The Drake Group Managing Director John Drake has recently elected to a permanent position as the President of the Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA).
The move comes after he has occupied the position in an Acting capacity since November 2018.
As the Managing Director of The Drake Group since 1991, John Drake is in a unique position to have an in-depth knowledge of the how the industry works and how to best position it for the challenges and opportunities it faces in the future.
One of the first new announcements he has made is the Boards decision to create a new system of state committees to be held around the country to engage with current members and create opportunity for their opinions to be heard.
“I know – like my company – our members have strong views on topics and genuinely want to engage to make our industry stronger,” said Drake.
“The new committees give our members a voice on important topics but they are also a good opportunity to inform them of the topical issues currently affecting our industry.
“The organisation does some great work and up until now our engagement has been limited; I want to formalise it and broaden our engagement to ensure we are transparent about the issues and we allow ourselves the best opportunity to tap into the views of our membership.”
The state committees will be held in Victoria on March 25, New South Wales on April 4 and in Queensland on April 11. A member of the HVIA board will be present at each of these events to note concerns, present the latest developments in government regulation and discuss future proposed changes that will impact the industry at large.
One such proposal that the HVIA are discussing is changing the maximum regular vehicle width to 2.55 metres. This would match the standard recently set in New Zealand. HVIA is due to report its findings into the matter to the Austroads Board in October. The findings will be based on consultation received from events such as the upcoming committee meetings. Feedback will be taken to the board and decided upon there.
The Heavy Vehicle Industry in Australia employs over 36,000 people and the HVIA is designed to help represent industry to government. Formed in 2015, the HVIA focuses on workplace development, innovation and making the voices of the industry heard. More information about the HVIA can be found on the HVIA website.
