The Australian Government has released two significant consultation papers that aim to support the development of a domestic low-carbon liquid fuels (LCLF) industry and to help shape the nation’s future fuel security – including possible volumetric mandates or carbon-intensity standard to boost demand for LCLFs.
The paper recognises heavy transport as a key sector where LCLFs can help reduce emissions while supporting fuel security; and recognises grants and production incentives will not be enough and is therefore exploring a demand mechanism that would create a guaranteed market and provide investors with greater confidence to build capacity.
HVIA has welcomed last week’s announcement by the Albanese Government of a $400 million heavy vehicle industry productivity reform package, describing it as a historic step towards improving Australia’s freight efficiency, economic productivity and supply chain resilience.
The reforms, which will incentivise states and territories to deliver nationally consistent heavy vehicle access reforms, support the rollout of zero-emission heavy vehicles and strengthen driver competency frameworks, are expected to boost Australia’s Gross Domestic Product by up to $4.4 billion annually.
Australia’s leading independent heavy vehicle fleet maintenance company TRUCK TECH has opened a new state-of-the-art workshop in Sunshine West, Victoria. The new branch will deliver proactive, data-driven, safety-led maintenance solutions for fleets of 50 or more assets.
The HVIA member expects to employ up to 50 specialised heavy vehicle mechanics, technicians, service coordinators and parts interpreters at the facility, which incorporates 5,000sqm of workshop space, a 10-tonne crane, 14 service bays, a wash bay, and the latest diagnostic and brake-testing technology.
HVIA Major Partner Geotab, a global leader in connected operations, video telematics and AI-powered insights, has unveiled Geotab Investigations, a unified solution for safety, compliance and operations teams to accelerate the resolution of road incidents.
David Brown, Associate Vice President, Sales, APAC at Geotab, says Geotab Investigations brings critical incident data together in one place, “giving fleet managers a clearer picture of what happened and the insights they need to resolve incidents faster, support their drivers and make informed decisions.”
HVIA has called on the Department of Transport to drop the requirement for approval holders to re-apply every seven years for all valid approvals under the Road Vehicle Standards Act’s online administration system ROVER.
In its submission, HVIA calls on administrators to update the digital platform to allow existing applications to be pulled across to create a renewal application which can then be checked over and submitted by the approval holder.
HVIA member Levanta has unveiled an exciting new chapter with the acquisition of Totalkare UK. The Brisbane-headquartered company says the deal is a “tremendous step forward in our ambition to become the world’s leading commercial workshop equipment and fitout provider”.
“The alignment is clear: for over two decades Levanta has built Australia and New Zealand’s leading workshop solutions business, while in the UK Totalkare has established an enviable reputation across the commercial vehicle, transport and rail industries,” the announcement notes.
Penrite Racing has introduced a new Mercedes-Benz transporter. It is the Supercar team’s first ProCabin, the new aerodynamic Actros model, and wassupplied by team sponsor Velocity Truck Centres, which sells and supports Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner and Fuso brands.
The Penrite Racing Actros ProCabin is the top-of-the-line 2663 model with the tall GigaSpace cabin. It features a 630hp 16-litre six-cylinder engine teamed with a 12-speed Automated Manual Transmission.
Penske Australia & New Zealand has named Luke Andrew (pictured right) and Luke Reid (pictured left)its 2026 Penske Guild Master Technicians for on-highway and off-highway, respectively.
Aimed at promoting and rewarding technical excellence, Penske Guild comprises members from across its Australian and New Zealand network, culminating in a prestigious Master Technician competition biennially where technicians compete in qualification rounds prior to the final.
.jpg?upscale=true&width=1120&upscale=true&name=mygeotab-dashboard-lifestyle-mockup-phone-1-2022-EN-NA-inline@2x%20(1).jpg)
