HRIA president’s message

BY MARK BURTON

HRIA PRESIDENT

President’s message

Adelaide proves its as big a draw as any state capital

What a fantastic Convention we had at HIRE22. I’d like to say a big thank you to the 1100 delegates, 26 sponsors and all the suppliers who attended to help make this one of the best conventions ever.

We had one of the largest attendances to an Event division lunch and workshop at HIRE22. Networking was in high demand, with tickets selling out in record time. This was an encouraging sign for companies and staff who have suffered disruptions and uncertainty because of the pandemic. For hire industry delegates and visitors to make a commitment to attend was a good indication that the HRIA’s Convention was hitting the mark with the right balance of exhibitors, expert advice and speaker content. Increasingly we’re told that the HRIA convention is an event that remains a permanent fixture in their annual calendar.

Capped off with two of the best speakers we’ve had in many years, in Mark Wales an SAS and Survivor expert and Dr Richard Harris, a humble hero from Adelaide who rescued the Thai soccer team trapped in a flooded cave and was awarded Australian of the year.

Congratulations to the winners at our Hire Industry Excellence Awards. The standard of entrants was extremely high, and the acceptance speeches showed how passionate the winners were.

I am enormously proud, following such a tough couple of years, to have an incredible turn out in my hometown Adelaide. In my last year as HRIA President what an awesome way to finish off my 5-year tenure. A huge thank you to everyone for getting behind the Association at the Convention, as well as state meetings and events and for your support during my time as President.

Some house keeping

With the new financial year and a rise in the minimum wage now in place, it is important to take time to assess wages to ensure staff are being rewarded appropriately in line with Awards and Enterprise Agreements. Retraining good staff is critical in the current market and the cost of recruiting to replace them, should they choose to leave, is a high one, not to mention the loss of knowledge and experience. With wages, fuel, electricity, interest rates and insurance costs rising, all of this and more will have an impact on your business. So now is a good time to be reviewing your hire rates to ensure they are sustainable when considering the increased cost of doing business.

As an Association member, you have access to expert support and guidance to help you navigate the complexities of business, so please contact one of our many business partners who can help with any enquiries on the subjects mentioned above.

Members Survey HRIA Strategic Plan

Responses to this year’s member survey give us a better understanding of how the HRIA can support members. The HRIA Board of Directors is always looking for new ways to be able to help members, and by using the member survey as a key performance indicator, we can measure the impact and success of the benefits we offer as well as implement improvements and new ideas based on your feedback. Please feel free to contact the National office at any time, if you have any feedback to offer.

“Don’t talk yourself down. Talk yourself through.”

Adelaide attracted as many delegates as the Gold Coast in 2021

The next 12 months

I think we would all agree the next 12 months will be interesting. While there are many factors out of our control, such as freighting, fuel, the availability of parts and new equipment, to name a few, there are many things we can control. An important one of those is our attitude, in particular how we deal with the uncontrollable. A recent conversation with a good friend offered some sound advice: “Don’t talk yourself down. Talk yourself through.”

It’s important to remain confident and positive while working through these challenging times and remember, some of the toughest challenges present great opportunities.

August magazine

Understanding what’s in store when it comes to the future of plant and equipment is by no means an easy task. Knowing what innovation is around the corner and what to invest in is a question many managers and business owners are asking themselves. The reduction of emissions is starting to have a huge impact on our industry and influencing the way manufacturers are designing equipment. Our industry is evolving at a rapid pace and in every issue, there are great examples that can help us adapt and continue to be successful. As an HRIA member, you have access to our national database of suppliers, so please reach out to them with any questions you might have in relation to emissions, future technologies, and innovations on offer.

Enjoy the read. Take care, stay safe. I look forward to seeing many of you at our next face to face meeting.