,000
Speaker 2: damage on the roads to the heavy vehicle trucks and trailers,

56
00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,440
Speaker 2: that's just thrown up as well. So you know, some

57
00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:27,520
Speaker 2: of our operators are recovering a fuel levee and people

58
00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:31,480
Speaker 2: don't like paying a fuel levee, but that's keeping trucking

59
00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:38,000
Speaker 2: businesses alive. But they're experiencing additional costs for tires, all

60
00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:41,440
Speaker 2: the repairs and maintenance that they are having to do.

61
00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,600
Speaker 2: And as I said, it's significant in the territory because

62
00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:48,840
Speaker 2: our roads are degraded, seriously degraded.

63
00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:51,040
Speaker 1: Well, especially after the you know they are and the

64
00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:53,400
Speaker 1: best of times, but then especially after the wet season

65
00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:55,240
Speaker 1: that we've had and the damage that you and I

66
00:03:55,240 --> 00:04:00,360
Speaker 1: have spoken about on numerous occasions. Yes, Louise, what does like,

67
00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:04,160
Speaker 1: what does the you know, your industry, what do you

68
00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:08,320
Speaker 1: need right now from the federal government to be able

69
00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,440
Speaker 1: to really keep the country moving well?

70
00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:13,920
Speaker 2: What we need and I mean there may be in

71
00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:21,480
Speaker 2: an announcement today in relation to some financial relief similar

72
00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,560
Speaker 2: to some of the options that were put on the

73
00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:29,280
Speaker 2: table during COVID for businesses. Meant our industry, but a

74
00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:35,239
Speaker 2: lot of the industries that we work for, their option

75
00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,040
Speaker 2: is to put employees off, and no one wants to

76
00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,000
Speaker 2: do that. And it's not in the government's best interest,

77
00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:45,440
Speaker 2: federal or the territory for employees to lose their jobs

78
00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:48,760
Speaker 2: through this. So whatever can be done to keep our

79
00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:55,880
Speaker 2: businesses viable through this really really complicated and expensive phase

80
00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,320
Speaker 2: needs to be done because they're going to be better

81
00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:03,039
Speaker 2: off in the long run keeping our businesses afloat. And

82
00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:07,400
Speaker 2: you know, certainly the federal government did put in measures

83
00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:10,440
Speaker 2: during COVID that need to be considered again. I mean,

84
00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:13,680
Speaker 2: we're not all public servants. We rely on you know,

85
00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:17,039
Speaker 2: invoices being sent out being paid in order to be

86
00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:19,560
Speaker 2: able to pay the wages of our workforce.

87
00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:22,799
Speaker 1: Louise, I know you touched on both of these things

88
00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,599
Speaker 1: throughout what you were saying before. But you know the

89
00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:28,520
Speaker 1: fuel excise carts that the Prime Minister announced earlier in

90
00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:31,960
Speaker 1: the week, the legislation passing through parliament. Also that heavy

91
00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:35,919
Speaker 1: vehicle road user charge being reduced to zero. You know,

92
00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:37,800
Speaker 1: by the sounds of it, they don't go far enough.

93
00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:40,400
Speaker 1: Have they helped at all?

94
00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:44,840
Speaker 2: Well, I mean, as I said, we pay. We're price takers,

95
00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:48,400
Speaker 2: so we have to pay. What I mean, it's sometimes

96
00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:51,640
Speaker 2: when they've got storage capacity, it might be slightly less

97
00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,440
Speaker 2: than the bowser price, but it's more than the terminal

98
00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:58,960
Speaker 2: gate price. And so every time a operator is buying fuel,

99
00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:02,800
Speaker 2: they're dependent on what that is. And I mean, as

100
00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:05,520
Speaker 2: we said that the price has already gone up fifteen

101
00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:09,120
Speaker 2: cents from the thirty first of March to the second

102
00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:14,200
Speaker 2: of April, and so whatever we gained and everyone gained

103
00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:18,360
Speaker 2: through that fuel excise reduction has been is back. And

104
00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:21,080
Speaker 2: you know our concern is that they made that comment

105
00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:24,280
Speaker 2: that it was put in place for three months. Does

106
00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:28,359
Speaker 2: anyone realistically think that we'll be back to February twenty

107
00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:30,560
Speaker 2: eighth fuel prices in three months time?

108
00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:34,000
Speaker 1: Absolutely not, you know, because the problem as well is

109
00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:36,279
Speaker 1: even if you know, even if the war ends, and

110
00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:39,200
Speaker 1: even if we're you know, we're able to access petrol,

111
00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:42,040
Speaker 1: the issue that I've got too is that we literally,

112
00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:44,200
Speaker 1: like you know, the terminal gate price goes up, the

113
00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,200
Speaker 1: petrol prices get jacked up, immediately it goes down, nothing

114
00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:47,960
Speaker 1: much happens.

115
00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:51,880
Speaker 2: Yeah, but I mean again, we're not we're not suggesting

116
00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:57,680
Speaker 2: that the fuel suppliers are price gouging at all. I mean,

117
00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:02,039
Speaker 2: prior to you know, the second of March, I mean,

118
00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:06,120
Speaker 2: we were seeing very stable fuel prices. What we suspect

119
00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:08,800
Speaker 2: is that they know a whole lot more about the

120
00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:14,000
Speaker 2: supply situation and having to do contingencies along the way.

121
00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:20,760
Speaker 2: And well, absolutely that the you know, again, the issue

122
00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:25,119
Speaker 2: is way bigger than on Australian shores, and they're needing

123
00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:29,120
Speaker 2: to be able to provide whatever they can into Australia.

124
00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:32,560
Speaker 2: So we're seeing that knock on effect from the Middle

125
00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:37,400
Speaker 2: East crisis big time. And yeah, it's disappointing to assume that.

126
00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,480
Speaker 2: I mean, even service stations are all out for a

127
00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:43,480
Speaker 2: quick buck. I mean, I think everyone's in the same

128
00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:47,600
Speaker 2: position as desperately trying to hold on to their jobs

129
00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:48,200
Speaker 2: and their people.

130
00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:50,680
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's tough. It's tough going for everybody. I think

131
00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:53,760
Speaker 1: at the moment, it'll be interesting to see what Donald

132
00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:56,200
Speaker 1: Trump has to say in about an hour and a half,

133
00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:58,040
Speaker 1: I think, and we'll all be waiting to keep an

134
00:07:58,080 --> 00:07:58,520
Speaker 1: eye on that.

135
00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:03,320
Speaker 2: As wellbsolutely Katie, and again, as I said, unfortunately, damage roads,

136
00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:08,240
Speaker 2: damage trucks, and we've got a serious cash flow issue

137
00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:11,160
Speaker 2: in the territory because our trucks have been so quiet

138
00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:14,400
Speaker 2: over the last few months because our roads have been closed.

139
00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:18,280
Speaker 2: We hope that we don't have the same fuel supply

140
00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:21,760
Speaker 2: issues by the end of April, but that's what's being threatened.

141
00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:25,600
Speaker 2: And again, what's really important for the industry is that

142
00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:32,440
Speaker 2: the statements that were made around the fuel excise, they're

143
00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:36,559
Speaker 2: not setting forget. That has to be continuously looked at

144
00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:40,400
Speaker 2: because there is no price ceiling. There was no confidence

145
00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:44,040
Speaker 2: given that the price is not going to continue to rise.

146
00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:48,319
Speaker 1: Well, Louise Blato, I always appreciate your time. Thank you

147
00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:49,560
Speaker 1: very much for having a chat with

148
00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:52,000
Speaker 2: This Thank you Katie, thank you