President’s Report

President’s Report..........................................................................................2

Chief Executive Officer’s Report....................................................4

Value of HVIA Membership..................................................................7

Advocacy.....................................................................................................................8

Member Services.............................................................................................9

Jobs & Skills.......................................................................................................10

National Events...............................................................................................11

Financial Reports.........................................................................................12

HVIA Members............................................................................Appendix

2022 Annual Report presented to the 52nd Annual General Meeting 20th October 2022

ACN 009 819 756

Registered Office: 2/115 Bluestone Circuit Seventeen Mile Rocks, Queensland Australia

Copyright © 2022 Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia

Cover image: Ben Stamatovich, The Drone Way

Principal Partners

Supporting Partners

For many HVIA members it has been another challenging year. It feels like a lifetime ago now, but this time last year the COVID-19 Delta subvariant was in full swing with lockdowns in multiple jurisdictions, and the only way we could hold our AGM was as a virtual meeting.

Shortly thereafter, we were hit with Omicron, which threatened viability over the Christmas and New Year break. At that point, even the most optimistic of business leaders were looking at contingency plans, as absenteeism hit unprecedented levels and threatened operations.

The skills deficit and the difficulty HVIA members are having in sourcing skilled labour is an ongoing area impacting the profitability of all HVIA members.

HVIA has presented a series of practical common-sense reforms to make accessing skilled migration quicker, cheaper and less bureaucratic and has increased its engagement with schools and training stakeholders to ensure that we develop a pipeline of future workers.

HVIA has swung into this issue at the industry-wide level, seeking to promote the industry as the amazing, rewarding career it is. This work started with a national advertising and editorial campaign titled “It’s not just a job” that went to 480,000 school leavers with deliberate messaging around the technology, innovation and long-term career prospects that an apprenticeship ensures.

The team has also assembled a team of experts to work through the training requirements to prepare the industry for the EV revolution.

HVIA has deliberately sought to capitalise on its high level of political engagement in recent years by publishing an election manifesto during the 2022 Federal Election.

Whilst the document is the outcome, the key to this work was the level of engagement with HVIA members on what is important to them.

The HVIA team ran a series of meetings and surveys to enable the industry to identify its priorities in four key policy areas: Safety, Manufacturing & Productivity, Sustainability, and Skills & Jobs.

HVIA believes it is so important to be a thought leader and to present solutions rather than problems to government. This manifesto has given HVIA a list of issues to champion with the new Government. As I write this, our CEO is off to champion the industry’s needs in terms of jobs and skills with the new Minister, Hon Catherine King MP. At a board level, 2021/22 has been a year of change. The year started with the need to say goodbye to long term Directors, Mario Colosimo (SAF Holland) and Nick Stavrakis (DANA Australia). The 2021 AGM saw the HVIA members elect Tony Clark (NTI) to the board.

Further board changes were necessary when John Thompson advised he was selling his shares in Borcat Trailers, and Ken Cowell (KD Cowell & Assoc) provided notice of his decision to call time at the forthcoming 2022 AGM. I would like to again acknowledge and thank John and Ken for their tireless service and contributions to the HVIA board over many years. The Board’s succession plan was enacted as we appointed Robert Smedley (Smedleys Engineers) and Craig Lee (Penske Australia).

One of the key areas for the Board is to ensure that HVIA operations are financially sustainable and to this end, HVIA will this year achieve its target. This is important focus for the Board and all HVIA members.

Importantly, now that we are achieving the financial objectives, it opens up opportunities for growth and reinvestment back into the membership by increased services and support across the areas of advocacy, technical support, information, training, awards, events and workforce development.

These strategic decisions are currently being discussed and will be implemented following the Brisbane Truck Show in 2023.

Whilst I am on the subject, the show exhibition appears set to sell out, with the team busy putting all the pieces in place for a bumper show. Whilst, it is too early for me to make any grand announcements, the Board has been briefed on some of the more exciting aspects of the show, as the team looks to expand the footprint again.

Through its expansion beyond the walls of the Brisbane Convention Exhibition Centre, our industry’s biggest asset is now effectively promoting the industry in the best possible light to government, industry, stakeholders and the community.

The Brisbane Truck Show is really a fabulous opportunity for the whole industry to come together. It connects OEMs to customers, it provides a network of support and mateship among the owner drivers, but it is also an opportunity to showcase the efforts we all go to, to produce quality, safe, innovative and sustainable products for the heavy vehicle industry.

I would like to thank my fellow Directors for the time and energy they dedicate to giving back to the industry – an industry we all love – and to extend this thanks to the wonderful, hardworking and dedicated staff of HVIA, who do a great job in representing our industry day in and day out.

Throughout these challenging times, HVIA has been at the forefront, providing key advice to government on our behalf.

Peter Langworthy Future Leader Award winner Matthew Longridge with HVIA President John Drake at the 2021 HVIA National Awards Breakfast