I had the privilege of Chairing the first MTA Queensland Board meeting for 2019 on Thursday the 21^st of February. As always, it’s great to have the majority of the Board in attendance and I thank those that travelled to join us.

Our day was committed to addressing the standard agenda items concluding with both the MTA Queensland Board and the MTA Institute Boards finalising the 2019-2021 Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan is integral to the future and underpins the entire activities of the MTA Group. The Plan is overarched by seven Key Strategies:

1. Service Excellence
2. Corporate Social Responsibility
3. Business Excellence
4. Expand our Profile
5. Workforce and Skilling Solutions
6. Creativity and Innovation
7. Grow and Diversify

Service Excellence is something I am very pleased to see as our key focus for 2019-21. Some of the key actions are to demonstrate a culture that recognises members and clients as the core of the organisation; through effective consultation, understanding the drivers of industry and influencing policy that supports our members’ businesses which can only be done through the delivery of purposeful and on-going engagement.

I also commend MTA Queensland for having already taken major strides in delivering on Key Strategy 2 – Corporate Social Responsibility with the appointment of the green team committee and the conscious effort of creating a paper-light organisation.

Each Strategy will be demonstrated by actions and associated measures that guarantee transparency in operation. As a group, the Board of Directors are passionate about ensuring the successful delivery of each Key Strategy and we are confident that the actions and measures connected to each Strategy, will continue to take the organisation to new heights.

On topic, is our continuous commitment to improving communication to members. The Weekly Industry Bulletin issued every Thursday stands as MTA Queensland’s main point of communication and I encourage members to read and utilise this fantastic resource. You may need to adjust your email settings to make sure you see the entire newsletter. (ie: right click the mouse and mark the email as ‘safe’)

I also encourage members to get in contact with their divisional committee members or directly with the staff of MTA Queensland should you have any divisional issues you wish to address. At its core, MTA Queensland is a member organisation and the voice of industry. To function at its optimum level, it needs contribution and collaboration from member businesses.

At the meeting we also spoke about on ongoing commitment to ensuring members’ businesses are aligned with the services provided by the corporate partners. MTA Queensland currently have ten Corporate Partners who each provide unique offerings to MTA Queensland members including superannuation, banking, insurance and saving on energy costs. I encourage you to review and take full advantage of these services here.

The Board also spoke about the focus we have on succession planning and the importance of complying with the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 (ROC Act) and the Rules. This comes into contemplation when we consider applications pending for the 2019 MTA Queensland elections for roles including Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary for divisions of Automotive Remarketing; Engine Re-Conditioners Association; Service Station and Convenience Store Association; Rental Vehicle Industry; and Auto Party Recyclers; Far North Queensland and Central Queensland representatives and for the Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary of the MTA Queensland Board.

On the topic of succession planning, Ian Lawrence currently on the MTA Institute Board of Directors, has advised that he will soon retire. Ian has provided strong leadership and valued service since commencing the role in August 2014. The MTA Institute Board have discussed a succession plan for Ian’s departure, and this will be actioned in the coming months.

And finally, Carmageddon ‘New World Mobility’ will be held on Thursday the 21^st of March and I’m pleased to say the event is in hot demand having been completely booked out almost a month in advance! The event is a testament to MTA Queensland and the profile the organisation has attained as a leader in the in the innovation space. There is a wait list if you may have missed out on a ticket.

I have the honour of welcoming all to the event, and thoroughly look forward to immersing myself in the program which includes topics such as smart cities, the future of mobility, renewable fuel technologies and blockchain technology.

6 Mar 2019