Victorian MP offers support for heavy vehicle jobs and growth

Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) will work closely with the Victorian Government to realise offers of support to the heavy vehicle manufacturing industry.

Victorian Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Employment, Vicki Ward MP spoke to Victorian members and guests at an event hosted by the HVIA Board in Melbourne on the eve of ComVec last week.

“The Victorian Government is actively building resilience into the state’s economy, and we are particularly keen to engage with the heavy vehicle manufacturing industry,” Ms Ward said. 

“We will work closely with HVIA to ensure that your highly skilled and innovative industry continues to thrive, creating jobs and prosperity.”

HVIA President Nathan Usher said there are close to ten thousand businesses involved in the heavy vehicle industry in Victoria.

“We’re delighted with Ms Ward’s commitment on behalf of the Victorian Government to Australian manufacturing, jobs and productivity.

“Our industry ranges from the micro to the extremely large and we must continue to work to reduce the red and green tape which is holding up progress,” he said. 

“To allow industry to embrace the opportunities that technology is providing, we need to work cooperatively with Governments and jurisdictions, to overcome the regulatory barriers, whilst at the same time improving safety of the fleet.” 

Mr Usher told guests that the appointment of new HVIA Chief Executive Todd Hacking has already seen an increase in the organisation’s advocacy efforts.

“As HVIA matures and achieves higher levels of influence, it will become a forceful voice on behalf of all of us,” he said.  

“HVIA is advocating for us and influencing government policy, training and educating industry personnel, holding events so we can build peer to peer support and garner greater community acceptance of our industry.”  

Opening the event HVIA Chief Executive Todd Hacking highlighted one particularly resonating part of Ms Ward’s maiden speech to the Victorian Parliament.

“Vicki has a strong belief in “paying it forward” and that translates into using her role as Parliamentary Secretary to ensure there are more and higher paying jobs in Victoria; that young people are given the chance to shine; that working conditions are fair and reasonable; that opportunities are seized.  Industry plays an important role in ensuring that we don’t just look after ourselves now but invest in the future to ensure the next generation of young Victorians will have better opportunities then we had,” Mr Hacking said.

“Industry associations are only as strong as their members and if HVIA is to truly make a difference we need to continue on our journey and build our membership and engagement” he concluded.